Rimrock Trail

lain. Sandy was minded to get back to the ranch as soon as possible with his winnings. Five thousand for Molly, five thousand for the Three Star, that was the agreement, the custom, and

, his outer senses playing s

m. If it had been his own money-a sudden flash of future responsibilities as Molly Casey's guardian illumined his thought-if the luck-piece had not been hers, the play for her future welfare, he would

ry man to his own judgment and action. Hereford had a sheriff who was not above suspicion, bu

a rifle-shot out of the mesquite. They were not the best of targets, Sam and he, riding fast in the thick dusk under the stars. The road was almost invisible, the plain unsubstantial, though the far-off m

ndy's mount jump like a startled cat into the air. He saw Sandy pliant in his seat; marked against the starry sky. Then came a spurt of red flame from the far bank-to the right-another-and another-from the left. A bullet hummed by

cursing as he saw Sandy slide from the saddle, clutch at the rim of the gap, drop down to the bed of the creek, while Pron

n as more bullets whined, whupping into the planks. One seared his upper arm, another struck the saddle tree as h

and tried to pierce the blackness, listening fearfully for a groan. He had not fired back. There was nothing to fire

hands, revolver thrust back into its holster, swung, dropped. A han

ice, low though it was, and his blood tingled. The high crumbly banks of the creek, gouged out by winter rains and cloud-bursts, were set with brush. Immediately above the bridge were the stripped trunks of cotton

eneath the bridge, keeping half-way up the bank, close under the stringers of the bridge, crawling between bushes on his b

ars of bleached shingle and larger boulders. Sandy found a stone imbedded in the bank,

he stone through the darkness. It fell with a rustle, chinked against a rock. Instantly there came a fusillade from the op

andy shooting two-handed, flinging six bullets with instinctive aim while the bed of the creek echoed to the roar of the guns and the air hung hea

hird, lifted it, hurrying back toward a clump of willows. The fourth man trailed the others, his o

t's enough," said San

d shootin', Sandy! I reckon I mi

al shaft. I've a hunch the other was Hahn. Hit him somewheres in the ha

'em. How about the hawsses?

kon

ide timbers. Plimsoll's men had departed with their casualties. Sandy

am. "Mebbe the shots stampeded 'em. Better

is half human. I've sent him ahead before. Ef I'd yelled 'Home' he'd

re mone

ep

ding hoofs. Then that of o

y, "we ain't out of this yet. That'll b

ome our

but a horse whinnied from the plain lyi

dy, shoving cartri

some confusion and slid their horses down into the arroyo to scramble up the bank again and spur for Sam and Sandy just as the pinto and the roan, curveted

an' Sam Manning, st

"What's the idee? Ef you shoot, don't mis

ood-humored, tolerant

lled some one. Ag'in' the law to shoot inside

t the Herefo'd men who stahted the fireworks? Ef you want ou

vement. A man swore as

o his own dirty wo'k, if he's got any g

ourke and Soda-Water Sam. None of them wanted to risk a shot-and miss. Sandy would not. Even a fatal wound might not prevent him taking toll. Sam was almost as dangerous. They were politician

ou yit, Sandy Bourke. I

eh election, Sheriff, as it is. The cowmen ain't crazy about you.

ide the tow

they galloped through the half-ring without opposition. Horses were neck-reined aside to let them pass. The wind sang by them as they tangented off f

gh soapweed and mesquite, spurning the soil with drumming hoofs, night-seeing, danger-dodging, jumping the little gullies, reveling in the rush. Sandy and Sam sat slight

ntil the giant cottonwoods of the Three Star rose from the plain, leaves shimmering in the moonlight, the ranch buildings blocked in purple pin-pointed with orange-the pin-points enlarging, resolving into two lighted windows as they passed

out on the creaking por

at

'Sisted on wait

got a scrape in my arm an' some son of a wolf spi

'?" aske

ucks, it ain't nuthin'! Sandy's got a green kale plaster

u w

Wait till w

went in, her eyes wide

ck-piece?" s

kage of bills, divided

'sted the bank. An' here's the 'riginal bet."

git you a chain fo' it. It's sure a mascot-

sight of the money, shining at her new title. The

otin'," she said.

ss than a hit

ction, something stronger that stirr

u h

ha'r of my head. Jes

e all a

mewhat expurgated account to whic

ere to see it," she

g lady," said Sandy. "Main p'int is we got th

faded from

set for me to go

t of you is yore dad an' paht yore maw. Sabe? They handed you on down an', if you make the most of yo'se'f, you make the most of them.

life an' I

the canter af

whips like sh

horns an' h

angles an' scatt

neath an' th

n' danger

that might have writ pahts of it jest fo' me. He sure knew what he was writin' erbout. It'

n the movies. Had the po'try strung all throu

y foot over Sam's

g with less. But fo' a gel, learnin's a grand thing. An' there's the big citie

tall buildin's was higher than ca?on cliffs. On'y full breath I drawed was down on the lake front where they was a free picter sh

n now?" asked Sa

t's the life I like. I mean out he

. Culchured. Inside you'll be yore real self. You can't take the gold out of a bit of ore any more than you can change ir

y with a sigh. "I don't know as I want

sure

e he wanted to be. I w'udn'

e got to figger out where you go an' that'll take some time an' thinkin'. I'm some tired myse'f. I've been out

to Mormon and to Sam and grav

threw her arms round his neck and kissed him before she ran from the room, w

t all the luck

ried three times, reg'lar magnet fo' the wimmin, an' you grudge Sandy pay fo'

n' left me to home

oll all to yorese'f. What's eatin' you? You want to be a five-ringed circus all to yorese'

. "Yore flesh allus closed up quick. What

that tree fo' ropin' now. But I figger I'll buy me a fine travelin'

one another, t