TEXAS GUNS
By L. P. Holmes
—
NINTH INSTALMENT
Johnny jumped from his blank
ets and scratched a match, and a
moment later the smoky lamp of
the big bunkhouse table threw out
pale gleams of yellow light. Pink
Crosby, one side of his cherubic
face streaked with dried blood
sighed with relief as he Jowered the
big, limp body of Pod Fortune on
a bunk. Then he wobled and would
have fallen himself if Johnny had
not leaped* forward and steadied
kim. There was a partially emptied
bottle of whiskey bn a shelf and
Johnny caught it down and gave
Pink a long drink.
"What the hell happened?” he
demanded.
Pink, steadied by the liquor, sank
into a chair and stared at Johnny
apathetically. "Spelle’s crowd,” he
answered tonelessly. "Tried all
afternoon in town to start someth
in’ with me an’ Pod. We wanted to
keep outa their way. They out
numbered us an’ besides we didn’t
wane no crouoic. r-oa an me am c
gunfighters. Then come dark we
started back to the ranch. Damned
if the dirty skunks didn’t dry
gulch us. We was ridin’ along quiet
an’ easy an’ all of a sudden from a
heap o’ sage came a streak o’ fire
an’ the whang of a gun. Ole Pod
grunted an’ dropped. God! I heard
the slug hit him. I went for my
own hawg-lai^k but before, I could
turn it loose somethin’ larruped me
alongside the haid an’ down I went.
"I wasn’t out, but somehow I
couldn’t seem to move. Right away
four or five hombres came ridin’
out o’ the brush an’ scraed our
broncs off. They was laughin’ an’
jokin’. One o’ them says 'That
paws fer Fair an’ Donnelly, but we
gotta get one more (o’ that damned
gang to square it up fer Durbin.’
Sounded to me like Montana Wade’s
voice. Then somebody else chimed
in sayin’ that the old man, meanin’
Spelle I reckon, was figgerin’ on
rushin’ the Box D an’ cleanin’ out
on the whole caboodle.
"I was kinda driftin’ off about
that time an’ I cfouldn’t make much
sense of the rest I heard. I did
hear somebody mention Miss Ron
ny’s name an’ then they all laugh
ed kinda nasty like. After that
they haided back toward town. 1
musta laid there for ah hour before
I could get up. I went over to
Pod an’ found he was still alive.
Then I had one hell of a time ket
chin’ our broncos, which had run
off quite a ways. I got ’em finally
an’ manage^ to pile pore old Pod
across his hull. Then I come on in.
Thaa’s all—’ceptin’ pore Pod. How
bad is he hurt, Johnny?”
Johnny bent over Pod Fortune
and unbuttoned his blood drenched
shirt. There was a pasty wound,
high up on the left breast. Johnny
studied it closely for a moment.
"Hard tellin,”’ he muttered.
"Looks like a lung wound to me.
Which ain’t so good. Give him a
little o’ this liquor, Pink. I’ll go get
the Chink up and have him heat
some water. Then you an’ him do
what yuh can fer Pod. I’m haidin’
fer town after Doc McMurdo.”
Johnny jerked on his boots and
buckled his gun belt around his'
hips. Then he went up to the rear
where Chang slept and pounded on
the door.
"Hey Chang,” he called softly.]
"It’s me—Johnny Clehoe.”
Presently Chang opened the door]
and blinked sleepily at Johnny.
"Wassa malla?” he creaked.
Johnny told, him about Pod and
what he was to do, then when
Chang scurried quickly for the
kitchen, Johnny went tk> the corral
on the run and saddled up. A mo
mentl ater he was pounding away
through the darkness along the
trail to Carillion.
While McMurdo dressed, Johnny
related the paramount incidents of
the night and the old Scotchman’s
frown deepened as he listened.
Tis a sneakin’, crafty mon he
is, that Spelle. And a pity that the
law is but a farce.”
"We’ve got law,” was Johnny’s
pregnant answer, patting the gun
at his hip.
"Ay, lad—tr-rue ye are. But ’tis
a law of violence.”
"Mebbe,” said Johnny briefly.
"But it’s the only law Spelle’s kind
can understand. All set, Doc?”
"Aye—ye’ll be r-ridin’ with me,
lad?”
