ROBBERS’
ROOST
by
Zane Grey
r
Oopyrltht.—WNtJ MrrlM.
THE STORY
CHAPTER 1.—Jim Wall, young cow
puncher from Wyoming, in the earlv
days of the cattle industry, seek a
new field In Utah. He meets 1. uk
Hays, who admits to being a » >b «er.
and tells Wall he is working tor an
Englishman named Herrick, w ':<► has
located a big ranch in the in -untaius.
Herrick has employed a smin. army of
rustlers and gun-fighters and Hays
and others are plotting »■* steal their
employer's cattle and money. Hays
wants Wall to throw in with the
rustlers.
*
CHAPTER II. — At the little settle
ment of Green River. Hays gets into
an argument with a gambler called
Stud, over a poker game. Wall saves
Hank'* life by blulting the gambler out
of shooting With Hays ami two other
rustlers. Happy Jack and Lincoln. Jim
Wul'**starts nut for Herrick’s ranch.
Tn »a:iip, the first night out. Jim re
grets the step he has taken, but it is
too late to turn back.
CHAPTER III ,
Next morning tlx'.v got a late start.
Nevertheless Mays assured .lim that
they would reach Star ranch towards
evening.
The trail led up a wide, shallow,
gravelly canyon full of green growths.
They rode on side by side. The trail
led lido a wider > :coming around
from the northeast. Jim did not miss
fresh hoof tracks, and Hays was not
far behind in discovering them.
“Woods full of riders." he mut
tered.
“How long have you been gone, j
Hays?” inquired Jim.
“From Star ranch? Let’s see. j
Must be a conple of weeks. Too long, ,
by gosh! Herrick sent me to Grand j
Junction. An’ on the way hack I cir-1
dial. Thet’s how 1 happened to make
Green River.’* *
"Did you expect to meet Pappy
Jack and Lincoln there?”
“Shore. An’ some more of my out
1t Rut 1 guess you’ll rnore’n make up
Tor the other fellers."
“Hope I don’t disappoint you." said
Jim. dryly
"Well, you invn’t -•• i.r. mily '
I'd feel better, Jtju. It you’d ome !
dean with who you air ni)' wh.it yon i
air."
"Hays, l didn't fMc you to take
me on.”
"Shore, you're right. Reckon 1
figured everybody knew Hank Hays.
Why, there's a town down here named
after me. HatikviJle.”
"A town? No one would think it." i
"‘Wai. it ain't Hindi to lir.ig on. A 1
lew colons, the lirst of which I threw
up witti my father years ago Tn his
later years he was a prospector. We
lived there tor years. I trapped fur
up here In the mountains. In fact I
got to know the whole country except
thet Black Dragon canyon, an’ thet
hellhole of the Dirty Devil. . . . My
old man was shot hy rustlers."
"I gathered you'd no use for rus
tlers. . . . Well, then. Hays, how’d
you fall into your present line of
business?' \\ / ''
"Ilnu ! Haw ! .Present line. Thet’s
a good one. Is'qw, Jim. what do you
reckon thet line is?"
“You seem to be versatile. Hays.
But if I was to Judge I’d say you re*
lioved people of surplus cash.”
“Very nice put, Jim. I’d hate to he
a low-down thief. A . . Jim, I was
an honest man once, not so long ago.
It was a woman who mnde me what
I am today.* Tlmt's why I’m cold on
women." *// ;7|; ’
“Were you ever married?" went on
Jim. stirred a little by the other’s
crude pathos,
“Thet was the h—1 of It," replied
Hays, n nd he seemed to lose desire to
confide further.
They rode !n‘o the zone of the
foothills,] with ever-increasing evi
dence of fertility. But Jim’.; view
had been res,Tided for several hours,
permitting only occasional glimpses
up the gray-black slopes of the
nenrys and none at all of the low
country.
Therefore Jim was scarcely pre
pared to come round a corner and
out Into the open. Stunned by the
magnificence of the scene he would
have halted Bay on the spot, but he
espied Hays waiting for him ahead.
“Wal, pard, this here is Utah," said
Hays, as Jim came up, and Ids voice
held a note of pride. “Round the
corner here you can see Herrick’s
▼alley an’ ranch. It’s a hit of rich
land thirty miles long nn’ half ns
wide, narrowin’ like a wedge. Now
let's ride on, Jim. an’ have a leak
at It."
Across the mouth of Herrick’s gray
green valley, which opened under the
escarpment from which Jim gazed,
extended vast level green and black
lines of range, one above the other,
each projecting farther out into that
blue abyss.
“Down in there somewhere this
Hank Hays will find his robbers’
roost," soliloquized Jitn. and turned
his horse again into the trail.
Before late afternoon of that day
Ilui Wall had seen as many cattle
dotting a verdant grass, watered
valley as ever he had viewed In the
great herds driven up from Texas to
Abilene and Podge, or on the Wind
River Range of Wyoming. A rough
estimate exceeded ten thousand head.
