ROBBERS' ROOST
b> ZANE GREY
Copyright.?WNU Sorvic*
*
CHAPTER I
One afternoon In the spring of 1877
a solitary horseman rode down the
long, ghastly desert slant In the direc
tion of the ford at Green River.
He was a young man In years, but
he had the hard face and eagle eye of
one matured In experience of that wild
country. He bestrode a superb bay
horse, dusty and travel-worn and a
little lame. The rider was no slight
burden, Judging from his height and
wide shoulders; moreover, the saddle
carried a canteen, a rifle and a pack.
At length he rode into a trail and
Boon came in sight of the wide band
of green Cottonwood, willow and ar
row-weed, and the shining, muddy
river. On the far side, up on the level,
stood a green patch and a cluster of
houses. This was the town of Green
River, Utah.
The rider needed to reach that town
before dark. His food supply had run
out two days ago. But unless there
was a boat in which he could row
across he would most likely not make
It His horse was too lame to risk in
the eddies of that heavy, swirling,
sand-laden river.
He rode on down the trail to enter
the zone of green. In the thick dust
he noted fresh horse tracks.
Under a cottonwood, some distance
ahead, the rider espied a saddled
horse, head down, cropping the grass.
He proceeded more slowly, his sharp
eyes vigilant and was certain that he
saw a man on the river bank.
Presently he rode out into an open
ing from which he could see a place
where a ferry touched. Moored to the
opposite bank was the ferryboat
The rider sat his horse, aware that
the man he had observed had stepped
behind some willows. Such a move
might have been casual. Then the
man moved out into plain sight
- noway, ne saia, laconically.
"Howdy," replied the rider. He be
came aware of a penetrating scrutiny
which no doubt resembled his own.
The rider saw a striking figure of a
man, gray with dust, booted and
spurred, armed to the teeth. His wide
sombrero shadowed a sharp bold face.
"Almln" to cross?" he queried.
"Yes. I see a ferry boat over there."
But on the moment the rider was
watching his questioner. Then he
swept a long leg over the pommel and
?lid to the ground, without swerving
In the slightest from a direct front.
"Lucky for me If I can cross on It
My horse Is all in."
"Noticed thet. Fine hoss. Wal, I've
been hangin' around for an hour,
waltln' to go over. Reckon he'll be
along soon."
"Town of Green River, Isn't It?"
"Thet's the handle. You're a stran
ger hereabouts?"
"I am that"
"Where you hall from?"
"I suppose I might as well say
Wyoming as any place," returned the
rider, casually. .
The other man relaxed with a laugh.
"Shore. One place Is good as another.
Same as a name. Mine Is Hank
Hays." He spoke as if he expected
it to be recognized, hut It brought no
reaction from his listener.
"You know this country?" queried
the rider, and he too relaxed.
"Tolerable."
"Maybe you can tell me whether I
ought to stop or keep on traveling?"
"Haw! Haw! I shore can. But
thet depends," he said, pushing back
his sombrero.
"Depends on what?" the rider asked.
"Wal, on you. Have you got any
money?"
"About ten dollars."
"Huh. Y'ou can't go In the ranch
business with thet. Not regular ranch
In'. Lots of cattle between here an'
the brakes of the Dirty Devil. Henry
mountains, too. Some outfit over
there. Air you a cattleman?"
"No," replied the fider, thoughtfully.
"Wal, thet's straight talk from a
stranger," replied Hays, who evidently
took the blunt denial as something sig
nificant. "Hullo, another rider. . . .
Shore the desert is full of strangers
today."
Back up the trail appeared a short,
heavy man astride a horse and lead
ing two pack animals.
"I saw him a while back. And here
comes our ferryman. Looks like a
boy."
"Huh. You haven't them eyes for
nothin'. WaL we'll get across now."
The rider, after another glance at
the approaching man with the horses,
took note of the ferry. Boat and third
traveler arrived at the bank about the
same time.
Hayg, after a sharp look at the man
with the three horses, led his animal
aboard.
"How much is the fare?' queried the
newcomer.
"* "Two bits."
"For man or beast?"
"Well sir, the regular fare is two
bits for each man an' horse."
Whereupon the stout man threw the
packs off his horses and carried them
upon the boat.
