Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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SYNOPSIS Kentucky Jonea, veteran cowman, at tends the Inquest, tn the little town of Waterman, Into the death of John Ma son, banker and financial mainstay of the district. Jean, daughter of Campo Ragland, owner of the Bar Hook ranch, where Mason met death, to Kentucky's mystification surreptitiously passes to him the bullet which had killed Mason. CHAPTER II ? 2 ? The Inquest was over as Kentucky Jones returned to Kerry's store. He Joined one of the big groups which talked It over on the sidewalk. "Verdict come out same as expect ed?" "Oh, sure; 'Accidental discharge of his own weapon.' The Jury didn't hold off more than a minute and n half. Say ! The sheriff wants to see you." "Where Is he?" "He went along about ten minutes ago." "All right." Kentucky Jones moved off down the street In unhurried long Rtrldes. As he reached the sheriff's little frame office Floyd Hopper was In the act of leav ing, having Just ejected, with diplo macy, more worried cattlemen than the little structure could comfortably hold. For Kentucky Jones, however, he re opened his door. "Come In here, Jones." Hopper Jerked ? ragged blind downward over the door's glass pane and flung himself Into a chair. "See you got your Inquest over." The sheriff puffed out his cheeks and blew nn exhausted blast. "Damnation! Can you beat this? In the whole Wolf Bench country, here was Just one man that couldn't be done without-*? one man that as good as held the rlmrock cat tle In the hollow of his hand ? and a rabbit Jumps, and blooey ! He's gone. Great guns, Kentucky Any other man. any other time ? " Kentucky Jones waited, studying him. There Is a certain type of man who seems fated to pursue public office, somehow perversely unfitted for any thing else. Hopper was such a man. Bis straight-clipped gray mustache, his flat loose-skinned Jowls and full -fleshed eyes somehow unmistakably advertised the public office holder ? not Incompe tent, but definitely limited. *\Any other man could have been ?pared better," he raved. "Kven John could have been spared any other time. But with Wolf Bench cattle on the ragged edge of bankruptcy, and the lowest beef prices since ? " "Does Cllve I'lerson ? he steps Into Mason's shoes, doesn't he? ? does he know anything about cattle?" "A little, and maybe a little about banking. But with Muson dead all con fidence has collapsed. Cllve I'lerson Is ?cared stiff? ready to stampede. Some think already that he'll break half the outfits on Wolf IJeuch, and the bank, too, If he can save the outfits he's got his money In. No man knows where his brand gets off. Nobody trusts bis neighbor." "Maybe It'll adjust," Kentucky of fered. The sheriff burst out at him with something very like fury. "Adjust? It'll adjust like a dogle calf to a wolf I This throws the whole d ? n range out of balance! Atad you stand there and tell me?" He paused hopelessly, out of words. "There you have It." He lifted bis hands and let them fall with a gesture of morose futility. "This Is a good sample of the raw edge of tem per the whole rlmrock Is on. I. call you up here to ask you a favor, and In \wo minutes wo're Jumping down each other's throats." "That's all right," said Kentucky. "If disorderly conduct was my field, 7 expect 1 might be feeling somewhat ants-ln-the-undershirt myself." "Disorderly conduct Is right," the sheriff said. "Man, you'll see plenty now I Half the range Is sore at the other half already. Take the Circle Five and the Lasy Deuce. Or the Three Bar and the Running M ; today them two owners met face to fuce and never spoke. Or take ? " "Take Ilob Klllot's 88 and Campo Ilaglnnd's Bar Hook." Kentucky prompted. "There you are ? maybe the worst case of all. Those outfits have always Jangled. And now look at Iti Wlliot don't own a fifth of his rnnge. The rest Is leased Indian land. Now Kl llot's lease Is out. Them leases have to be bid for? and everybody knows that there's more than ono big outfit wlU never let that lease go cheap. Elliot depended on Mason to let him take the money for his bid. Now it's all over the range already that the bank won't back him. RUIot can't get any quick price for all that landless stock; he's through." "And what about Rogland?" "Bagland's Bar Hook could prob ably stand through the storm, If it wasn't for the misfortune to KHIot. But Itngland's open range Is the open range nearest to Billot. What if Hl llot turns and floods his cattle onto the Bar Hook graao?" Jones already