Johnny shook his head. "Pm
hangin’ around fer an hour or so.
See yuh later, Doc.”
When McMurdo rode away
Johnny went down to the hash
house and had breakfast. Then, just
as the sun peeped over the borrizon
he sauntered up tp Jake Butter
field’s store, to find that worthy
opening up.
"Out kinda early, ain’t yuh?”
Jake gave his orthodox greeting.
"Uh-huh, I want to gee some
smokin’, Jake.”
Johnny consumed a full hour
over this meagre purchase, most of
the time being spent as acting the
interested listener to Butterfield’s
ponderous garralousness.
"Some gents,” stated Jake, "Shore
jwant to hawg everthin’. Take Si
Spelle fer instance. Why he even
tried to buy me out yestidday. He
got wrathy as hell when I turned
him down. He couldn’t see my side
of it a-tall. I’m plumb satisfied
here. I’m makin’ a good livin’ an’ I
wouldn’t know what to do with
myself if I had to leave. When I
told Spelle that he champed on the
bit fer awhile an’ then—what d’yuh(
know—he offered me five hundred
dollars cash if’n I’d refuse to sell
any more supplies to Jim Delevan
o’ the Box D.”
"No?” Johnny was interested
now—very interested. "I suppose
yuh told him to go to hell, Jake?”
"Yore dang right I did,” pro
claimed Jake pridefully. "Yessir, I
shore did. Why Jim Delevan an’
me are real friends. Jim’s been
buy in’ his supplies off’n me fer
goin’ on sixteen years. I told him
he wa’nt foolin’ ole Jake none. I
tiold him I knowed he was figgerin’
on grabbin’ off Jim’s spread. An’,”
here Jake paused to relieve himself
of a mouthful of blackstrap juice
and to lend dramatic effect to his
words. "I told him I shore hoped:
Jim would lick him to a stemwind
in’ frazzle. Yessir that’s jest what
I told him. I—huh—ugh!”
Jake halted so suddenly he nearly
swallowed his cud of tobacco. He
was staring at the door, his pale
eyes bagged out alarmingly.
Johnny whirled, crouching. Two
men had just, entered the store.|
Johnny and Jake were at the rear|
of the counter where it was dusky
and the two new arrivals were'
squinting and blinking to adjust;
their eyes to the gloom after facing j
the slanting sun rays. outside.
Johnny recognized the one in front
as Montana Wade. The other was a
stranger.
Jake moved forward diffidently.
"What’ll it be gents?” he asked.
"Spelle wants all the .30-30 shells
yuh got in stock, Butterfield,”
snapped Wade. "Trot ’em out here
quick. My partner an’ me got work
to do. An’ say—who in hell was
yuh talkin’ to jest now?”
"Me!” Johnny’s answer snapped
out like the crack of a whiplash.
He stepped forward. "What yuh
gonna do about it, yuh damned,
yellow dry-gulcher?”
For a moment Wade sqood as
one stunned. He teetered on his
toes like an animal about to sring,
peering at Johnny, the fingers of
his right hand uncoiling like flex
ing claws. Hate flamed in his eyes.
"Spike,” he snarled suddenly.
"Here’s one scalp Spelle wants—
bad. He’s one o’ the two what did
fer Fair an’ Donnelly an’ Durbin.
Get him!”
With the worlds Wade dropped
to his knees, snatching at his gun.
He died in that position, slump
ing forward bn his face. Johnny
had been waiting for that move
ment and had gone into flaming
action.
"Stay there,” snapped Johnny, j
"’Nother move an’ yuh get it where
Wade did. Jake—I’ll take them
.30-30 Shells. Put ’em in a sack an’
pile on five or six boxes o’ ,45’s
Pronto now.”
Jake Butterfield, stunned, awed,
shivering; his loosely hung tongue
cleaving to the roof of his mouth
in terror, moved automatically to
obey.
"Here ’tis,” he croaked shakily,
shoving a weighty sack across the
counter. "Thirteen boxes o’ .3 0-3 Os
an’ six o’ 45 s. That cleans me.
W-won’t have no piore in ’till the
end o’ the week. Sh-hall I charge
emr
Johnny grinned in spite of him
self, but his cold eyes never wav
ered from the wtmnded man at the
door.