"Wall, now, what Is this fussy old
geezer about?" queried Hays, much
interested.
It was soon manifest He tied the
halter of his lead pack horse to the
tall of his saddle horse. The second
Pack animal was similarly attached to
the first Then, bridle in hand, be
?tepped aboard.
"All right boy. Go ahead."
"But sir, ain't yon fetcbln' your
torse* on. too?"
"Tea, but HI swim them over be
hind the boat Get a move on. now."
The ferryboy pushed off with his
Pole, and dropping that for the big
?ar, he worked the boat out into the
current, which caught It, and moved
It across quite readily Into the slack
water" on that side.
"Didn't like that, did jrou, boy?" the
rider said, as he led the animal ashore.
Hays slapped his mount, driving him
off the ferry, while he watched the
stout man lead bis three horses along
the gunwale of the boat, until they
could touch bottom. Heaving and
splashing they waded out, and their
owner followed, carrying one pack.
"Fetch my other pack, boy," he
called.
"Johnny, don't do nothln' of the
kind," observed Hays.
"I reckon I didn't Intend to," said the
boy, resentfully.
Puffing bard the stout man carried
bis second pack ashore.
"You're not very?obliging," he said,
gruffly, as he felt In his pocket for
loose change. The ferryboy came
ashore, followed by Hays.
Presently the stout man, grumbling,
and evidently annoyed at the necessity
of producing a fat pocketbook, took
out a one-dollar bill.
The rider, amused and Interested
from his stand on the bank, saw some
I ?
"Throw Up Your Hands!" Sudden
ly Yelled Hays.
thing that made him start Hays
whipped out a gun.
"Throw up your hands!" suddenly
yelled Hays.
"Wha-at's this? R-robbers!" the
stout man gulped.
Hays reached for the man's wallet.
Then he stepped back, but still with
gun extended.
"Get out of here now," he ordered.
And apparently he paid no more heed
to his frightened victim.
"Pretty well heeled, for an old bird,"
observed the robber, squeezing the fat
wallet _
"You'll hear from me, you gllb
tongued robber," replied the other,
furiously, as he rode away.
Hays sheathed bis gun. lie did not
need to turn to face the rider, for,
singularly enough, he had not done
anything else.
"How'd thet strike you, stranger?"
"Pretty neat It amused me," re
plied the rider.
"Is thet all?"
"I guess so. The stingy old skin
flint deserved to be touched. Wasn't
that a slick way to beat the boy here
out of six bits?"
"It shore was. An' thet's what riled
me. Reckon, though, if he hadn't
flashed the wallet I'd been a little
more circumspect."
"Is there a sheriff at Green River?"
"I never seen him, if there is. Wal.
I'll be ridin' along. Air you comln'
with me, stranger?"
"Micrht as well." returner! the ether
"Stranger, what'd you say your
name was?"
"Call me Wall, Jim Wall," rejoined
the rider.
Hays' nonchalance reassured Wall
as to the status of Green River.
"Any dance hall in this Durg?"
asked Wall.
"Nary dance hall, worse luck. Any
weakness for such?"
"Can't say It's a weakness, but the
last two I bumped Into make me want
to steer clear of more."
"Women?" queried the robber.
"It wasn't any fault of mine."
"Wal. women ruined me," returned
Hays, sententiously.
"You don't look It"
"Men never look what they air."
"Don't agree with you. I can always
tell what men are by their looks."
"How'd you figure me?" demanded
Hays.
"I don't want to flatter you on such
short acquaintance."
"Humph! Wal, here we air," re
plied the robber, halting before a red
store building.
A red-whiskered man appeared tn
the doorway that led into a saloon and
lodging house.
"Howdy, Red."
"Howdy. Hank."
"See anythin' of a fat party, sort of
pufTy In the face? He was ridin' a
roan an' leading* two packs."
"Oh, him. Sure. He rode through
town yellln' he'd been robbed." re
turned the man called Red, grinning.
"The devil he did! Who was he.
Red?"
"I dunno. Happy was standln' out
here, an' when the feller stopped bel
'r
lerin' thet he wanted the sherllt 'cause
he'd been robbed, why, Happy up an
says, 'Hey, my friend, did he leave
unythln' on you? Then the feller up
an' rode off."
