Crooked Trails and Straight

o join in their drinking bouts, Sto

he's promised his ma not to look on the

as best he could. It was his cue not t

e picked on the young man to be the butt of his coarse pleasantries. Day after

up leather, Blackwell had a quirt in his hand, and from time to time flicked it at the back of his victim.

dust five seconds later, he was the maddest man in Arizona. Like a bull he low

nd hard. Twice Curly went down from chance blows, but each time he rolled away and got to his feet before his heavy foe could close with him. Blackwel

is shoulder against the chest of the convict. The man staggered back, tripped on the

gh?" dema

ckwell bit his

her taste." Curly, now thoroughly ang

him off, but Flandrau's fingers

t-" and that was at a page break. The continuation was not printed at the top of

ng me," the c

oug

-y

her for a knife or a gun-play. Blackw

't most generally tell how good he i

, Lute. If you'd asked me, I could a-told you to put in yore spare

ackwell. "I had a little luck. We

the step," the be

had all t

ere making yore own luck

the house, swearing to get eve

n hold a grudge. My system has absorbed se-ve-real without doing it any harm." Sam stoo

with a new respect. For the first time a doubt as to the

nd the other four whispering over something. The group had disintegrated at once with a casual indifference that did not deceive. Occasionally a man had

ouse his curiosity, nor did he intercept any of the knowing looks that sometimes were exchanged. Bu

word was given that they were going to Mesa. Four days l

ing out of your poc

ossed the Saguache Sentinel to hi

to himself. "How came he with a Sa

Pacific for July. This was the twenty-ninth of June. Certainly Soapy had lost no time getting the new folder as soon as i

ess was due to leave Saguache at 9:57 in the evening. From there it pushed up to the divide and slid down with air brakes set to Tin Cup three thousand feet lower. Soapy could not want t

rom the corral, to find Cur

railroad folder? I

to be trouble between Fendrick and the cattle inte

ison, anyhow." Stone had reclai

that he could think the matter over. Coming home in the dusk, he saw Stone and young Cullison with their heads together down by the corral. Curious to see how long this ea

lling Soapy to go to Guinea, and Soapy's pawing around mad as a bull moose. It's all a play.

to see his way into the maze. His first gleam of light was when a row started between Soapy and Culliso

and to keep up appearances Curly backed the boy. The quarrel grew furious. At last Sam drove hi

thing against the horse ranch. That ain't it. But

ound the lit

ll land nob

eans. I've got to separate myself

own to the corral and saddled their ponies. To t

" Stone called after t

ss with four-flushers, I quit the

s friend that they had pulled off thei

e first few miles of their journey. But befor

lk with Laura while I'm

old man talked when I was there, I expec

You drift in ... just happen along, you know. I'll stay in the scrub pines up here. If the old man is absent scener

it happened, was cutting

ery bad, Mr. Flandrau?" a

ds call m

t to sa

ht. No, I can't say

quired

rom the swimming hole contrary to orders, I used t

ust come down fro

guessed

an't ask you to 'li

pect for his orders, ha

quite make up her mind whethe

trying to tell you th

d in her eyes. "If you should tell me

re out my duty. Maybe I

, I'll run back into the kitchen

ground. He followed her into the house. She was taking an apple

to invite you int

y-laws about me in

wasn't m

of the lads from the horse ranch up on t

me with you

anything a

the brown pupils of her eyes. "

t for bringin

say it was

ig eyes are

news from th

their way to Saguache to spend the Fourth of July. Sam is

mea

l. Sam is in it up to the hocks. To throw me off the scent they fixed up a quarrel a

him bravely. "What sort of tr

t you worry, little girl. I'm going to stand by Sam. And don't tell him

ness: "Maybe I can help you. I'm going down to Saguac

ing himself. Seems to think Soapy is his best friend. If we

garette. He was not hired to chaperone lovers. Therefore, it took him thre

still dabbing at them with her handkerchief when he came whistling along. Sam looked dis

l could not let him alone about his friendship for Soapy Stone. In his heart the boy knew he was wrong, that he was moving fast in

Saguache. After they had eaten, Curly

this evening. I want to go by t

"I saw you at Mesa in the bucking b

and maybe you

s to a fare-you-well. If I'd been judge

've identified me sufficie

're so darned active, maybe you could get off Number 4 when she is foggi

t the Flyer

at Ti

the afternoo

shoved it through the window towar

anted to know. The express did not stop at Tin Cup. Why, then, had Soapy marked the time of it

es, races, and other frontier events. Already visitors were gathering for the festivities. Saguache, wide open for the occasion, was already brisk with an assorted population of many

for Sam. He was not there, but waiting for him was

u," the clerk calle

iend, the one just down from

was open to debate. But Cur

s what

soon as you get this. There

Know

ould give a pretty good guess both as to the a

ng. Quickly he sealed the flap of the envelope again, a

r for yo

en the envelope

ome to town and wants t

sprang the feeble-minded jest

otested, content to let the

lady," Flandrau called

ching the back door of the saloon, he opened it a few inches and peered in. A minute later Sam opened the front screen and asked a quest

As the eavesdropper slid to a seat a phonograph in front began the Merry Widow waltz. Noiselessly Flandrau stood on the cushioned bench with his ear close to the top of t

y began to catch words and phrases of the low-voiced speakers in the next compartment. His position w