Mason of Bar X Ranch

t. The girl saw him and with a bound was out of the saddle and shaking hands with hi

ed, and was slowly stroking his horse's mane wh

ing suspicious," he overheard her say

ttered something under his breath.

quainted with Bud Anderson, our s

rful shoulders and an easy carriage that denoted quickness of action. He had sharp, piercing gray eyes that s

ight time if you like excitement," he s

le name," retur

nodded

s," he declared. "I understand that Miss Josephine has to

es with them, and I took the trouble to look up their names. They are the s

distress, "they wrote you from prison that

p like a clam and refused to say anything further on the subject. Mason figured it was on account

a few miles from Trader's Post. Anderson having business to atte

ad been set upon and robbed by four men. He was found

his men. After being convicted and sentenced to five years in prison they had

o verify the suspicions of Tex. Mason took long rides each day and got so he could keep up with t

e in the hospital," he declared one day to the r

fight hard to overcome a fierce longing to chuck up the

I'd be game, and I'll stick. When I get that racin

thoughts grew tender, for he admitted to himself that he was growing in love with h

g a horse given him by the ranch owner. He had determi

r Josephine," he said aloud to his horse. "Still,

ears as though in sym

dim outline of the Ricker ranch came into view. He intended to make a short stay at the ranch and then mak

ment later he dismounted and tied his horse to a post of a low porch that ran the entire length of the ranch building. About t

the door and f

did so, he failed to notice a misshapen creature, who had watched him with bright, gle

son most was the fact that the boots, spurs and

l outfit for a bunch of low down cattle

all the rooms and had started towards a door lea

" the command was f

above his head, glancing ove

d his captor fumbling with a lock and slowly a door swung outward revealing to his astonished gaze the most hideous-lookin

s lips, eyes twitching and bright with rage. Mason's though

the use of firearms. Now, he wished most heartily that he had take

grimly to himself as he braced his body for a

the hunchback suddenly dropped h

bout his throat with crushing force. Bright lights flashed before his eyes and he could hear the hunchback's breath come and go in a sharp whistle. Mason realized the hunchba

he seized his right arm and exerting tremendous pressure forced it sharply up between h

time and threw the loathsome creatu

un he slipped it

my life?" he demanded, gaz

voice. "Your name is Mason, the new man at W

ason asked, his c

" the dwarf answered, a craf

e gun out of his pocket a

ruth," he comm

ng, and there was nobody about and I was l

, his ire rising once more. "You claim you wer

's ugly face, and his claw-like fingers wer

ows you and your father and hates you both. If you want to save you

to watching his son was a puzzle. He was inclined to doubt the dwarf's sanity. So far as h

"I am going to get at the bottom of this thing. What do you mean by saying that Ricker hate

k like a man," Mason

in the lumber business in the East. He says it is in his power to ruin him

smiled

nd will act accordingly if it is true,"

" tapping the gun he was holding, "to remember him by,

ng his horse rode slowly towards Trader's Post. He breathed a

n I tell her of my adventure. She'll say right off quick that I need a guardian,

didn't get a letter from his father soon he would write him all about it, or be

ed blood flowing swiftly through his veins, he felt like getting

got home, and Scotty, too, whom he felt sure he could trust.

of getting his car soon raised his spirits high. Then he remembered Roy Pu

several bad spills in learning, but was keener for flying than he ever had been for automobile racing. He had la

un. "Steady, old boy," he called softly, slowing him down. "When I get to Trader's Post I

hirling with the adventures of the past hour. He could not connect his father's past with Ricker's life, try as he would.

ng the controlling interest in his New York bank. As for himself, he never had questio

e had been away from home had given him time to think over some of his own mad enterprises of the past, a

Mason's eyes were taking in the surrounding country with keen delight as his thoughts ran in this channel.

he said aloud, his e

the ranch there. A few minutes later he entered the town and was giving his horse over to the care of

inclosure he beheld a sig

alfbreed. With a bound, Mason was by her side and tearing

lled a voice fro

at him. In the same instant, Bud's hand fla

wildered, he turned again to see the half

toward them with burni

ed a gun out of the halfbreed's reach. "He tried

cuse him. Get up, you whelp, and make tracks

d at the girl. She had recovered from her fright and was regarding him with larg

nusual beauty. Taking off his hat he made her a bow

e shook his hand

man, you sa

. "You have to watch them greasers. Come, Scotty, let's pl

had turned his atten

rute of a half bree

wered in a low

command of grammar. She

the Ricker ranch whe

him about. He remembered she had said the girl was pretty. He remembered, als

hts over in his mind. Suddenly with a quick impulse she exte

I hate him," she said with a shudder. "He made life miserable fo

his stalwart build

lad to have been of some assistance t

ebted to?" she questione

red with a smile, "my

start, and he fancied h

good-bye," she said,

at the mention of my name?" he asked hims

ard room he found only

d he had almost forgotten a package that he wan

ly, "come over with me to that little dump of a tele

ome to the ranch, and Mason told Scotty a

s up. Mason went at once to the house. On the po

"I suppose that Bud has told you all about me getting in Dutch

coolness. "And also about the girl," she adde

en completely

amned," he said