It was this speech of Red's that de
cided several things for Jim Wall.
"1 want to look after my horse,"
was all he said.
"Take him round back to the barn.
I'm dog-tired. Send thet lazy Jake
after my boss."
This edifice was the last one on the
street. The bam mentioned was
some distance back, at the end of a
pole fence. Upon turning a corner to
enter the corral he encountered a
loose-jointed young man.
"Say, are you Jake?" he asked.
"You bet," returned the other.
"There's a man out In front who
calls himself Hank Hays. He wants
you to come get his horse. Do yon
know him?"
The stable boy's reply to that was
to rush off, his boots thudding.
"Enough said," muttered Wall* to
himself. "Mr. Hays stands well In
Green River, as far as this outfit Is
concerned."
Wall sauntered back and be
fore Hank Hays and the two Individ
uals with whom he was talking were
aware of his presence he had seen
them. They turned at his slow,
clinking step. Neither of the two with
Hays was the man called Red.
"Hullo, here you air," spoke up
Hays. "I was speakln' of you. Meet
Happy Jack an' Brad Lincoln. . . .
Fellers, this stranger to Green River
answers to the handle Jim Wall."
were eicimiigeu, oui not
one of the three offered a hand. To
Wall the man called Happy Jack fitted
his name. The only contradictory fea
ture lay In his gnns. Like Hank
Hays, he packed two. The other, Lin
coln, was some one to look at twice?
a swarthy, dark, restless-eyed man,
who, like Hays and his companion,
had nothing of the cowboy stripe In
his make-up.
"Let's have a drink," suggested
Hays.
"Don't care If I do," responded Wall,
The Interior, bright with lamplight,
proved to be more pretentious than
the outside of the saloon.
The men lined up at the bar, to be
served drinks by Red, who was evi
dently bartender as well as proprietor.
Wall missed nothing.
"Cowpuncher?" queried Lincoln.
"Yes. But I've not ridden the range
much of late years." replied WalL
"You've the cut of 1L Where you
almin' for?"
"No place In particular," replied
Wall, guardedly. "Might try riding
here. If I can get on some outfit."
"On the dodge?" queried Lincoln.
"What might you mean by 'on the
dodge' f
"Anybody particular lookln' for
you?"
"I daresay. More than one man."
"So I thought. Friend, you have the
cut, the eye, the movement, the hand
of a gun-fighter. I happen to know
the brand."
"Yes? Well, If that's so I hope It
Isn't against me In Dtah."
Here Hays, who had heard this bit
of dialogue. Interposed both with per
son and speech:
"Wall, thet's agin a man anywhere
In the West, genertlly. So many fools
wantln' to try you out! But I reckon
It's a ticket for my outfit."
"Your outfit?" questioned Wall.
"Shore. Don't mind Brad. Let's
go an' eat. . . . Fellers, we'll see
you later."
Wall followed Hays Into a back
room, where a woman waved them to
seats at a table.
At the conclusion of the meal Jim
Wall bad to guard himself against
the feeling of well-being resulting
from a full stomach.
"Have a cigar," offered Hays.
"Don't care If 1 do."
"Wall, let's go out an' talk before
we Join the other fellers," suggested
Hnvs Thev returned to the hit* rnr.m
It was empty except tor Red, who
was Oiling a lamp.
"They've all gone down to meet the
stage. It's overdue now."
"Stage! From where?"
"West, so set easy." laughed Hays.
"Thet one from east won't g!t In till
next Wednesday. By thet time yon
won't be here."
"No? Where will I be. since you
seem to know?"
"You may be In the garden of Eden,
eatin' peaches," retorted Hays. "See
here. Wall, you're a testy cuss. Any
reason why you can't be a good
feller?"
"Come to think of that, yes, there
Is." returned Wall, thoughtfully.
"All right. Thanks for that much.
I reckon I understand you better.
What were you. Wall, once upon a
time?"
Wall laughed musingly. "A country
school teacher once."
"Wal' I'll be dog-goned!" ejacu
lated Hays. "It do beat all what a
man can be. at different times In his j
life. But I'm concerned with now. '
An" I'd like to ask you some ques- j
tlons."
