FINAL INSTALLMENT
The concussion of that roar
ing discharge brought a shower
of broken glass from the raised
window sash, and the recoil up
set old Joe as though a horse
had kicked him. The buckskin
screamed wildly, spun around
twice then raced away. But it
went with an empty saddle.
Following horses leaped high as
they hurdled the still figure in
the street.
Five seconds later it was all
over. Joe Rooney crawled to his
feet, rubbing his shoulder rue
fully. “What a cannon!” he
muttered “What a cannon! Shore
I felt my shoulder blades touch
when that damn thing went off
that time. I shore musta hit
something.”
“I'll say you did, Joe,” grinned
Slim. Then he leaned out of the
window and yelled, Hi, Roy!
Stoney! ‘Yuh all right? This is
Slim.”
"Shore, and we’re coming a
long, Slim, my lad. Be with you
in a minute.”
Roy and Stoney Sheard were
soon in the wild horse both unin
jured. They looked anxiously at
Dakota, who was sitting in a
chair while Spud Dillon careful
ly cut away the bloody pants
leg. Dakota grinned dryly.
Keey yore smrts on, yuu
two ole ground hawgs. It ain t
nothing to worry about. I could
stand a little jolt of liquor, tho.”
"Git abottle, Joe,” puffed
Spud. "Yuh other boys help yore
selves. My treat.”
The liquor steadied them. Sto.
ney Sheard turned to Slim.
“What say we sashay up the
street a bit, Slim? I kinda think
I got Brockwell when they was
riding for a getaway. I know I
hit him, and he was beginning to
wobble just as they went outa
sight past the livery stable.”
Slim nodded and they went up
the street, picking their way past
groups of excited, jabbering
townspeople. Sure enough, not
twenty yards beyond-the north
ern end of the street, they found
Sarg Brockwell. He was spraw
led flat on his back, his face to
the sky. A single look satisfied
them that there was nothing
they could do.
As they turned back, Slim re
membered George Arthur. "We
got to find that crooked lawyer.
Stonev. Brockwell can’t talk, but
Arthur can and will, before I
get thru with him. Yuh didn’t
see him with that crowd any
where?”
The cowboy chuckled sardon
ically. Him? Why he ain’t got
nerve enough to get within three
miles of a gun muzzle! Yuh’ll
find him holin' up somewhere,
scared into fits.”
They slipped past the W ild
Horse, where Roy O’Brien and
Spud Dillon w*ere taking turns
at explaining to a clamoring
crowd, just what it was all
about. It was Stoney who spied
the crack of light at the bottom
of the door leading into Ar
thur’s office.
. » . , • 1 i 1 • 1 ,
M_MJKb lltve buuicuuuy migiu.
be in there, Slim,” he drawled,
“e can investigate anyhow.”
Slim tried the door, but found
it looked. Pressing his ear to the
portal he listened intently. From
inside sounded thick measured
snores. “Sounds like somebody
was sleeping off a drunk,” he
muttered. "Well, we’re going in.
Cdve me a heave with this door.”
Before the combined weight
of them, the door sagged, creak
ed, then broke open with a crash.
George Arthur was sprawled
across his desk, his head pillowed
on his arms. The air was foul
with stale whiskey fumes.
Slim nodded with satisfaction.
“Close the door and shove that
chair against it, Stoney,” he di
rected.
He crossed to the sleeping
man and shook him roughly. Ar
thur sighed, coughed and tried
to push him away. Slim jerked
him erect in the chair and slap
ped his face. Arthur’s eyes open,
ed.
“G’way,” he murmured gut
turally. “G’way. Lemme sleep.”
Slim shook him until his heels
rattled. The lawyer stared at him
vacantly for a moment, his jaw
hanging. Then slow recognition
•#«rr • ;
pierced thru the liquor haze
which had deadened his brain.
“Loyale,” he murmured. “You
—what do you want ?”
“Plenty,” snapped Slim. “Get
yore wits together. Yuh’ve got
a lot of explaining to do. Sto
ney pour him another drink. It
will straighten him up for a
time.”