knew that the Rar Hook was at least half on public do main. By the cowman's codo Campo was entitled to the use of that rang* because he had developed water upon It) but he had no legal hold upon the vnfenced. * "Aro jrou convinced In your own ttlnd," Kentucky asked him, "that Billot will dare shove his herds onto % be Bar Book range?" "1 know this," said Floyd Hopper, somberly. "F.lllot don't need So ore than four or five riders to take of III* winter work. Yet he's lay By ALAN LEMAY Copyright by Al*n Ix>May WNU 8?rvlce. lug on extra bunds. He's hired on at least ilx more men Just In the last couple of days, since the death of Mason. You know how It looks to me? Like he's not waiting for the day he'll have to move. Like he's not even go ing to wult the winter out before he starts Altering into the Bar Hook range." "In that case," said Kentucky, "Bob Klllot Is sure a man who enjoys to grub a hour by the tall and go round and round. Cumpo Ragland will fight like a whangdoodle lu defense of Its first boru." "Sure, they'll fight They'll fight to u standstill. I'll have a full fledged cat tle war on my bunds within a month ! And what can I do about it? Nothing. 0 d ! Off In the hills somewhere three or four cowboys meet three or four others, and start trading private opin ions. Then wham ! The guns come out, and, one or two, or three go down. No one bears witness, no one lodges a com plaint?there's Just those good boys dead, and that's all. And two days later there's another killing somewhere else !" 1 know," said Kentucky. "Hell *\flout und no blotters." The sheriff grunted. Suddenly a new grievance seemed to occur to him, and the explosiveness came back into his voice again. "I'd give a hundred dollars to luy my hands on the son of a gun who swiped that bullet out of the Inquest. Right out from under my d ? n nose, by G ? d I" "Well," said Kentucky, "lead's cheap: It wasn't worth much." Sheriff Hopper savagely pulled off his hat and slummed it on the edge of his desk ; it fell unnoticed to the floor. "It'll do 'em no good." he de clared. "It isn't as if we didn't have the ? " He stopped. "The other bullet?" Kentucky asked. I The sheriff seemed to go reluxed und cold, nil of an Instant. He studied Kentucky with a questioning eye. "Why 'did you say that?" he said at I last. "Well," Kentucky apologized, "you were Just remarking you had some thing on bund that would tuke the missing bullet's pluce." The sheriff's steady stare did not drift from Kentucky's face. "We took a mold," he said at last. "We took a mold of this bullet that's gone." "That was a smart thing to do " said Kentucky. 'i expect," said the sheriff. He dropped his eyes, and his hands fidget ed with the miscellany on his desk "Jdst the fe*aid, *t*ralng his eyes to Kentucky's face in a cold and smoky gaze, "that was a very strange question, Mister, tor you to ask. I had a hound dog once, that got in trouble that way." "Trouble, sheriff?" "By sight running." They looked at each other, two men who had said more thnn rested upon the surface of their words ? one of them unwillingly. Kentucky Jones be , Run rolling a leisurely cigarette; and he grinned, the slow Infectious grin that could make a dog follow him or a woman remember him, or could make a man forget why he had meant to paste him a couple. Sheriff Hopper stirred restively, and dropped his eyes. "I was Just think ing of something." the sheriff said. "What was that?" "You're h sight runner," said the sheriff again; "but I don't know but what you're a good one. Sometimes there s a use for a feller like that. I And that was what I wanted to see you for. That was a good Job of scouting you did for the Cattlk associa tion last year; and I ? " "Who told you I ever did any 'scout ing, as you call It, for the Cattlemen's association?" Old Man Coffee told me, up-country In the Frying Pan." "Sometimes Old Man Coffee gets too d? n eloquent." sal,l Kentucky Jones exasperated. "Well, anyway." said the sheriff, "I was hoping I'd find you kind of at loose ends around here; like as If you might be able to take and do something dif ferent from what you'd figured to do." "As for Instance?" The sheriff fidgeted. "There's nn end hanging loose In this Mason ease" ho admitted finally. "So? J thought It was all decided that Mason committed suicide by mis take?" ( Hopper made an annoyed gesture. "The ense is closed. John Mason died of the accidental discharge of his own Run? that's established. But It Just happens that there's r man has come In with a perjury." He paused. "Yes?" said Kentucky