"Fire away."
"You said you was broke?" Hays
began.
"I will be when I pay for this
night's lodging."
"Thet's on me. Ill stake you to j
some money. You'll want to set In
the game with us?"
"Any strings on a loan?"
TO BE CONTINUED.
Temperatures Vary Widely
The moon at noon Is hotter than
boiling water, but at night Its tempera
ture falls to several hundred degrees
below xero.
Flattering Beret a First Choice
By CIIERIE NICHOLAS
I
TO BE smartly In fashion these
days you must tilt perilously
uslant your carefully coifTed head a
pert beret of either velvet, felt, or
that which Is very new, quilted taffeta
or crepe.
When you see the new berets you
understand why the movement Is
spreading like wildfire throughout the
length and breadth of all fashiondom.
You could buy a dozen or more of
these fascinating new berets and no
two would be alike. If you are the
type which looks best in big generous
eye-shading lines just ask for the beret
that answers this description for some
of the newest models are as large and
picturesque as a brimmed hat
Pose a black velvet beret atop your
"permanent" with the summer organ
dies and sheer prints you are loath to
give up during the hot mldseason days
and you will realize a hundred per
cent returns In the way of chic and
charm. And that new sheer woolen
shirtwaist dress (or Is It of the heavy
tie silk which is equally as vogulsh)
which you lately acquired In accord
ance with fashion's dictate for fall, of
course If you have not already done
so you will be Investing in a felt beret
I to wear with It which will give your
I outfit just the right dash of color. Be
| sine it sports a saucy feather of some
I sort or other.
If it is color you arc looking for to
enliven your new fall ensemble or to
cheer up the black sheer wool after
noon dress which you have wisely in
vested In for practical afternoon wear,
you will find It In the swanky beret
! and scarf as pictured at the top to the
I left Is this group. Multi-colored cord
j ed velvet (stripes are everywhere
! present* In the fall style picture) Is
I cut to form a geometric design for the
beret A Jeweled clip attaches Itself
at the exact center front of this gay
little headpiece. The scarf is taffeta
lined to give It that crisp up-and go
ing look.
The beret centered In the Illustra
tion has cunning ways about It Of
course It must be worn Just so, to
wield Its magic sway. But trust mod
ern youth to see to that. There Is a
little top section formed of grosgrain
ribbon the frayed ends of which form
a saucy topknot. The rest of this
little flirtatious creation is of black
felt which makes it Just the hat to
wear with tailored togs.
Amoag the millinery showings out
for midsummer, the beret of black
silk is an outstanding feature either
quilted or stitched or as you like it
best Here is an attractive type (be
low to the left). It is developed of
black grosgrain. The trim is black
lacquered ribbon.
As Important as Is the beret, and it
is tremendously so, It Is not without
rivals In the field. Versatile types
abound in the field chief among which
are flattering trlcornes and devastat
ing little shepherdess shapes delight
fully feminine with fussy ribbons and
flowers and feathers. Then there are
the soft felt derbies with their Alpine
feathers. Brims also flourish In the
mode and they are very versatile.
The brim which turns up at one side
to reveal the hair Is a new note. Your
attention Is called to one of the new
brim types, shown at the top to the
right. In the early fall models crepe
is a factor and it Is stitched crepe
which fashions this dashing model.
Note the gay feather follows the line
of the brim, a gesture which is oft
repeated in the newer modes.
An ultra chic woman's hat of black
velvet concludes this group. It Is of
the beret family. At one side It rolls
up with studied grace, dipping low at
the other. The brush of simulated
aigrette adds great elegance.
C. Western Newspaper Union.
SUBDUED GLITTER
ENHANCES FROCKS
An avalanche of cellophane fabrics
hfis appeared on the market for fall,
adding to the brilliance of the mod
ern age.
Wools, silks, synthetics and velvets
?all will be seen this fall highlighted
with Interwoven glints of the popular
cellophane.
Nothing escapes, not even that good
old sports standby, wool Jersey. This
year it, Too, has its subdued glitter
achieved by flocks of silver cellophane.
There's even a cellophane lace, which
is as ethereal as anything vou ll be
likely to see this side of the pearly
gates. It looks like frosted cobwebs
or something.
