The Rustlers of Pecos County

Diane Sampson bent dark, shocked eyes upon the hill and ranch in front of her; but they were sightless, they loo

I had given. My own mood fitted a kind of ruthless pleasure in s

f my crime. For it had been a crime to make, or help to make, this noble and beautiful woman love a Ranger, the enemy of her father, and surely the author of her coming misery. I felt shocked a

ding to the corrals or the porch, dismounted at a path leading in among t

horses stopped at the gate I turned to find

d, "it's worse

ould say so,

cared that way for any man. When

to be a Langdon,"

gdon enough to have some sense. You haven't any sense or kindness, eithe

rute. I've wanted her to love Steele. I thought I had a reason, but

ick coyote that snaps at everything. I've wanted you to go into the very depths of despair. But I coul

have been less abrupt. Russ, you seem to take

lay. "What other way could I look at it? I tell

hen you've no chance,

mood. She did both now. She seemed warm, softened, agitated. How could t

ve no chanc

she whi

he shock of bitter renunciation mad

oking. My voice was hoarse and it broke,

d now. She was pale and she trembled a little. If it was not fright, then I coul

couldn't-I can't help myself. I've got sense enough not to engage myself to you, but I can't keep from loving you. I can't let you alone. There-if yo

teringly and she

ht of Steele that saved me. But I felt cold at the narrow margin. I had reached a point, I feared, where a kiss, one

n, you'll wish you never had been born," I

r. Gambler. I may have no hand to play, but

g herself; that presently I could not frig

said cool and hard now. "Cut off your beauti

eed finding herself. "If you ever get drunk again y

l I could assert, I hid from her the sweetness of

ag you through the cactus," I added

threat had found a vital mark. "After all, maybe thos

y because what I said wasn't on the square. Blome, no doubt, has come to Linrock after Steele. His intention is to kill him. I said that-le

d; and she seem

l, without details. You need not worry;

think she's afraid of my eyes. But

ieved she'd be distressed about what might never happen. Go-and afterward pr

Sally. I hurried off as quickly a

d quiet composure told of the conquering and passing of the storm. Always she

er Blome coming down here to kill Steele. At first I imagined you felt sick just because there might be blood spilled. Then I thought you've

sh," she said interrupting my

soul of a woman at the bottom! Almost I loved her myself; I di

ten," I said. "Jack Blome has come here to meet Steele

notches on his gun. I've heard my father and my cousin, too, speak of Blome's reco

ord, Steele will be on the lookout and Blome won't

raw? I understand, but

e in an even break. That means a fair fight. This Blome is conceited. He'll

force the issue. It's interesting to figure on that. Steele affects men strangely. It's all very well for this Blome to rant about himself and to hunt Steele up. But the test'll come when he faces

was an outlaw, Duane, who might have killed Steele, had they ever met. I'll tell you Duane's s

lied. "Then, after all, Russ, in this dreadful part of Texas

w. And Steele's a wonder.

back and d

did that," she said cu

d it slowly, explaining to her the action of hand and then of finger. She seeme

watch you! But I'm out here on the frontier now, caught somehow in its wildness, and I f

at her breast, the other on the bench. "Have you been with him-talked to him lately?" she asked, and a faint

him a few times

ver speak

nd then as if he

did he

something about you. He didn't exactly ask, bu

ha

d-all about you. Don't be offended with me, Miss Sampson. It was real

nd of glory in her eyes. Looking at her, I found a dimnes

, almost shyly, and I could scarcely belie

ght myself. "Well, he said if I wanted to talk to him a

all now. She had her head bent. Both hands were at her breast, and I saw it heave.

s asking me, almost beseechingly, for further assurance of Steele's love. I knew nothing of women, but this seemed strange. Then a thought sent the blood chilling ba

r her reason, I determined to assure her, once and forever, what I knew to be true. Accordingly, I told her in unforgettable words, with my own regard for her and love for S

t on her face, which brought to my mind thou

nt swiftly away through the flowers, leaving me there, thrilled to my soul at her betrayal of herself, ready to

esperadoes, and bad men of the frontier. Miss Sampson and Sally had been, before their arrival in Texas, as ignorant of such

rtainly a most persuasive and appreciative audience. So as it was in regard to horses, if I knew any subject well, it was this one of dangerous and bad men. Texas, and the whole developing Southwest, was full of such characters. It was a

o Texas; of Hardin, whose long career of crime ended in the main street in Huntsville when he faced Buck Duane; of Sandobal, the Mexican terror; of Cheseldine

fter the war he went to Dimmick County and there developed and prospered with the country. He became the most influential citizen of his town and the richest in that section. He held offices

in that wild country. Clark had a son who was honest and a wife whom he dearly loved, both of whom had been utterly ignorant of the other and wicked side of life. I told this last story deliberately, yet with some misgivings. I wanted to

