Bar-20 Days

ome said that Martin cared nothing about international boundaries when he wanted any one real bad. And there was that geologist who wore blue glasses and was always puttering

rom Senor Rodriguez, but said that he was a robber and threatened to cut his ears off. Cannot a man name his own price? These cow-punchers liked to get drunk and gallop through San Felippe, shooting like crazy men. They got drunk one Friday night and went shouting and singing to the Big Bend in the canyon to see th

owdy cow-punchers, who always wanted to drink, and then to fight with some one, either with

ld that he might make easier the life and struggles of his ignorant flock. "God is not hasty-He will punish in His own way when it best suits Him. And perhap

r own price. And one night their herd stampeded and was checked only in time to save it from going over the canyon's edge. And for some reason

oo smart for them-he sent a messenger to find Senor Dick Martin, and in one week Senor Martin came to town. There was no fight. The Gringo rowdies were cowards at heart and Martin could not shoot them down in cold blood, and he could not arrest them, because he was not a policeman or even a sheriff, but only a revenue officer, w

eave the mad cow-punchers so close to town, he ordered them to drive their herd farther east, nearer to Dent's store, and never to return to San Felippe unless they needed the padre; and they obeyed him after a long talk. After seeing them settled in their new ca

hey could not stand, and before he crept away at dusk two of them were sleeping like gorged snakes and the

ness fell Manuel reappeared with something under his jacket and a moment later a light gleamed at the base of a slender sapling which grew on the edge of the canyon wall and leaned out over the abyss. It was cleverly placed, for only at one spot on the Mexican side of the distant

n every point; Lewis or Sayre couldn't 'a' done this better. I hope he won't be late," he muttered, and settled himself more comfortably to wait for the

their memories at the time they had rioted down to defy the ghost. He was to stop any one trying to escape up the San Felippe end of the canyon trail, and his confidence in his ability to do this was exuberant. Hopalong and Red slowly and laboriously worked their way down the perilous path

is horse filled the canyon with uproar and sent Martin wriggling nearer to the crevice which he had watched so closely. The noise soon ceased, but the ghost danced on, and the sound of men stumbling along the rocky ledge bordering the stream became more and more audible. Four were in the party and they all carried bulky loads on their backs and grunted with pleasure and relief as they enter

n the former chuckled and whispered something in his companion's ear. "That was why he lugged his rope along! He's just idiot enough t

could not understand its sudden ambition to take root. It was made painfully clear to him a moment later when a pair of brawny hands reached out of the darkness behind him and encircled

ahead feeling for trouble. As they worked farther away from the canyon distant voices could be heard and they forthwith proceeded even more cautiously. When Hopalong came to the second bend in the

ttitudes of ease as they discussed the events of the night and tried to compute their profits. They were secure, for Manuel, having

nish. "We must burn a candle for the repose of the soul of Carlos Martin

n two of the rowdy gringo cow-punchers in the heavy shadows of the opposite wall, but the candle light glinted in rings on the

alf way to his chest. Pedro was a gambler by nature, but t

artin smiled pleasantly upon them and wondered if there was anything on earth harder to pound good common sense into than a "G

ed forward with the speed and skill of a boxer, and his hard left hand landed on the point of Juan Alvarez' jaw with a force and precision not to be withstood. But to make more certain that the Mexican would not take pa

ost to the weeping point because he had lost so much time hunting for the crevice where it was not. Seeing Juan fall, and

possible in such a chaotic mix-up,-and gave Johnny plenty of room. The latter paused, triumphant, looked around to see if he had missed any, and then advanced upon his

eaved him into the passageway. "Go out an' p

d grinned. "Oh, I've got it, all right! I'm shore going t

t prisoner. "That's right, Nelson; you've