The Sheriff's Son

er Sits int

in groups, were fifty or sixty men. In front, to the right, was the bar, where some cowmen and prospectors were lined up befor

o, keno, chuckaluck, and poker tables. Around these a motley assemblage was gathered. Rich cattlemen brushed shoulders with the outlaws who were rustling their calves. Mexicans without a nickel stood side by side with Eastern consumptives out for their health. Chinese laundrymen played the

gwell sauntered toward the door, intending to follow him, but what he saw there changed his mind. Buck Rutherford and Slim Sanders were lounging together at one end of the bar. It took no d

go, he would see that they had a long session of it. Dave was in no hurry. The night was young yet, and in any case the Le

gang had shot down Jack Beaudry in open daylight. Deviltry had to be done under cover now. Moreover, Dave was in the peculiar situation of advantage that th

m were wall-eyed strangers whom Dingwell guessed to be professional tinhorns. Another ran a curio store in town. The fourth was Dan Meldrum, one of the toughest crooks in the county. Nineteen years ago Sheriff Beaudry had sent him to th

at the same moment his glance met that of Dingwell. The gray eyes of the big fellow narrowed and grew chill. Fox, starting to move away, recogniz

pered colloquy had been. The cheerful grin of Dave included im

t. "Come back to sit in o

iquant enough even for so light-hearted a son of the Rockies as this cattleman. Dave had already invited himself into a far bigger game of the Rutherford clan than this. Moreover, just now he was so far ahead that he had cleared the table of all the stakes. Meldrum knew this

e answered gayly. "Just a minute, and I'll j

beckoned a Mexican standing near. "Tell the sheriff I want to se

sappeared. Fox

his first impression. These men were professional gamblers. It occurred to him that they had made a singularly poor choice

ds did not interest him. He was playing a bigger game. His subconscious mind was alert

d at Dave. "So you're expecting Sweeney,

nterjected Meldrum, insole

round Lonesome Park and found a gold mine. Looks good, so I thought I'd tell Sweene

an idea of taking in Sweeney as a partner? I'm looking for a goo

sual give-and-take. Two of them stayed and called for cards. But Dave understood that he had been offered a compromise. Ruthe

reckon I'll stick to the sheriff

Call it off. Sweeney is not the kind of a partner to stay with you to

to the pat hand.… Point is, Hal, that

omise you that. Better talk this over with me and put a deal through

game or a conversazione, gentlemen? It's stuck with Meldrum. I recko

and bet his pat hand. Dave called. After a mome

n his brother Jim left him the Frying Pan Ranch. But that wasn't good enough as it stood. He had to try to better it by mar

closed a four-card flush an

casually. "Still, he hadn't ought to underplay i

I play my cards?" demanded Meldrum,

one," replied

Dan," ordered R

ed something into hi

ct that the sheriff had not arrived. He did not voice his susp

said lazily. "You never can tell when a Mexic

gold-mine proposition, Dave,"

, Hal. Much oblig

en, it was only because he refused to be drawn into inviting pots when either of the strangers was dealing. He observed that though they claimed not to have met each other before there was team work in their play. Moreover

ung in a cold deck on us. He an

as an assurance that he did not mean to back up hi

knotted to a fist, his arm jolted forward, and the bony knuckles collided with the jaw of the tinhorn. The body of the cattleman had not moved. Ther

ve wasted no more attention on Blair. His eyes f

re's no manner of hurry a-tall. Meldrum, see what he's got in his right-hand

the man's pocket

The one we're playing with is marked. Run your fing

rd. "And they've garnered in most

ir heads off," cut in Me

yourself to chips equal to the amount you have lost.… Now, Mr. Smith, you and y

ng a straight game. But say we haven't. They have got their ch

You tried to rob these men of that amount, but you didn't get away with i

for it." His words were brave, but the voice of the man quavered. The bulbous

thro

nning to gather. Swiftly he decided to pay forfeit and get out while there was still time. He drew a roll of bi

th of you hit the trail out o

g stupidly on a chair. His companion helped him from

s-and pay big," he spat out,

right," answered

ft with Meldrum. Presently Dave noticed that Buck and the rest of the cla

t the hay,"

ward that he thought he heard the sound of scuffling and smothered voices outside. But his