than Steele or I; still, if it were a crime, sh

customers, new to me if not to Linrock. These helped to create a charged and waiting atmosphere. The saloons did unusual busine

e walked down the street he would be a target for Blome and his gang. Things seldom happened that way, and

r action. Steele also told me that he had spent hours at night watching the house where George Wright stayed when he was not up at Sampson's. Wright had almost recovered from the injury to his arm, but he s

ese night visitors, and he did not think the ti

me deviltry was afoot, something vastly different

he advised quick action, he was found behind the little room of his restaurant, w

hind the bar had been left a piece of

Ranger Steele lo

y and the written message which spoke so tersely of the enmity toward him. We lef

dark," he said. "I feel

y you winged him. Because Jim swore you were wron

g run wild with my head. We c

'll bet I can accuse him and m

the satisfaction I got for the anger and d

Steele. "Hold yourself in. Wait. Try to keep your eye on Sampson

well to keep out of town,

ry night late and leave before daylight. But I keep a light b

this murder of Jim Hoden going to do

his'll make them see red. I've only to say th

u run in

of the Hope So with some of his gang. They l

oking for tro

efore this if I just knew his

lome a dangerou

e quietly keeping away from trouble, then that'd be different. Blome will probably die

tle shadow of worry that had haunted me in

he's not a strong woman. There are a lot of kids, and you know Jim Hoden was poor. She told me her neighbors wou

at afternoon, but I did not mention this fact to Miss Sampson. We rode down to the little adobe house which belonged to Mrs. Hoden's people, and

d a big basket full of good things to eat, and I carried this in front of me on the pommel as we rode. We hitched our horses to the fence and went round to the back of the house. There was a lit

ss Sampson and her cousin to

lay, hollow-cheeked and haggard, on a bed. Once she had evidently been a woman of some comeliness. The ravages of trouble and gri

ad ruined Hoden, how Mrs. Hoden was go

queried the woman, with her brig

in, Sally Langdon. We've come to nurse you, take care

s a long

t at all like him. You must take after your mother. Miss Sampson, I don't know

all the more reason you should let me help you.

as that the impression of Diane Sampson's beauty was always swiftly succeeded by that of her generosity and nobility. At any rate,

gone with Jim Hoden's slayer if I could have laid my eyes on him then. However, Miss Sampson and Sally, after the nature of tender and practical girls, did not appear to take the sad situ

ped in to see a dilapidated youngster on her knees. That sight, if any o

," replied

" exclaimed

of us all since-sinc

iss Sampson hastily. "No women? Too bad! I'll

, Jim had few friends-that is, right in town. And they've

don't you worry any more. We'll take care of you. Here, Sally help me. Whatever is the mat

declared Sally. "I guess Mr. St

d only knows what would have become of us! He bro

re than a Ranger?" queried Miss Samp

hed us here. He bought food for us. He cooked for us and fed us. He washed and dressed the

him there, I'd know how false were all these tales Jim heard about him and believed at first. Why, he plays with the ch

und him. They love him. I think he must have loved some woman. His life is sad. Nobody need tell me-he sees

le room, broken only by the cooing of the baby.

corner as he always turned any corner, quick, alert, with his hand down. If I had been an enemy waitin

rs. Hoden and the youn

they're doing fine! I

, across Mrs. Hoden's bed, Diane S

never so long as memory remained with me would I forget. She did not speak. Sally, however, bowed and spok

look better to-day. I'm glad. And here's baby, all clean and white. Baby, what a time I had trying to puzzle out

has come to me. There for a while after Jim's death I thought I'd sink. We have

y more," said Miss Sampson. "I shall see

Steele, with a ring in his voice. "It's

o her, for the whiteness of her

in part of my lonely task here. More than glad, for the sake of this good woman and the little ones. But both of you be care

he door, and I sli

rehensible fellow bestowed a kick upon me that I thought about broke my leg. But I understood and gamely endured the pain. Then we were looking at Diane Sampson. She was

d you!" she sa

ty force gathering in Steele to meet this ordeal. T

ow can you say t

said about you-that bloody, despicable record

Sampson, please don't speak of wronging me. I am a Ranger, and much said of me is true. My duty is h

if you were indeed what they called you. But I was deceived. I see m

oor Steele. I could see the gray beneath his bronz

was all distraught with emotion, what must Steele have been? "I make amends. Will you take my h

ty of her than just making amends for a fancied or real wrong. For myself, I thought the man did not live on earth who could have resisted her then. And there was resistance; I felt it; she must have felt it. It

swiftly. "When she was all alone and helpless you were her friend. It was the deed of a man. But Mrs. Hod

to the heart, to ruin me. You! Will you be my friend? If you knew Diane Sampson you would know she would never ask y

I know now! I want to help you. Let us save life, if not

Steele. I expected to see his arms spre

is lips. "I must be true to my duty. But if I can't be true to you, th

ce where he had vanished, and then as a sister mi