He had taken Flays with a grain of
salt. But here was an Incomparable
range and here were the rattle. N'o
doubt, beyond the timbered bluff
across the valley lay another depres
sion like this one, and perhaps there
were many extending like spokes of a
wheel down from the great hub of
the Henry mountains. Bat where
was the market for this unparalleled
range?
Merrick had selected as a site for
his home what was undoubtedly the
most picturesque point in the valley,
if not one that had the most utility
for the conducting of a ranch busi
ness. Ten miles down from the head
of the valley a pine-wooded bench,
almost reaching the dignity of a pro
montory, projected from the great
slope of the mountain. Mere where
the pines straggled down stood the
long, low cabin of peeled logs, yellow
In the sunlight. Below, on the Hat,
extended the numerous barns, sheds,
corrals. A stream poured off the
moimtalu, white In exposed places, and
ran along under the bench and out to
Join the main brook of the valley.
Somewhat apart from both the cor
rals and outbuildings on the fiat stood
a new log cabin, hurriedly built, with
chinks still unfilled. The roof extend
ed out on three sides over wide
porches., where Wall observed three or
four beds, a number of saddles and
other riders’ paraphernalia. The rear
of the cabin backed against the rocks.
Jim understood that Hays had thrown
up this abode, rather than dwell too
close to the other employees of Her-;
rick. From the front porch one could j
drop a stone into the brook, or fish torj
trout. The pines trooped down to the
edge of the brook.
Naturally no single place in ail that
valley could have been utterly devoid'
of the charm atul beauty nature had
lavished there, but this situation was
Ideal for riders. Hays even had a
private corral. As Jim rode up to this
habitation his quick eye caught sight
of curious, still-eyed men on the porch.
Also he observed that there was a
store of cut wood stowed away under
the porch.
”\Val, here wo air," announced Mays
’’An’ if you don’t like It you're shore
hard to please. Finest of water, beer,
lamb, venison, bear meat. Butter for
our biscuits. An’ milk! An' best of
all—not very much work. Haw!
Haw!”
"Where do we hunk?" asked Jim.j
presently.
“On tlie porch. I took to the attic
myself."
“If you don't mind I'll keep my pack
inside, hut sleep out under the pines,"
responded Wall.
When at length Jim carried ids effects
up on the porch Hays spoke up: “Jim.
here's the rest of my outfit. . . . rollers,
scrape acquaintance with Jim Wall,
iate of Wyoming.”
That was all the Introduction Hays
volunteered. Jim replied: "Howdy.'
am! left a return of their hard scrip |
tiny until some other time.
Hays went at oi.ee into low-vnleed
conference wit li these four men.
Happy .lack hauled up the supplies,
lii'iiil Unrein occupied himself wit It
Ms pack, dim brought his own outfit
to a far corner of the porch. Then he
strolled among the pines seeking a
satisfactory nook to unroll Ids bed.
Jim, from long habit, generated by a
decided need of vigilance, preferred to
sleep In coverts like u rabbit, or any
other animal that required protection
At length lie found a niche between
two rotks, one of which was shelving,
where pine needles furnished ft soft
mat underneath and the murmur of
the brook just faintly reached him.
Jim would not throw bis bed where
the noise of rushing water, or anything
else, might preclude the service of Ids
keen ears. There was no stop on Ids
trail now, hut lie instinctively dls
trusted Lincoln, and would undoubted'
ly distrust one or more of these other
men.
Hays exemplified the fact of honor
among thieves. Jim bad come t“ that
conviction. This robber might turn
out big in some ways. But could even
lie he trusted? Jim resolved to take
no chances.
Not until the following morning did
Jim Wall get a satisfactory scrutiny er
tiie four members of Hays’ outfit.
The eldest, win) answered to the
name of Mac, was n cadaverous-faced
mar,, with eyes like a ghoul.
"V.'har you from?" he asked Wall.
“Wyoming, last." replied Jim.
agreeably.
Jeff Bridges, a sturdy, tow-henac-d
man of forty or thereabouts. hail a
bluff, hearty manner and seemed not
to pry under the surface.
“Glad Hank took you on," be said.
“We need one cattleman in this outfit,
an’ thet’s no Joke,"
Sparrowhawk Latimer, the third of
the four, greatly resembled n horse
thief Wall had once seen hanged.
Hays had said to Slocum, the fourth
member of this quartet: "Smoky, you
an’ Wall shore ought to make a pair
to draw to.”
"Yon mean a pair to draw on," re
torted the other. He was slight, wiry,
freckled of face and hands, with a
cast In one of his light, cold-blue eyes.
"No!” snorted the robber. "Not
on! . . . Smoky, do you recollect thet
gambler Stud Smith, who works the
stage towns, an’ is somethin’ of a gun
slinger?’’
“I ain’t forgot him.”
