The Sheriff's Son

audry He

two Mexican boys from Tesuque, the sides and back of each diminished mule so packed with firewood that it was a comical caricature of a beruffed Elizabethan dame.

and had stifled the cries of dozens of tortured prisoners. The mail-clad Spanish explorers Penelosa and De Salivar had from here set out across the desert on their search for gold and glory. In one of its rooms the last Mexican gov

direct steadiness of the blue eyes with the fine lines at the corners, were evidence enough even if h

thing very much on his mind, so that it was by chance alone that his eye lit on a new tin sign tacked to the wall

ign r

SP

AUDRY, L

r language, a second announcem

L BE

NEY A

the boy himself," said

he door and

im, but the book in the hands of the youth looked less formidable. It bore the title, "Adventures of Sherlock Ho

a just perceptible Irish accent: "'T

blushed. "Say, are y

o-

for you to have the bad luck to get me for your lawyer." He laug

re you John Beaudry's son-him that was fighting

ckered into the eyes of th

amest officer that ever the Big Creek

ther, Mr. Ryan." Roy Beaudry offe

an' mebbe you won't. First off, I was no friend of your father. I trailed with the Rutherford outfit them days. It's al

hand fell limply. Why had this man come out of the dead past to seek h

.. that you we

and all. But remimber this. I held no grudge at Jack Beaudry. That's what he was elected for-to

t some of your

al Rutherford. He was full of bad whiskey when your father was murdered.... But that en

at do you want?" asked the y

d your

ould I give it? I

riend of your father in trouble. When I saw the

ort of

y. Did you iver hea

him, but he put me

come

from Mr. Dingwell offering to pay the expenses of my

ingwell has disappe

ean-disappeare

oon one night and no friend of his has

ave gone hunting-or to

was either murdered or else hid out in th

suspect

, two tinhorn gamblers did it. If he's under guar

rds, the same

uck and a brood of young h

ngwell? If they had anything again

cause he knows something they want to kno

he could piece it together. He had talked with one of the poker-players, the man that owned the curi

s found gold in Lonesome Park. Nothing to that. Dave is a cattleman, not a prospector. Rutherford knows that as well as I do. But he falls

anything in t

a Mexican to bring the sheriff, but Sweeney didn't come. He explained that he wanted to go partners with Sweeney about this gold-mine proposition. If he was talking about a real gold mine,

something on the Rutherfords and was

Does the hold-up of the P

prise. "You mean the Western

Say the Rutherford

him." The heart of the young man sank. He had a warm place in

nd saw them cache their loot somewhere. Suppose he dug it up. Say they knew he had it, but didn't know where he had

kes a weak joint in your argument. Put them all together an

flashed in the blue

e hills. The Rutherford outfit is the very gang to pull off that hold-up. Dave tells Hal Rutherford, the leader of the tribe, that he has sent for the sheriff. Hal tries to

air and Smith, knocked one of them cold, made them dig up a lot of money, and drove them out of town. They left, swearing ve

ere is t

actus somewhere-or

reosote Flats heard the sound of horses' hoofs early next morning. He looked out of his tent and saw three horses. Two of the riders carried rifles. The third rode between them.

at does t

lay would be to kill and make a quick getaway. There wouldn't be any object in their taking a prisoner away off to th

know that thi

wn men. It might be the end of Dave if they lifted a finger. But you're not known to the Rutherfords. You sli

an-spy

coor

if they su

uld collect the insurance,

her. "No, I can't go. I won't mix up in it. It's not m

," dryly commented the Irishman. "And

rgument to show why he must come to the aid of the friend who had helped him. This coo

d, but I'll never forget that dreadful day seventeen years ago. Sometimes I wake in bed out of some devil's nightmare and live it over. Why s

t tellin' you to go. I've laid the fac

ck the young man. "But I know what

matters more. I haven't got t

f this little Irish cowpuncher, who had come out of nowhere into his life and brought to him his first big problem for decision. Even though the man had confessed himself a rustler, the young lawyer cou

I'm no gunman. I stand for law and order. This is the day of civilization. Why should I embr

ght you was Jack Beaudry's son, but I'll niver believe it. Jack didn't sit on a padded chair and talk about law and order. By God, no! He went out with a six-gun and made them.

ot scorn and left one young peace

behalf of the man who had been his best friend, even though he had never met him. He must answer that call, or

. What was the use of blinking the truth? He was a born coward. It was the skeleton in the closet of his soul. His schooldays had been haunted by the ghost of dread. Never in his life had he played truant, though he had admired beyond measure the reckless little dare-devils who took their

yer. He was muscular, well-built, and fast on his feet, almost perfectly put together for a halfback. On the second day of practice he had shirked a hard tack

o play football or not as he pleased. But this was different. A summons had come to his loyalty, to the fundamental manhood of him. I

ut of the darkness that had no existence except in his hectic fancy. So it was now. He

aking him a trembler, but he knew it was not in him to turn his back on Dingwell. N

ternoon he hunted u

t me to start?"

lobby reading a newspaper. He took one

all right. Pu

one of Ryan. The shrewd eyes o

n Beaudry's son," he continued. "Why, come

to change

omething-insurance, or lightning rods, or

ught to sell well with the Rutherfords," suggeste

rum don't need any point

Meldrum- Wh

s head you'd blow out the brains of the Rutherford gang. For hiven's sake don't let Jess know who you are. All of sivinteen year

It seemed to him that his