"Yeah, charge ’em—to Jim Dele
van.” Then, lugging the weighty
sack in his left hand, Johnny ad
vanced to the door and drove Mas
ters into the street ahead of him.
"Fork yore bronc an’ git,”
snapped Johnny, "Yuh can tell
-.
SSpelle fer me that if he’s got any
more gun-men he’s yearnin’ to get;
rid of to send ’em around. An’
tell him we dp our shootin’ out in
the open, not sneakin’ around in
the brush like a damned side-wind
:r. Get goin’.”
When Johnny reached the Box
D ranchhouse he found Jim Dele
van, Ronny, Doc McMurdo and
Pink Crosby in conference on the
porch. As he rode up to the cor
rals Ronny advanced to the head
of the stairs where she waited untill
JHonny came clanking up, the sack
of ammunition draped over one
shoulder.
Johnny smiled at her cheerfully.
"Now—mow,” he chided gently.
"Chase those scary-scaries outa
yore pretty eyes, Miss Ronny. The!
sun’s ashinin’ an’ I saw a blue-bird!
down the trail a piece.”
Some of the hovering shadow!
left Ronny’s eyes at this foolish-!
ness and she even managed a tre
mulous little smile.
"Ylou should have come back
with the Doctor,” she accused.
"We’ve been worried sick about
you. I—I—” she gulped a little
and winked fast.
Johnny sobered and caught her
elbow with his free hand. "Don’t
yuh,” he pleaded. "Not because o’
me. I’ll alius come back—to you.”
He squeezed her arm tightly and
Ronny had the grace to blush.
Johnny steered her up the porch to
the others.
"How’s Rod?” he demanded.
"Vera, vera sick,” rumbled Mc
Murdo. "But yon’s a bra'w mon an’
should cheat Death this" time.” [
"I knew he would,” answered]
Johnny complacently. "Pod’s too
doggoned onery an’ tough to die,1
huh Pink?”
Pink Crosby, his rosy cheeks
rather paje, grinned back in answer]
from beneath the shroud of a white;
bandage which circled his head.
"Y’betcha,” He nodded. "Ole Pod’s
one tough bronc.”
"How about you?” broke in
Delevan impatiently. "Suppose yuh]
give an account o’ yoreself, young
feller. What’cha been doin’ an’
what’cha got in that sack? Looks
purty damn heavy to me.”
"Jest a few supplies,” was John
ny’s off-hand reply. "Say Ronny—
how’s chances fer a little grub? I
ain’t et since breakfast an’ it’s
cR>wdin’ two o’clock how. I’m all
gaunted up.”
Ronny smiled and scurried away
kitchenward.
"Humpth,” grunted Delevan
"Yuh shore got a way with yuh,
yuh danged young hellion. She
never would hop that fast fer me.
But yuh got somethin’ to tell us.
What’s weighin’ down yore mind?”j
CONTINUED NEXT WEEK |
"Stay there,” snapped Johnny. !
How Cardui Helps
Women To Build Up
Oardul stimulates the appetite and
Improves digestion, helping women
to get more strength from the food
they eat As nourishment Is im
proved, strength is built up, certain
functional pains go away and wom
en praise Cardui for helping them
back to good health. . . . Mrs. O. E.
Ratliff, of Hinton, W. Va„ writes:
"After the birth of my last baby, I
did not seem to get my strength
back. I took Cardui again and was
soon sound and well. I have given
It to my daughters and recommend
It to other ladles.” . . . Thousands
of women testify Cardui benefited
them. If It does not benefit YOU,
consult a physician.
WtHERE to go and
WHAT to do when
your radiator
boils or leaks.
We flush, clean,
1 repair, and re
bore all makes
of radiators. We
sell or trade new
> and second hand
radiators. W e
are most reliable
—see ue before
you buy, .
EAST SPENCER MOTOR CO.
Phone 1198-J N. Long St.
EAST SPENCER
I C ANERAGRA PIS ||
.. 1 ' 1 ■ ^ema^ ■ 1 ■■ 1 - I
ELEANOR STEWART,||
right, former Northwestern ai
University co-ed now star
ring with MOM pictures, ad- j
mits she sometimes gets I
homesick for Illinois and |
that she enjoys the radio §
programs from the Windy
City. Here she is shown with £
Mary Carlisle, another MGM H
star, and E. H. Scott, Chi- II
cago radio designer, in Si
Hollywood Inspecting a 1
"Quaranta,” the new 40-tube 1
radio which is the world’s '
largest and which was built a
by Mr. Scott in Chicago. t
THE STREAMLINED BATH.
