Bucky O'Connor: A Tale of the Unfenced Border

two Papago Indians, with their pottery wares, squatted in the shade of the buildings, but otherwise the plaza was deserted. Not eve

ul whether to pronounce them black or brown, but the eyes called for an immediate verdict of Irish blue. Every inch of him spoke of competency-promised mastership of any situation likely to arise. But when the last word is said it was the eyes that dominated the personality. They could run the whole gamut of emotions, or they could be impervious as a stone wall.

ashion of one that lives in the saddle. A thumb was hitched carelessly in the front

hower sweeps across a lake so something had ruffled the town to sudden life. Fr

y," the rider told himself aloud. "Mebbe we

ots shattered the stillness, eve

ers, and several other kinds of citizens driftin' that way, not to mention white men. I

vaqueros, tourists, cattlemen, Mexicans, Chinese, and a sample of the rest of the heterogeneous population of the Southwest. Behind this assemblage the newcomer tiptoed in vain to catch a glimpse of the

ressed in fringed buckskin trousers and a silver-laced Mexican sombrero, he affected the long hair, the sweeping mustache, and the ferocious aspect that are the custom of the pseudo-Westerners who do business in the East with fake medical remedies. Around his

h hand and on either side of the swelling throat knives quivered in the frame wall. There was a flash of steel, and the seventh knife sank into the wood so clo

inspection it was plain he had drunk too much and that a very little slip might make an e

on right and lef' sides of his cheek. Observe, pleash, that these will land less t

ct. Bucky had stepped lightly across the intervening space on the shoulders of the tightly packed

trying a brand new one," drawled the ranger, his quiet, unwavering

er enough to catch the jeer running through the other's words without being

e. He was not used to having beardless boys with long, soft eyelashe

the entertainment, if you haven't any objection

the bully, with a sweep of

refore the ranger himself

onnor they

n the country. The youth carried with him none of the earmarks of his trade, unless it might be that quiet, steady gaze that seemed to search the soul. His voice was soft and drawling, his manner almost apologetic. In the smile that came and w

you?" he demanded, tugging fer

please

th. "Just as you say. Line

Bucky reached the

his gentle v

worn leather chaps. He looked at ease, every jaunty inch of him, but a big bronzed cattleman who had j

is hand, and sent it flashing forward with incredible swiftness. The steel buried itself two inches deep in the soft p

t his revolver seemed to leap from its holster to his hand.

his hand in dazed fashion and brought it away covered with blood. With staring eyes he looked

ulders to the front, observed the two men attentively with a derisive s

the Universe, after I have ventilated the other,

t and could drive his first throw into the youth's heart. But at bottom he was a coward and lacked the nerve, if not the inclination, to kill. If he took up that devil-may-care challenge he must fight it out alone. Moreover,

fight with bo

S

an spring-footed. His gaze held the other's shifting

hat belt,"

d battled with it till the best man won. The showman's look gave way before the stark courage of the other. His was no match for the inscrutable, unwavering eye that comman

Arms out! That's good! You rest there comfortable

remained in such a position as to keep the big bully he was baiting in view. The boy dropped into the chair and covered his face with

ll over with now. That coyote won't pester yo

man. "You're right sorry already you got so gay,

gaze held fast to the bloated fac

s your

ered the now thorou

chirp, up and tell the boy how sorry y

him," the man burst out angrily. "I wasn't hurti

e revolver in his hand. A met

me again," the man

he sentence and th

were mentionin', Mr. Deadeasy. You see, I had to pun

pen for this," the fe

ct. We were discussin' an apology whe

ration stood out on the forehead of Hardman. "I didn't ai

ong hair that fell to the showman's

in my mind. But as you were about to re-mark you're fair honin' for

ce stammered hu

r I'd better unload the rest of the pills in this old reliable medicine

y God, you wouldn't kill

e other. The would-be bad man towered six inches above him, and weighed half as much again. Bu

n him," he said, as he saunter

a catch. His rag of a handkerchief was dabbing tears out of his eyes

g scoundrel. He's one of these gentle, rock-me-to-sleep-mother kids that ought to stay in the

ange and held his own on the hurricane deck of a bucking broncho. From cowpunching he had graduated into the tough little body of territorial rangers at the head of which was "Hurry Up" Millikan. This had brought him a large and turbulent experience

ot deny his sympathy to a youngster in trouble. Again he

hed awkwardly. "I reckon there's no use spillin' a

serene blue ones and found comfort in their

icans, though we all have to take orders from our superior officers. Y

eminiscent terror. "You don't know him. He

sly. "He's the worst blowhard ever. Say the wo

angry at me. He pretended to others that it was an accident, but I knew better. This morning I begged him to let me leave him. He beat

ed arm and swept the boy with a sudden puzz

e you been wi

fter my father and mother died of yellow fever in New Orleans.