Arthur gulped the liquor gree
dily and wiped his lips with the
back of his hand. A drunken
truculence took hold of him.
“Get out” he growled. “Got no
use for you Loyale. I hate the
sight of you. Get out of this of
fice.”
bum shook him again halt
lifting him from his seat only to
fling him back again with a
crash. “I’m telling yuh something
yuh drunken rat. Listen close.
Starbuck and both Brockwells
are daid. Get that ? Daid!”
Arthur’s head came up. ‘Huh’
he gasped. ‘Dead You’re lying.’
“Don’t kid yoreself. Starbuck
land Leo Brockwell were killed
trying to raid my ranch tonight.
Sarg Brockwell was killed try
; ing to hold up the Standard Bank
not fifteen minutes ago. But be
fore he died, Jigger Starbuck
talked. He put the tag on you,
Arthur. Yeah, yuh got a lot of
.explaining to do.”
! Arthur sat quietly, evidently
trying to arrange his hazy tho
ughts. Presently he looked up.
' You haven’t got a thing on me
—not a thing. I won't say a
word.”
Slim dragged up a chair and
sat down, so he could stare str
aight into the lawyer’s bloodshot
eyes. “I think you will,” he said,
a deadly chill in his voice. “Con
skier my side of the matter. You
can clear my name, give written
evidence that I was railroaded
to the pen on false, perjured evi
dence.
“It just happens, Arthur, that
1 got a funny idea about honor.
I don’t care to face the rest of
my life with a jail stain on it,
And I’m planning a powerful
lot for some happiness in the
future. So if you think 1 won’t
go to the edges of hell itself to
i get complete clearance, yo’re
badly mistaken.
“I made the threat that you’d
■ talk and make a complete writ
ten confession, if I had to use
Apache methods to wring it out
of you. I ain’t changed my mind.
We’ve cleaned house on this
range, Arthur—cleaned it plen
ty. We didn’t stop at rocking off
the Brockwells and Jigger Star
bucks. So if you think we’ll back
down from adding you to the
list, yo’re some mistaken.
1 m admitting this: In a fair
court you can probaby beat a
death sentence, ’cause we got no
direct proof of you killing any
| body. But if you ever hope to
gei in front of that kind of court
1 you better do as I tell you. Other
wise, it’s a rope and a cottonwood
| tree for you; that is, if you don’t
die under a little red hot iron
treatment. Yo’re listening to the
gospel truth, Arthur. I’m gonna
get what I want, or know the
'reason why.”
Still half drunk as he was,
Arthur could not help but read
the truth in Slim’s words and
| looks. His head went down again
I If—if I do as you say, what
assurance have I that you’ll play
square ?” he blurted.
“My word; nothing else. But
, "• •• .
my words godd, and you know it.
Are you ready to do your stuff ?
Arthur gulped and nodded.
“Give me a pen and some paper.”
In the glowing dawn of a new
day, a little cavalcade jogged its
way from Pinnacle out to the
Circle L Ranch. In the lead rode
Slim Loyale and Stoney Sheard.
Following them was a buckboard
with Roy O’Brien driving. Sit
ting beside Roy, with his wound
ed leg cushioned and propped up
by wads of blankets, was Dako
ta Blue.
“I suppose Slim’ll be after see
ing the governor right away?”
suggested Roy.
Dakota nodded and grinned.
“He’s as feverish as a hound
pup after its first rabbit. Don’t
know as I blame him, though.
The kid has been eating his,
heart out all along about Mona
| Hall. He’s plumb loco about her.
| “And though he’s never hinted
I of it to me, I know he’s had some
dang-fool idee about honor that
kept him from springing the ques
! iion to her. Reckon he’s sorta
; felt that with that prison record
on his haid, he had no right to
i ask her to marry him.”
Koy snorted. As it that d be
after making one bit of differ
ence to Miss Mona. She’s know
;ed, bless her heart, that Slim is
! innocent, same as the rest of us.
! Shore, and she’s a fine girl. She’d
I stick to the man she loved re
gardless. But you have to honor
the boy for his pride, just the
' same.”
\t the home ranch Slim wast
ed no time, l ie shaved and clean
ed up, donning his only suit of
store clothes.
