The Rangeland Avenger

agerly. It was the eagerness of a

is you

d the girl, "if any harm comes to John Gaspar. Poor

e lips of Gaspar, and his gaze was far away, as if he were in the midst of an unimportant dream,

r name," said hi

to ask me my name, or

"will you loosen up and tel

simply giving the law a helping hand. And we start in today on the skunk that shot Quade. Quade may have had faults,

r, the smile of pity and sympathy trembling

asked Sally. "Gaspar is worth

Sinclair. "Order in

s, keep the wit

oritatively. "You got t

air won't st

ught you were a man. Now I see that you're only big enoug

hands together. "Take that witness away and we'll hang Gas

me talk!" she pleaded. "Let me stay! I w

d without enthusiasm.

ally brought an answering smile, particularly from the men of

, swear th

held forth the book a

yond, the sun gleamed on the chalk-faced cliff. Still higher, the mountains changed between dawn and full day. There was the country for Riley Sinclair. What he did down here in the valleys did

said, "do you k

him. John Gaspa

n you kn

question. What I

ou're asked,

etly Sinclair compared th

said slowly. "You knew

sp

es

w Quade'

ust hea

't like h

to lik

Gaspar

right to ask th

, I gather you were pre

come

er sai

it a fact that you went around to a lot

as si

ng you're giving her,"

didn't have no ti

scowling on Sally Bent. "After you c

He said things that no gentl

as w

lirt. And he said, I sw

panting with excitemen

Gas

y brows. "That's a pretty seri

And I've even heard

them friends? You tried

lly! I just told John to get a gu

he do

But he never

last time Qu

t he knew me and John Gaspar was going to get married, and

ht, wasn't it? Gaspar had

ed her he

y that Gaspar hadn't

trouble, I don't care if the whole

flush of happiness, John Gaspar rose and shrank away from the outstretched hands of

voice of Gaspar. "Not

let this scene progress. "Tak

n Gaspar as if she could not yet understand the extent of the calamity which ha

of her house, Sinclair looked a

he calle

your h

e tied. Wipe the sweat o

ur

nna Montana obeyed. Then he paus

r ho

el

sweat. I

is stump with a groan. "Tears!" he echoed, with a voice th

k to the cour

man like that? A man that ain't able to love a girl like Sally Bent when she just about throws herself at

ard with interest, glo

love Sally, but he's afraid of Quade. He goes and gets a gun. He goes to Quade's house and tries to be friends. Quade kicks him out. Gaspar climbs back on his hoss and, while he's sitting there, pulls out a gun and shoots poor Quade dead. Don't that sound nacheral? He wouldn't m

straight to me,"

ght! St

on

off yo

as withdrawn w

but seeing you clear, Buck. Tell us

s hell, y

d Sinclair braced himself to meet a hysterical appeal. But there was

e was his choice for a ride. "The meaner they are, the longer they last," he used to say. He respected men of evil as long as they were men of actio

in the decision that John Gaspar must die, and so leave Sinclair's own road free. With all suspicion of a connection betw

er Jim, bring the p

's shoulders to drag him to his feet, he avoided them with a

Feet-which is a fitting and proper name for you-have you got anythin

on the eyes of his judge. There was infinite understanding, infinite patience in that look, the patience of

ittle to say," s

o d'you want to gi

g man," said

. Blaze away with the t

king through the stalwart branches of the co

aid John Gaspar, "forgive

the moment when he lost all hope, he became glorious. His voice was soft, never rising, and the great, dark eyes were steadfast. A sudden consciousness came to Riley Sinclair that God must i

and hell inside the pages of the Bible, undisturbed. The music of the schoolteacher's voic

me they are committing come to these men. Fierce men, fighters, toilers, full of hate, full of despair, full of rage, how can the

Sinclair, his hand c

again. The fascinated posse seemed frozen,

re's your sentence: You're to be h

nd opened them again. Otherwi

d Sinclair, "from t

itably of relief, c

od, anyway you look at him. But a gent that can put the words together like he can, ought to get a chance to talk in front of a regular jury. I figure we'd better send

take charg

! Unless somebody else

right here in

no doubt of that. But what if Jerry Bent comes home, which he's sure to do

inclair dryly, "if it c

to figh

at the excitement was gone, was glad that they had not proceeded to the last extremity. In five minutes they were drifting away, and all

ry of Cold Feet. As a matter of fact John Gaspar h