Rimrock Trail

ynamite. Neither of the partners paid much attention to a report so often revived by rumor and as swiftly dying out again. But the man said that Plimsoll had stated that h

eant by his 'deal.' I don't believe he'd stir up things unless he was fairly sure there

located Dynami

s under this porphyry reef, sabe? Porphyry snakes underground, sometimes fifty feet thick, sometimes twice that, an' hard as steel. Matter of luck where you hit it how fur you have to go. Cost too much time an' labor an' money for the crowd that made up the rush to stay with it, 'less some one of them hits it at grass roots an' stahts a real boom atop

r. Plimsoll smells somethin'. Figgers there's somethin' in the rumor an' stahts this talk of bein' pardners with Casey 'cau

in on that

," said

ave the ranch to on

he air with wave after wave of barbaric sound and Joe pounded, with awakening delight in the savage noise and rhythm, until Sandy, after

of the sun everything took on color and lost form, plain and hills swimming, seeming to be composed of vapor, the shapes of the mountains shifting every second, tenuous, smoky. The air was crisp, making the fingers tingle. The riders came from their bunk-houses, yawning, sloshing a hasty toilet at

e of new bread to me," he said. "

present pride of her heart. "Made a-plenty," she announced. "Had to wrastle Pedro awa

ied into a meditative chewing as of a cow uncertain about the quality of her cud. He swallowed, took a deep swig of cof

y they're goo

," said Sandy. A

, took a biscuit, but

the dough is mixed with water and shortening is lacking. As a camp cook, Molly was a success. Confused with Pedro's offer of lard and a stove that wa

h them, her back very straight. In the kitchen the three partners heard first the smash of crockery

ou think you're damned smart, don't you, tryin' to fool me, purtendin' they was good w

ly. My first wife put too much saleratus an' salt in

ways, melted

waller," she said penitently. "Sandy, wou

somewhere

for shavin'," said Sam. "Last winter.

aid Sandy. "Here'

ce. There came the noise of the riders going off for the day's duties laid out by Sam, a

ly. Wonder what she's nosin' afteh now? Mormon-an' you, Sam," he added sharply, "you'll stick around till she go

ate limb, glanced at the windows, rolled a cigarette and lit it. His aunt, tall, gaunt, clad in starched dress and starched sunbonnet, with a rigidity of spine and feature that helped

the house for milkin'. Got rambuncterous an' loped off. Had one horn crumpl

nda Bailey, maiden sister of the neighbor owner of the Double-Dumbbell Ranch. He fancied the missing milker an excuse if not an actual invention to furnish

ith autos 'stead of hawsses-polo it was called-an' another piece about cowboys cu

ain't worryin'. Me, I prefers steaks-somethin' I can set my teeth in. I reckon there's mo' like me. Let me make you 'quainted with

re than a hint and started for the door

ir you, Mo

, her manner charged with indif

" And she

Bailey, "fifteen.

eath that carried his words migh

sked, "or was you aimin' to keep a-lo

da sn

dn't meddle. But, what with talk goin' round Hereford in settin'-rooms, in restyrongs, in kitchens, as well as in dance-halls an' gamblin' hells where t

heard it, ma'am?"

parlor of the Baptis' Church. I ain't much time an' I ain't goin' to waste it to

arried," ven

tand. Where'

I don't rightly sabe where the third is, nor I

ou're one of these wo

ble. I admire the sex but I've been a

iff turned i

think I've jest come hornin' in on what ain't my affair. Mebbe that's so. If you've figger

r's I sabe there's been some remahks passed concernin' her stayin' here 'thout a chaperon, so to speak. Any one that 'ud staht that

e gel's too young, in one way, an' not young enough in another, to be stayin' on at the Three Star. You oughter have sense enough to know th

ld you I'm a woman-dodger. Sandy here is wo

ed outside. Miranda poi

here or send the gel away, fo' her own good, 'fore the talk gits so it'll shadder her life. I ain't married. I don't expect to be, but I aimed to

e machine. It shudderingly gathered itself together

right,"

ee to come back-all is forgiven-or git you a divo'ce, it's pl

fo'd to-night. I aim to git a cook-book, interview Jim Plimsoll

ank what wit

ten-dollar luck-p

on, choose

ea

on the floor. "Tails," said Sandy inspecting it.

aid Mormon dolefully.