Jonea after a moment. "To what effect?" "Well?wo questioned him about Mo son's death,; and later I found out he wasn't where he said ho was." "You sure yon want to tell me this?" I m not telling you anything that ties you to anything? yet. Now, this feller?maybe he was In sight when Mason got killed. Or maybe In ear ?hot. Anyway he lied about where ho was? tried to make a fool of us, by Q? dt And I mean to hook hlrti for It." "Hardly seems Important," Kentucky snld speculatively, "If there's no ques tldn about how Mason died." It Isn t that," said the sheriff gloom ily. "There's some awful had times ahead of us here, Kentt'ck ; and we got to show that the law has teeth In It while we still can. Now, If you don't | mind taking the time, there's a thing you could do for me that would bo au almighty favor." "Come to cases," said Kentucky. "This map I'm telling you about Is out at the Bar Hook. Now, I realize you're a cattle trader; but oftentimes a teller like you will take a riding Job to fill in with, over the winter, or some thing ? especially In times like this Now, If you'll go to Campo Rngland f?nd get a Job, you can find out about this feller for me In a way that I couldn't myself, nor the deputies nei ther." "You want me to hire on at the Bar Hook and root tills feller out for you ? Is that It?" "That's the Idea." Kentucky Jones was looking out the window, down the snowy street. Half a block down, In front of the hotel. Jean Ragland's pony stood. He had seen this girl but half a dozen times In his life; yet she had singled him out today to aid her In a thing which he did not yet fully under stand. She had been surrounded by I friends, by men she had known all her life; oven her own father had been there. Yet, for some obscure reason she had turned to him. Jean Ragland sat her pony with the easy lax grace of young muscles raised In the saddle. Now that she was In her own element again she no longer looked frail and small, as she had In the crush of the Inquest, but competent and at home on her horse, as he had known her before. As she passed she looked straight at the window where he stood, and Kentucky believed that she saw him there; but she gave no sign. He turned back to the sheriff. Floyd Hopper smoked morosely In the shadows brought by the closing of the early dusk. "If you want to go out to the Bar Hook for me, I can make It worth your while. What we &ot to do Is ? " "I wouldn't touch It," said Kentucky, "with a ten-foot pole." Floyd Hopper stared at him Irritably. "Just because you're gone on Campo Ragland's girl doesn't have anything to do with this Job. This Is for the protection of the Bar Hook people, as much as anything else." "Protection or no protection," Ken tucky Jones said shortly, "I won't touch It. As far as Campo Ragland's Elliot's Head Snapped Back. Klrl Is concerned, I'll tell you straight nnd plain that If Mason hadn't been killed within fifty yards of her door, I wouldn't he here now." "I guessed that," said the sherlfT drily. "You guessed It, and now you know It; and beyond that ? to h ? 1 with you 1" Floyd Hopper made a disgusted ges ture. "All right I don't blame yo? much. It'll pretty near too much to ask a man to step square Into the mak ings of a range war that's none of your own. I guess you're smart to stay out of It, all right. I only wish I was ? " "I'm not out of It," said Kentucky Jones. The other looked up at him, startled. "I've already talked to Campo Rag land," said Kentucky. "He's given me a riding lob. I'm going out and ride for the I'.ar Hook until this thing clears up." The sheriff said with annoynnce, "You Just now said you ? " "Hopper," said Kentucky Jones, "how long have you known that John Mason was murdered?" It took a moment or two for the sheriff to convince himself thnt he had correctly heard ; hut when It had Bonked In be came to his feet with a Jerk. Ills eyes flared narrowly, but his face was grim and tight. "You accusing me of lying at fho Inquest 7" "Yes," Kentucky Jones said. Kloyd Hopper's leathery face turned a (l??p maroon, and In the shadows his eyes seemed like points of light. "Then." he said, "it's because you know a whole li ? I of a lot that I don't" Kentucky Jones grinned faintly, re lit his cigarette, nnd shook bis head. Th? sheriff's voice was heavy and Intent "Corn# out with It, Jones! What's your play here?" "I'm going to try to get me the man that killed Mason." Thejr stared at each other. "Jones," said the sheriff, "let's get this straight here. Are you working with m? or not?" "Not," Kentucky answered. Tha