A new material called anthracite is
as shiny as that hard black substance
you shovel Into the furnace, but the
analogy stops there. It's sleek, soft
and slippery, yet with that hlgh-pol
Ished finish, thanks again to cello
phane.
What looks like diminutive'copper
or steel beads appearing here and
there in the new woolens Is merely In
terwoven cellophane.
And, as a matter of fact, practically
any new fahrlc you see this fall that i
baffles you Is pretty sure to be partly
cellophane.
Blond Fur Collars
Black coats with blond fur colla-s
ore especially flattering to Junior girls.
Badger and natural lynx promise to be
two favorite trimmings of the corning
season.
Fruity Earrings
They're wearing cherries and straw
berries In their ears now, artificial j
ones of course, with boutonnieres to j
match for the lapels.
SATIN VOGUE
lij CHKBIK NICHOLAS
For a "first" frock to Initiate the
new season and at the same time fin
ish the mldseason fashionably, choose
satin. The new satin arrivals are
Irresistible. They are ao sleek, suave
and comely, and they lend themselves
so smartly to chic lingerie neckwear
accompaniment. Top your Jacketed
satin costume with a cushlorrbrim
Mack felt beret as the young lady In
the picture has done as a final touch
and you will take on a high style look
that cannot be outdone.
That Body
of Yours
By
JAMES W. BARTON, M. D.
Food and Mental and
Physical Work
|""\URING the World war, nations
*-* found It necessary to conserve
their food resources, and experiments
were conducted to learn Just how
much food an Individual needed to do
his mental and physical work prop
erly.
The Nutrition laboratory of the Car
negie Institution conducted experi
ments which gave very Interesting In
formation.
Balanced or "all round" diets were
used. One squad of ten subjects re
ceived 3,000 calories (heat units) ot
food dally, the other only 1,800 cal
ories, through a period of two months.
Mental addition showed the full ra
tion squad to gain through practice
double their accuracy In the first
month, while the reduced ration squad
had Increased their accuracy only half
at the end of two months. The reduced
ration squad also made SO per cent
more errors than the full ration squad
at the end of the second month.
Similar differences In memory ap
peared between the two squads, but
the reduced ration squad actually
"went back" In the memory test, dur
ing the course of the second month.
Using the tuning fork, and also
sen-"lvencss to electric currents,
showed the reduced ration squad had
gone backward.
iu luiuuieuuiig on uiese Drain lesu,
Dr. Donald C. Laird, Colgate univer
sity, believes that It Is the better gen
eral physical condition of the full ra
tion squad that gives them the super
iority rather than any real damage
to the brain of the reduced ratlca
squad.
What about the physical or body
tests?
In a "steadiness" test made by trac
ing with a pencil between two paral
lel lines, the squad on reduced ra
tions not only made more mistakes
but showed lAs Improvement In two
months' practice than the full ration
squad did In the first month.
Strength of grip was decreased 8
per cent by the reduced diet, the left
hand being more affected than the
right.
Speed of eye movement was reduced
6 per cent in the reduced diet group.
Finger movement was also reduced
In the reduced diet group.
What do these experiments teach
us?
They teach us that the body can ad
Just Itself so that life Is not endan
gered by the reduced diet, but It can
readily be seen that mental and physi
cal ability are certainly lessened.
? ? ?
Physical Examination at
School
YOD may have a youngster starting
off to school for the first time. If
you have sent other children to school
you are acquainted with some of the
regulations and have learned that
these regulations have all been adopt
ed to help your child.
If, however, this Is the first time
you have sent a youngster to school
try to remember that regulations are
for the good of the majority.
One of the regulations Is that your
child must be examined by a nurse,
doctor and dentist.
Instead of becoming Indignant about
this because you have had your child
under the care of a child's specialist,
be wise enough to take advantage of
these examinations by those who see
and examine your child from a differ
ent standpoint tlun that of the s[>e
cialist.
While food Is the most important
I point in the health and safety of chil
dren, and oar children's specialists
save thousands of lives yearly, there
Is the general physique or structure
of the child, the way it stands or sits,
its walk, the stralghtness of the spine,
the condition of the teeth as to
stralghtness, the presence of little cav
ities In the teeth, the shape of the
mouth and face, the condition of the
nose and throat and many other
things about youngsters that school
nurses, dentists and doctors have
learned In their experience with thou
sands of children.