! (>ut at the north end of Jeri
cho Valley, in company with Sam
Tisdale and Abe Fornachon, Mo
na Hall sat her saddle and watch
jed the leaders of long tides of
cattle flow out across her range,
headed north toward those prom
ised lands in the Kicapoo range.
As soon as Tisdale had made the
j arrangement as to price with
Slim Loyale he had sent word to
his trail mates to start the herd
moving. And the herd was now
on its way to the new promised
land.
Mona turned to Tisdale. “I
fee! like a robber, Mr. Tisdale,
taking a quarter a head for the
mere passing of those cattle. I
don’t see where they can possi
bly do that much damage.”
Tisdale grinned. “Don't let
that worry yuh, Miss Hall. Me
and the rest o fthe gang are glad
to get by with that price. We’re
quite willing to pay it. And here
comes somebody that looks as if
he was in a danged hurry.”
Mona whirled and followed
Tisdale’s pointing arm. Sure
enough a rider was loping stead
iy towards them and Mona rec
ognized Sim.
A puncher had ridden from
town to tell her of the thwarted
bank holdup and the part Slim
and his boys had played. But she
had heard nothing of Arthur’s
Less Monthly Disconifor
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down condition as^a resuit c
poor assimilation of food, sr
they benefited by taking CAL
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Naturally there is less dis
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Cardui, praised by thousands o:
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course, if not benefited, consult s
physician.
.
confession, and; while she had
expected that Slim would ride
to her when the fight was over,
yet she could not help the queer
feeling that came over her now
at the sight of him.
Slim cantered up, giving a
c.leery greeting. He shook hands
with Tisdale and Abe, then turn
ed to Mona. “I got something to
explain to you, Mona,” he draw
led. “How about a little ride?
These boys can watch the cattle.”
Mona nodded. “I think so, too.
You’ll excuse us?”
“Go ’long, young ’uns,” laugh
ed Tisdale, who guessed how
things stood between these two.
Slim rode for two miles before
he reined in. Then he turned to
Mona, his eyes glowing. “I’ve
got Arthur’s signed and witness
ed confession that I was fram
ed,” he stated. “And that makes
it fair that I should say what
I’m going to say, Mona.” He
reached in one pocket and brou
ght out a tiny, plush bubble of a
case.
“Back in Jarilli there were
times when I thought I’d go cra
zy. At those times there was just
one thing that kept my feet on
the ground, and that thing was
thinking of you. Looking back I
can see where you have been my
guiding star all my life.
'“Unconsciously I built my
scheme of living around you. It
wasn’t whether I wanted to do
this or that merely because I
wanted to; it*was because I al
ways did what I thought you
would approve of. Even when
you were a little, long-laiged
kid with pigtails down yore back
there was no greater reward for
duty done, than yore £mile.
“I—I’ve gotten so used to
that standard or reward now, I
can't face the rest of life with
out it. Before I got this confes
sion, I had no right to ask you.
Now I can. I’ve loved you for
ever, it seems like, Mona. Will
you marry me ?”
She looked at him, her lips
parted, her eyes glistening. “If
there was anything that would
keep me from saying yes, Slim
Loyale. it is because you were
so silly in feeling that you could
iot ask me until your name had
been cleared. A woman who
would hesitate over such a fool
ish thing would not be worth
thinking about. Your name has
always been clear .with me Slim.
I’ll marry you tomorrow, if you
wish. I’ve always loved you
Slim.”
There was a rather dizzy inter
lude, during which a diamond
solitaire that Slim had purchased
in town that morning was un
earthed from the plush case and
placed on the proper finger.
“There’s just one argument I’ve
got to settle,” said Slim. “Why
wouldn’t you take that money
from me to pay Arthur with,
honey ?”
“Because I didn’t want to be
in debt to the man I was going
to marry,” replied Mona daring.
iy
Slim chuckled. “Plumb shore
of me all the time wasn’t you ”
Mona dimpled. “I had hopes.”
Slim reached for her again.
THE END
: Slim shot with smooth precision, backing up a step at a time.
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