dark color of the sheriff's fac*, whlcb had faded slightly. now deep ened again. "^ou look here, Jones! If the time ever comes when It can b? shown that Mason was murdered and the man who murdered him can be turned up ? " "Maybe that time." said Kentucky, "I* coming quicker than you think." "When It does come, I'll make ray play, and I'll make it stick. In the meantime ? think twice, you, before you buck me I You can make p'.enty trouble if you want ; I've got no doubt of that. But it's you that'll bum If you do !" "Rehssure yourself," Kentucky told him. "if I can't mak?, a finish play, I'll make no play at all." "I don't know," said the sheriff, "bat what you'll go a little farther than that if you know what's good for you." "You mean ? ?" The sheriff's voice was low, but his words had more force than If he had thundered. "I mean you'll sit out of this altogether." I told you what I'm going to do," Kentucky said shortly. He was In ? hurry now to be on his way; he want ed to hit the Bar Hook road before the final closing of the dark. The sheriff shouted at him, "You In fernal ? " The door came open, shuddering as it broke clear from the Ice that had formed at the sill. The man who stamped the snow off ills boots upon the threshold was straight-backed and lean-shouldered; his age was Indeterminate ? he might have been forty, or he might have been much more. He had a clean-cut, knife carved face, set with blue eyes as clear and penetrating as sharp bits of ice. And he radiated a driving, thrusting energy, so definite as to convey an al most physical sense of impact. Floyd Hopper said without warmth, Hello, Elliot"; and Kentucky Jones said, "Howdy, Bob." Kentucky Jones had always been on good terms with Bob Elliot before; but now Elliot looked over the other with a coolly noncommittal eye. "I heard," Bob Elliot said, "you got yourself q Job todny?" "That's so." "Bar J look ?" "Yes. The boss of t lie 88 looked Kentucky o\er again slowly, with a certain bleak ronj. I hen abruptly he turned away, breaking into the painful-sounding OK-hlnnations which passed with him for laughter. It consisted of a slinking of shoulders and a series of coughing sounds, accompanied by a general pained, cracked-up look, but no ex pression of enjoyment While this went on he always turned away from his companions as If the unaccustomed his w!flHt 10 tPUth Se'ZPd hlm aga,n8t 1 he paroxysm died away. "And with a face like that," Bob Elliot was able to say at last. "Oh, naturally! Oh of course!" ' "I've found It a useful face for fighting a wolf," Kentucky .agreed equably. "Still, I don't see?" "Just the brand," said Bob Elliot, "that always goes loco over the near est gimlet-headed girl." There was quiet u*hlle a man could count fifteen. "I'm going to finish rolling this cigarette," said Kentucky ?Tones, "and I'm going to roll It right Ihen I'm going to see If I still feel the same way about that last remark. And If I do? I'm going to smash your teeth down your thront." "Maybe you are," said Bob Elliot without emotion. "Floyd, I hear some." body rustled tho bullet that klllei John Mason." "Uh, huh." said Hopper. ^. T?\n0t S"re that 1 Bnw donn, Moyd,' gnid Elliot, disregarding Ken tucky now, "but I think maybe that \ did; and I think so more and more." Sheriff .Floyd Hopper came awake "Who was It?" I don't want to name a name," said Bob Elliot, "unless we can make a test to see If I'm right If I'm right, the party that took the bullet passed on to nnother; nnd I don't think this second one pnssed It on. I don't know but what he's Just dumb enough to have It still." "And -where Is it?" said the sheriff. think, * Hob Elliot said, "that you'll find the bullet that killed Mason In tho clothes of this man here: Kentucky Jones." The three were motionless for a mo ment. The sheriff stared from one of tnein to the other. "Look here M "That settles It," said Kentucky. He smashed Bob Elliot across the face with his open hand. ^ The owner of the 88 staggered ngalnst the wall, spun half around with the weight of that open-hnnded slap. Jones said, "Take care of yourself." Elliot b hand made n whipping snatch at tho gun nt his right thigh as Ken tucky struck again, this time with his closed left hand. Elliot's head snapped back; he seemed to teeter for a mo ment, face upward, then buckled at the knees and went to the floor like n dropped saddle blanket. "For O ? d'a sake get out of here" said the sheriff. "Get out of this town' I He'll kill you when he romea up." (TO tiF. CONTINUED) Origin of "Yanlcea DnnHU" "The tuna of 