The very fact that you object to
this complete examination which
means the removal of the child's
clothing so that the back and spine
may be examined, will get your
youngster off on the wrong foot at
school. He^may get the Idea that he
$hould have a little different treatment
at school than that given to other
youngsters and may have trouble ad
Justing himself to the other young
sters.
And as.you know, it Is this adjust
ing of children to regulations, to the
rights and privileges of other chil
dren. that keeps them from being
??odd" and possible mental cases In
the future.
Instead of objecting to It, make sure
that your child gets this thorough ex
amination.
(Copyright.)?W.VC Svrvlc*.
Ktrman Rug.
Kirman or Herman rugs are woven
In Persia and are made of cotton
warp; l or three lines of blue weft;
and the .Sehna knot They are finely
and closely woven, and of medium
thickness, and have naturalistic floral
patterns and soft but rich coloring.
Including several light tints. Some
modern Hermans Introduce figures and
pictorial subject*
Housewife's Idea Box
To Wash Berries
If you could pick berries yourself
from your own garden, it might not
be necessary to wash them before
eating them. But it is advisable to
wash bought ones. Place them In
& colander or large sieve. Lower
the colander into a large bowl of
clean water. Then drain them. Re
peat the process, if necessary.
THE HOUSEWIFE.
Copyright by Public Ledger. Inc.
WNU Service.
Waters of Indian Ocean
Over Man's Birthplace?
I "It is now generally admitted," ?
says Dr. Alexander Wlnchell in ITe
| Adamits, "that man's birthplace
| was in a region covered at present
by the waters of the Indian ocean."
Some years ago Sir John Murray
bequeathed $100,u00 to equip an ex
j pedition to locate the boundaries of
this lost land, writes Ransome Sut
ton in the Los Angeles Times. Last
summer his trustees 'borrowed a
trawler, the Mabahiiss, from the
i Egyptian government, and made
echo-soundings between India and
South America.
According to Prof. Stanley Gardi
i ner, secretary of the expedition, the
findings confirm the belief that
Lemuria (a part of ancient Gond
wana Land, which overlapped India,
South Africa and Brazil) existed un
til quite recently?np into the Age
of Mammals: Madagascar, the Say
ebelles islands and other archipela
goes were its highlands; on them
all one finds the same plant and
animal organisms, which Is good evi
dence that the islands were once
connected by la$d.
Able to Say "Nof*
As a rule, sharp business men are
rather blunt.
RHEUMATIC?
Pure Natural Mineral Water
May Help
MILLIONS FIND IT
VERY BENEFICIAL
For over 2,000 years the great min
eral waters of the World, given to us
by Mother Nature, have proven them
selves very beneficial in the treatment
of "rheumatic" aches and pains, ar
thritis, sluggishness, certain stomach
disorders and other chronic ailments.
It has been estimated that Ameri
cans alone have spent $100,000,000 a
year in going to the mineral wells
and health resorts of Europe. Over
$1,000,000 of these foreign mineral
waters are imported annually into this
country to help suffering humanity.
But it isn't necessary to go to Eu
rope to find fine natural mineral water.
We have many marvelous mineral
waters in our own country?many ex
cellent health resorts to which you can
go for the mineral water treatment
for "rheumatic" aches and pains.
Most surprising of all, however, is
the fact that today you can make a
I natural mineral water in your own
home at a tremendous saving in ex
pense. For Crazy Water Crystals
bring you, in crystal form, healthful
minerals taken from one of the
world's fine mineral waters. Just the
natural minerals. Nothing is added.
All you do is add Crazy Water
Crystals to your drinking water, and
you have a great mineral water that
has helped millions to better health
and greater happiness.
A standard size box of Crazy Water
Crystals costs only $1.50 and is suffi
cient for several weeks thorough
treatment for rheumatic pains. Crazy
Water Co., Mineral Wells. Texas.
(kAzy
Water ^QTStAlT
are for sale by dealers displaying
the red and green Crazy Water
Crystals sign. Get a box today.
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