rloin, huddled its collection of shacks, with their false fronts faced to the dusty street and their rear entrances, still cumbered with cases of empty bottles and idle kegs, turned to the almost dry bed of the creek. The signs of ante-prohibition days, blistered and faded, were still

fringe ornaments of his chaps. Sam stroked his ropey mustache and eased the gun at his hip. Sandy pushed open the door and went in. A man was playing Canfield at a table in the deserted bar. As the pair entered he looked up with a "H

sked. "You didn't have to change your name

ity of yore booze-an' the price, neith

Sandy. "Dropped in to hev a li'l' talk wi

's eyes

n' private," c

d been posted for lookout and he left wit

own over the corner of the table. "Hope to be there nex' time. I hear you-all claim to h

of your

it my business,

in. The steel of his glance often saved him the lead in his cartridges. Jim Plimsoll was no fool to wage uneven c

the Hopeful-Dynamite

h showin' tha

ain't often drawn on grubstaking contr

d have been, I re

ot witn

here's talk goin' on in this town concernin' the gel an' her livin' at Three

flushed

e?" he demanded. "Who appointed

o be censored, Plimsoll. An'

looking for tro

esnake in the mesquite, I aim to handle it. Ef I ever got into real trouble, an' it resembled y

I never raise a fuss with a two-gun man. It ain

en there won't be no

of stuff to take the alkali out

m to break the bank ter-night. I'm fe

ng Sam

d what he wanted and knew that Plimsoll interpreted it correctly. They w

place was foul with smoke and reeked with the fumes of expensive but indifferently distilled liquor. Hereford-the "brisket" end of it-had never been fussy about mixed drinks. Redeye

re his chair was turned down at a game of draw. He started talking in a low tone to the man seated next to him. The first interest of their entrance soon died out. The dealer at faro went on imperturbably slidin

he flesh wax-like. He held a record-whispered, not attested-of having more than once beaten a protesting gambler to the draw and then subscribing to the funeral. As he came to the last turn, with three cards left in the box, he paused, waiting for bets to be made. His eyes met Sandy's and he no

h' Parsons. He's the killer Brady hired ov

h had killed in cold blood, Brady's political pull smothering prosecution and inquiry. Butch had a hawkish nose and an outcurving chin. He was practically bald. Reddish eyebrows straggled sparsely above pale blue eyes, the color of cheap graniteware. His lips were thin and pallid, making a hard line of his mo

n. A dozen bets went down on the fourth jack to win. Sandy placed the luc

gment. He was used to mascots. Sandy watched the play until at last the jack slid off to rest by the side of

through the room. The gamblers began to get the hunch that the Three Star man was going to break the bank. Not all at the faro layout attempted to follow his bets. Plimsoll's roll had never yet been very badly crimped. With the peculiar paradox of their kind, whi

fingers of his left hand curled about it. It had come down to the last turn of the deal again. Every player and onlooker knew what the three cards were-a queen, a five and a deuce. The checking-board showed that the qu

o call t

cards were named correctly the bank would pay four to one. If Sandy staked all on his call he would win over

curiously. Hahn was a wonder. The case might be crooked, the spring eccentric. Plimsoll himself was looking on

y aimlessly, he hitched at his belt and the two Colts with their tied-down

"An' deal 'em slow." His voice drawled and

lips. His right hand dropped and he drew out a deuce. Eyes shifted from Sandy to Plimsoll, to Hahn. Little beads of moisture oozed out on the dealer's forehead.

nsity. Plimsoll's dark eyes were bor

en wins!" His hands were on his hips, fingers touching the butts of his

d his hand. The queen showed. The room gas

you called that turn. Game's closed and th

s to his safe, twirled the combination, ope

said Sandy. "The odds and e

ght signs of Hahn's nervousness, still held some doubts, but the games were closing. The drinks were brought. Two men lounged out into t

t?" asked Sam in

close behind him, into the front room. It was empty. The short end of Sandy's winnings still provided liquor. For a moment they were alone.

ain't keen on bein' potted in the dark. I'll bet what I got in my pocket Butch is huggin' t

msoll met them ju

cut," said San

covered the short distance between the house and the arroyo of the creek and disappeared, merged in its shadow. Sandy joined him and they made their way swiftly along the bottom, climbing t

is sister. We'd be wrong whatever stahted. They'd frisk me of my roll an' we'd never see it ag'in, les

holdin' up the shack, waitin' fo' us to c

it home," said Sandy. "It's el

t, little used. They headed for the latter. Passing the end of the street they saw nothing out of the ordinary. The door of the "Good Luck" was open, shown by a squ