better quit their comp

he show bills I have

ould you like to go

know I was?" whispe

w a ranch where you

would try to pay my way, and I don't eat much," Fran

eat without going to the poorhouse. It's a ba

nybody be so good before." Tears sto

ant to take a brace and act like a m

you wouldn't ask me to go with you. I-I can't tell

? You're making a new star

s,

me B

r. Bucky

shoulder and a voice in his

tning, finger on trigger already. "I'll trou

the Silver Dollar in time to see O'Connor's victory over the

end. It's a peaceable co

to the old West whose word is as good as its bond, that West which will go the limit for a cause once under taken without any thought of retr

t me I reckon I'm here larg

e poker room upstair

the boy. "This kid goes with me. I'm

that can be arranged. We'll take the i

ak trail, seh. Co

many a big game in its day between the big cattle kings and mining men of th

ow me, lieute

that plea

Mackenzie'

rom Texas last year and bou

e s

glad to mee

an say t

e on half as many hills and draws. He stood six feet two and tipped the beam at two hundred twelve pounds, not an ounce of which was superfluous flesh. Temperamentally, he was frank, imperious, free-hearted, what men call a prince. He wore a loose ta

s in the top of your head, and that happens so seldom among law officers I wanted to have a talk with you. Since yesterday I've been more anxious. For why? I got a letter from my brother telling me Sheriff Collins showed him a locket he found at the p

wallowed hard, and t

little girl in fifteen

ince she was taken away, the very first news of her that has reached me, and I don't know what to make of that. One

he story, seh," sugges

ffed slowly at his Havana, leaning far back in his chair with eyes reminiscent

Back in the old days he and I used to trail together. We was awful thick, and mostly hunted in couples. We began riding the same season back on the old Kittredge Ranch, and we went in together for all the kinds of spreeing that young fellows who are footloose are likely to

Double T Ranch. Dave was a better looker than me and a more taking fellow, but somehow Frances favored me from the start. Dave stayed till the fin

ttle girl, named after her mother." The cattleman waited a moment to steady his voice, and spoke through teeth set deep in

a question on his lips, but

ook her with him when he lit o

who had been wounded by the Apaches. I reckon we had come along just in time to scare them off before they finished him. We did our best for him, but he died in about two hours. Before dying,

d been in El Paso I had bought my little girl a gold chain with two lockets pendent. These lockets opened by a secret spring, and in one of them I put my half of the map. It seemed as safe a place as I could devise, for the chain never left the child's neck, and nobody except her mother, Dave, and I knew that it was pla

e map with him. That's righ

d understand w

at a heap of things might b

hers could have been as fond of each other as we seemed to be. But there was no chance of mistake. He had gone, and taken our child with him, likely in accordance with a plan of reven

t Bucky had ventured, and it came inc

I could never understand wh

he d

ail showed they went the same road. We followed them for about an h

the cook

Ande

re of him, or one

rned them after he left. Yes, I reckon we have one

to me,

rig

e day of the kidnapping, and some more concerning Anderson, then fell

e. Yesterday my brother's letter gave the first clue we have had. I want that lead worked. Ferret this thing out to the bottom, lieutenant. Get me something definite to go on. That's what I want you to do. Run the thing to earth, get

his hand. "I don't know, seh, but I'll try damned hard to do three things: find out what has become of the little

at you don't

d first to cut the chain with his teeth so as to steal the chain. You see, he could not find the clasp in the dark. Then the child wakened and began to cry. He clapped a hand over its mouth and carried the little girl out of the ro

t does not prove

ay, or he could have opened the locket and taken the map. No need for him to steal in at night

hat she was afraid of him. She always ran screaming to her mother w

r and she refused. He was thus forced to take the chain when she was asleep instead

hing about the map. He w

r evenings when he was at the ranc

gravitated that way whe

verheard you. That's

ant fact. Dave disappeared too

do you know he disappeared WITH her? Why not AFTER?

me. Why AFTER? And what

left after the cook, you have been doing

my life. It's for my wife's sake more than my own I want my little girl back. She jes' pines for her every day of her li

ou and Henderson had arranged to take an early start on a two d

tart about fo

anything wrong, but when he finds out how the horse he's after is burning the wind his suspicions grow stronger. He settles down to a long chase. In the darkness, we'll say, he loses his man, but when it gets lighter he picks up the trail again. The tracks lead south, across the line into Mexico. Still he keeps plodding on.

The cattleman got up and began

k it po

and how much the latter's apparent treachery had cut him. "I hope you'll never have a friend go back on you, Mr. O'Connor, the one friend you would have banked on to a finish. Why, Dave Henderson saved my life from a bunch of Apaches once when it was dollars to doughnuts he would lose his own if he tried it. We were prospecting in the Galiuros together, and one mo'ning when he went down to the creek to water the hawsses he sighted three of the red devils edging up toward the cabin. There might have

, he could understand how the hurt would rankle y

. Fourthly, brethren, there's that map section to find. And lastly, we've got to find just how this story you've told me got mixed with the story of the holdup of the Limited. For it ce'tainly looks as if the two hang together. I take it that the thi

you go at this. Already I f

can't promise my news will be good news when I get it, but anything will be better

t, wait a moment. Let's

t," Bucky smiled. "Fact

an of the West," Mackenzie answered amiably. "Well

nk y

'll get right

m out to my ranch first. I won't stand for

t to the Rocking Chair with me? My wife and

you too much. We'd better keep his whereabouts qui

Rocking Chair. If my vaqueros met up with him prowling around th

good," grinned Bucky, and so dismissed