'Yankee Doodle,' M Mia S. J. Adair Flta-Oerald In hla "Stories of Famous Song a," "has been traced ns far back aa Oliver Cromwell's time when, In words almllar to our own, It was sung In derision of the great pro tector (or usurper, whichever yon like) Hie air waa handed down to the I'url tana, and finally became a New En* land Jig. In the natural order of thlnga I* was fitted with appropriate words hi some revolutionary rhymester,- and aerved such an excellent purpose in aatlrlr' * the British troops that It was a .pted throughout tJb* colonic aa the patriotic song of tne tu>nm at liberty." CROCHET COLLAR OF MEDALLIONS By GRANDMOTHER CLARK No mutter what state you live In, you will find the women Interested In crocheted collars. They are be coming more popular every day, and we know our readers will be Inter ested In the Ideas we have to offer. The round collar shown above Is made of twelve assembled medal lions, No. 30 thread and size 8 book. Package No. 719 contains sufficient white "Mountain Craft'' crochet cot ton to complete this collar, also in structions how to make It. Send us 25c and we will mall this package to you. Instructions only will be mailed for 10c. ADDRICSS ? HOME CRAFT CO., DKPT. B., Nineteenth & St. Louis Ave., St. Louis, Mo. Inclose a stamped addressed en velope for reply when writing for any information. Chivalry Toward Mate Evinced by Male Rat We have been libeling the rat. [ When we called a man a rat we felt that he was given the lowest designation possible. But we were wrong, says a writer In the New York Herald Tribune. We have the word of a scientist for this fart, Dr. A. M. Hain of the Institute of Animal Genetics, Edinburgh. Gal lantry Is almost Invariably manifest ed In the male rat, he states. It is not Infrequent, he stated, for rats to show incompatabllity In their cages, but be described an unusual case of an attack by a female on a male that was placed In her c;ige. She forced the male to the corner of the cnge on his hind legs. She at tacked him If he tried to let his fore paws down. She then carried hay to that corner and filled It to the full height of the cnge, completely Inclos ing the male rat and shutting him from her sight. The. situation con tinued for about rIx or seven hourn when a truce was apparently ar ranged. "The male made no pro test, manifesting a gallnntry which Is invariable in the male rat," stated Doctor Hain. South Sea Native# Go Back to the Primitive One of the most favored of the glamorous South Sea Islam]?, Puka Puka, an atoll with a lagoon and sandy beaches fringed with palms, was picked as a paradise by white settlers who established a truding post and coconut estates there. Hut since the depression the white set tlers have abandoned their enter prises and left for home. The re sult Is that the natives are revert ing to their former style jf living. The grass skirt and the loin cloth are taking the place of the calico raotherhuhbard and the denim trous ers, the coconut oil lamp Is sup planting that which burned kerosene and the natives are using shell hooks for fishing Instead of steel ones. Tea, bread and canned meat are being discarded for native food. ? lirook lyn Eagle. Week's Supply of Postum Free Read the offer made by the Postum Company In another part of this pa per. They will send a full week's sup ply of health giving Postum free to anyone who writes for It. ? Adv. Co?tly Error After more than $.">00, (XX) had been spent on a municipal airdrome at Manchester, England, the project had to be abandoned because the site Is fogbound for a number of days each year. A Hedpiiuj Harul lor Constipation Sufferers NATURE S BEST ASSISTANT' NEUTRALIZE Mouth Acids ? by chewing one or more Milnesia Wafers You can obtain a full size 20c package of Milnesia Wafers containing twelve full adult doses by furnishing us with the name of your local druggist if he docs not happen to carry Milnesia Wafers in stock, by enclosing 10c in coin or postage stamps. Address SELECT PRODUCTS. INC. 4402 23rd St, Long Island City, N. Y. My Same is . ..... Street Addrets. ........... ........... Town & State ? ... ................ mt My Druggist's Same (I.... ...... Street Add rets. .... ? ......... ...... Town & Stat*. .................. HEY THERE YOU, YOU'LL LIKE IT TOO ^ 'L/ir 'NCB you t?ste Grape-Nut* Flakes, you'll cheer, toot Crisp, sweet, fcolden-brown flnkes with plenty of real nourishment. One dishful, with milk or cream, contains more varied nour ishment than many a hearty meal. Try it ? ? your grocer has it I Product of General Foods.