ROOM wai exhibited for the
first time at the Master
Plumber’s Convention in Buf*
talo recently. Miss Evelyn
Propis is shown demonstrating
the new safety tide seat on the
edge of the Crane Company’s
streamlined bathtub designed
by Henry Dreyfutt for modern
homes.
BACK BEHIND THE WHEEL of
the famoui Maxwall Houaa Show
Boat la Captain Hanry who haa
baan away on a littla buainaaa
trip. And with him, aa alwaya, ia
hia alatar, Maria, ona of tha moat
balovad charactara in radio ro
manca. Hoard on an NBC-Rad
network ovary Thuraday avening
at 9 o’clock (E.D.S.T.) tha Show
Boat haa baan going atrong for
almoat four yaara. _
mmm.§
ANNIE LIVES HERE
NOW! Running water
to peel the outaide
and plenty of ice
cream to cool the in
aide la the way Annie
and her pup ketp com
fortable theta daya.
4# REST AND 1 INCH
la the long hop, atop
and jump accompliah
od by Roland Romero.
Photo ehewa hie teat
heave to win In the
Olympic finale at Ran
delTe I eland, N. V.
POPULAR QUESTION IRS;" Jerry BekheMkft) and
Park* Jahnaan (aaated, right). NIC-Vex Pap radl*
interviewer*. demenatratad their unigue pregram by
interviewing afflelal* and delegatee at tha A. P. A.
eenveatlen In Beaten. recently. Belcher haa I. H.
HeRaynelda “an tha mat.’* Ta be aura, tha gueatlana
| were pertinent and tha anawara enlightening.
Franklin News
Mr. and Mrs. John Miller and
Mrs. Cecil Simpson, of Toledo, O.,
are visiting relatives and friends
here. They have many friends here
that will be happy to see them.
Miss Elizabeth Walker has re
turned home after spending twoj
months at Mint Hill with her un-j
cle, Mr. Lawrence Wilson. Her,
many friends are glad to see her. I
Mrs. Charles Parker and little,
son, Jerry, of Salisbury, were wel-!
come visitors at the home of Miss
Lillian Click Monday.
Master W. A. Kesler, Jr., spent
last week in Spencer with hs grand
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Will Kesler.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Walker, of
Charlotte, and Mr. Lawrence Wil-,
son, of Mint Hill, were Sunday
dinner guests of Mr. and Mrs. W.
C. Walker.
We are sorry to say that Mr. i
Charles Shoaf isn!t much better.
He has been in bed thirteen weeks.
His many friends wish him well
soon.
Mrs. Mary Howard is home after!
spending two weeks in Mooresville
with friends.
• -
Wilson Norris of Watauga
County purchased a pure bred
Hhamshire ram fA>m a sheep breed-!
er in Greenville, Tennessee, last;
week.
Cleveland, Rt. 2, News
The Rowan Pomona Grange met
with C. S. I. Grange last Wednes
day with a very good attendance.
The singing held annually at
Providence Lutheran church will
be held August 1. Every one is in
vited.
Mr. and Mrs. Robin Wooten are
leaving £or Cleveland county Fri
day, where they will teach school
next year.
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Guffy, Misses
Rosa Yarborough, Emma Baily
Jones, and Mr. Robert Harris of
Roxboro, were dinner guests Sat
urday with Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Guf
fy
Miss Lois Pavis spent the week
end with Misses Marie and Mary
Neil Lazenby.
Mr. and Mrs. Lacy Brown, of
Virginia, have been visiting her par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. Jay Moore.
The community was saddened by
the death of Mrs. C. F. Barringer
on Tuesday evening. The funeral
was held at St. Matthews on Thurs
day afternoon.
Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Guffy and
Mrs. Jennie Campbell spent Sunday
with Mr. and Mrs. Fred Campbell.
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Campbell
and family are at home from Wash
ington, D. C.
Messrs. Ralph Jacks and B. M.
Madison have returned from Duke
University where they attended
summer school.
Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Steele and
Miss Lucile Merrell, of Statesville,
visited Mr. and Mrs. N. S. Steele
Sunday.
Mrs. Pink Rogers, Misses Jose
phine, Ruth and Biddy Sue Rogers
of Rembert and Bishopville, S. C.,
were recent visitors of Mrs. F. E.
Steward.
Mrs. J. H. Steele who has been in
the H. F. Long hospital for the past
three weeks, returned home Sunday
and is improving we are glad to
know.
Apple Output Seen
Smallest Since ’21
The Agricultural department has
estimated domestic apple produc
tion this year would be the smallest
since the crop of 1921.
The estimates, based on condi
tions as of July 1, indicated a pro
duction of 193,214,000 bushels, or
38 per cent less than the 193 5 crop
of 167,283,000 bushels, and 36 per
cent below the five-year (1928-32)
average of 161,333,000 bushels. .
Condition of the crop on July
1 was 42.6 per cent of normal,
compared with 64.5 per cent on
July 1, 1935, and with the ten-|
year (1923-32 condition of 59.8
per cent.
The department’s report of ac
tual 1935 production and indicated
1936 production, by bushels, for
the larger apple-producing states,
included:
Massachusetts, 2,418,000 in 1935;
and 1,209,000 this year; New
York 16,875,000 and 9,000,000;
New Jersey 4,200,000 and 2,750,
000 Pennsylvania 11,440,000 and
6,728,000; Deleware 1,418,000 and)
1,072,000; Maryland 2,412,000,
and 1,598,000; Virginia 16,695,
000 and $8,116,000; NORTH
CAROLINA 3,975,000 and 2,
072,000.
—READ THE VATCHMAN
Many Fail To Get
Drivers’ License
Raleigh.—Arthur Fulk, director
of the State highway safety divi
sion, said recently approximately
12 per cent of all applicants for
automobile driving permits since
March 16 have been turned down
or required to try a second time
after a 30-day study period.
Since the middle of March every
applicant for a license has had to
pass a test given by a member of
the highway patrol.
There are now more than 706,
000 licensed drivers, but more
than 600,000 got licenses before
the tests were started.
Jay "I Saw It In The Vatchman.”
Legal Notices
NORTH CAROLINA,
R.OWAN CONUTY
IN THE SUPERIOR COURT
Ethel M. Foulkes,
vs
James Leonard Foulkes
NOTICE
The defendant, James Leonard
Foulkes, will take notice that the
plaintiff has commenced the above
entitled action against him for the
purpose of bbtaiging an absolute
divorce upon the grounds of statu
tory period of separation, and that
he is required to appear before the
Clerk of Superior Court at his of
fice in Salisbury, Rowan County,
North Carolina, on the 25 th day of
July, 1936, or within thirty
days thereafter and answer or de
mur to the complaint filed by the
plaintiff, or the relief therein pray
:d for will be granted.
Dated this the 24th day of July,
1936.
li. D. McCUBBINS,
Clerk Superior Court.
T. K. Carlton, Attorney.
July 31—August 7, 14, 21.
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
COUNTY OF ROWAN.
IN THE SUPERIOR COURT
NOTICE
R. L. Christopher, Plaintiff.
vs I
Ethel Christopher, Defendant.
The defendant, Ethel Christoph
er, will take notice that the plain
tiff has commenced the above en
titled action against her for the
the purpose of obtaining an absolute
divorce upon the grounds of statu
tory period of separation, and that
she is required t*o appear before the
Clerk of the Superior Court of
Rowan County at his office in Sal
isbury, N. C, on the 28th day of
August, 1936, or within thirty days
thereafter and answer or demur to
the complaint filed by the plantiff,
or the relief therein prayed for will
be granted.
Dated this the 27th day of July,
1936.
B. D. McCUBBfNS,
Clerk Superior Court.
John L. Rendleman,Jr.,Attorney.
July31—August7 14, 21.
HERRINGTON’S
Located in the trading center
of Rowan County—alwaya off
ering values beyond comparison
—goes farther than offering the
lowest prices to make more sat
isfied customers.
HERRINGTON’S supplies you
with products whose name and
packages familiar to all house
wives and whose quality is as
sured. The freshest and most
complete line of government in- !
spected meats and garden fresh
vegetables—
Plus FREE Delivery
Service
HERRINGTON’S