Adventure, December 3, 1920 — page 42: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

32 Adventure Hemp’s followers, would do the rest. Freedom! It was the very breath of life to him. “IT can’t tell you that,” he said finally in a faint voice, fixing his gaze upon the ground. — When he looked uD she was gone. XIX ES BRANSOM flung himself from his t. “| horse before the store and entered swiftly. Without a glance about the place he stamped to the doorway leading into the barroom and entered. Nixon and Frued were there, and two others—men who had apparently come down from some _ near-by section as they had some purchases with them on the bar. “T’ve got that fellow’s number up the valley,” announced Bransom as he motioned to Kane to serve him with drink. “What did you find out?” asked Frued. “That he’s a gunman and probably a cattle- thief,” said Bransom viciously as he tossed off his liquor. Kane flashed a startled glance at the speaker. “What makes you think that, Bransom?” “Because he was. out. scouting in the hills up around old John Thornton’s place today an’ seemed to be payin’ particular attention to the cattle.”’ Bransom knew this was a lie, but Lang could not deny he had been out on the range if he should hear of it. 2 The little group of men gathered before Bransom, who took several drinks, filling his glass nearly four fingers high each time. As the fiery liquor increased the stimulation caused by his anger and the experience of the morn- ing, a plan of procedure flamed in his brain. His eyes narrowed as he ignored questions put to him and deliberately set about the evil business he had resolved upon as both a means of revenge and of getting Lang out of the way. As Bransom had told the girl, he had not re- mained a year in that section without reason. “Ves,” he continued; “he was out on old John Thornton’s range this morning, sizing up John’s stock an’ gettin’ the lay of the land. An’ there’s three of them up in that draw— this fellow who calls himself Langworth, the man who came down here yesterday to look around and who the other fellow hired as a play to pull the wool over our eyes, are there, and one more who.we ain’t got a look at yet.” “How do you know there’s another up there?” asked Kane. “IT saw his horse,’ said Bransom. “The three of ’em had a horse apiece when they came in here. Didn’t they have to come down here for supplies?” ‘There may be three of ’em up there.” com- mented Kane; “but what did they want to buy mining-tools for if-——” “To fool us,” interrupted Bransom. “Rid- in’-boots and spurs and lightnin’ gun-play ain’t in keepin’ with what prospectin’ maver- icks I’ve seen nosing aroun’ the hills.” Frued and the two beside him nodded, Nixon and Kane appeared thoughtful. ‘“There’s some mighty valuable stock in here,” continued Bransom. ‘‘Three men could gather a bunch, run ’em into an elk-trail, get 7em over the divide and out before we’d miss ’em, what with the cattle scattered in the meadows in the timber and us asleep. An’ this fellow Langworth was getting a line on things today by looking over John Thorn-. ton’s stock.” A heavy step in the doorway into the store drew the attention of the group as John Thorn- ton entered. “What’s that yo’re sayin’ about my stock, Bransom?”’ “‘Nothin’, only that fellow Langworth what’s camping up there in the draw above your place with two others was takin’ a good look at your cattle today.” “Wal, I’ve got a few head that would make anybody look.” “He seemed to be inspectin’ the range and the trails up back of your place pretty well. We was just*sayin’ that three experienced cow- hands who was also slick with their guns would- n’t have much trouble runnin’ a bunch of stock out of here if they knew nobody was watchin’ ’em.” ‘“ ——! If a rustler ever came into this valley ——” John Thornton finished his exclamation by bringing a hard fist down on the bar with a force which made the glasses jump. ““An’ if three of ’em came?” Bransom put the significant question with an evil leer. “Vou mean you have cause to think those men up there are rustlers?” thundered the old cattleman. “T’ve got reasons a-plenty for some mighty healthy suspicions,’’ asserted Bransom. Thornton was silent while Kane explained the nature of Lang’s purchases the morning before. “Mining!” said Thornton with the natural antagonism the cattleman feels for any activity which threatens the peace of the range. “So they’d like to have us believe,” jeered Bransom. “Mining men with prairie dust hanging to their ridin’-boots an’ thumbs wore smooth fanning the hammers of six-guns! This fellow Langworth is a gun-fighter.”’ “Eh?” cried Thornton, his face darkening. “T was up your way this morning,” explained Bransom coldly, ‘“‘lookin’ over the range to see if any of my cattle had strayed over that way; an’ I see this Langworth up on the ridge first an’ then cuttin’ down through your ranch. fe Gomilcbooks (F@)