(TO BE CONTINUED
NEXT WEEK)
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Brevard College News
IDEAL MAN MUST
HAVE NO. 9 FEET,
SAY COLLEGE GIRLS
Must Be At Least 6 Feet Tall
Weigh 165 Pounds, Have
An Aquiline Nose
(By JAZZY MOORE)
Girl students of Brevard College
demand that their “ideal man” have
No. 9 feet and the male students
have come right back with a demand
that the girl of their dreams eschews
petting and smoking and that Bhe
learn to cook.
A representative group ’of Bre
vard girls described the sort of man
they like best when interviewed by
the writer. The ideal man as pic
tured by Brevard students who were
questioned must wear No. 9 shoes,
must weigh about 165 pounds, must
be at least 6 feet tall and must have
wavy black hair with such heavy
brows that they partly obscure the
light in his big brown eyes.
Our hero also must have an aqui
line nose, a slanting poetic forehead,
long eyelashes'; he must be well
dressed, athletic, and a good sport.
And—all of the girls were unani
mous on this point—he must have a
job.
A few other qualifications were
demanded such as truthfulness, cour
tesy and neatness.
The boys intervieweu were almost
unanimously agreed that the ideal
girl must be a blonde; about 18; 5
feet, 3 inches tall; and weigh 115
pounds. She may dance. She may
paint and powder in moderation. But
under no circumstances can she in
dulge in petting and smoking.
Her foot must fit comfortably in a
size 5 shoe and possibly be a fraction
smaller. Na girl with a No. 9 foot
need seek the love of a Brevard man.
A wide diversity of opinion was ex
pressed concerning the age of the
ideal girl. Some of the students
thought she should be as' young as j
15. Some said she ought to be 21. No
one over 21, however, could hope to i
fill the role.
One demanded a girl G feet tall.
The bob was preferred to long hair.
Athletic, literary, religiously in
clined girls were most popular.
Practically all boy students inter-,
viewed demanded a girl who can |
cook.
Harry Whisenhunt To
Head Literary Group
Election of officers for the second
quarter featured the recent meeting
of the Delphian Literary society.
Harry Whisenhunt of Hazelwood
wa- chosen president and will direitj
activities of the society for the |
quarter. Warren Hanclson of Gas-]
tonia takes office as vice president
and Woodrow Patton oil' Swannanoa
will serve in the capacity of secre
tary-treasurer.
Other officers elected were: Janies
Troutman, Moores villi-, critic; A. G.
Sutherland, Charlotte, chaplain and
James Proffitt, Bald Creek, monitor.
Personal Mention
Jess Oates spent the week-end in
Greenville. He went especially to sec
the Furman-Carolina football game.
Miss Earleene Poindexter, head of
the commercial department, spent
Saturday afternoon in Asheville.
Mr. and Mrs. E. T. Goldston of
Kannapolis were guests Tuesday of
i their daughter Christine.
John Vollmer spent Monday after
noon with relatives in Tryon.
Mrs. C. H. Trowbridge and Miss
Eleanor Trowbridge were Asheville
visitors on Saturday.
Mrs. J. L. Moore and Miss Nell
Sturkey went to Asheville for the
day Saturday.
—
Favorite Teacher Is
Elected By Students
Miss Eleanor Trowbridge daughter
of Dean C. H. Trowbridge, was
chosen as the favorite teacher of the
preparatory school department oi
Brevard College in an election held
last week. C. 0. Cathey was runner
up for the honc/r.
The prep school is composed of the
tenth and eleventh grades. Nell Stur
key is president of the department.
John Vollmer Forms
A Class In German
John Vollmer, a first-year student
at Brevard College and a native of
Germany, has organized a class in
German and is giving lessons twice a
week.
• (I
Christmas Holidays
Begin December 22nd
Exactly one month from today, j
which will he Saturday, December
22nd, the Christmas vacation will be
started for Brevard College students j.
Announcement has been mad-.' J
through the college catalog that the j
holidays will begin December 22nc j
and last until Monday, January 6th. J
allowing the students and faculty a |
mid-term rest of two weeks.
The catalog also provides for |
Thursday, November 29th as a j
Thanksgiving holiday but the student j
body through a petition has asked i
that the holiday be changed to Satur- j
day, December 1st. No action had
been taken by the faculty on the peti
tion as The Times went to press.
Gridsters Will Close
Season Next Thursday !
The Brevard College gridsters will |
sing their swan song next Thursday |
afternoon when they clash with the <
strong Mars Hill college team on j
the latter’s field.
The locals realize that they will be ’
faced by the toughest assignment of j
tlie season but they have been work- ]
ing hard and ary determined to hand i
the Baptists a shellacking.
A victory over Mars Hill would j
gives the Jamesmen—provided they,
beat Lees-McRae here Saturday—the!
1984 state junior college football ,
championship. |1 J.
Beth teams have made fine records ]
this season and the game will be a
Expression Department To
Sponsor Party Saturday
The expression department of!
Brevard College is sponsoring a
kid party Saturday evening at 8:001
o’clock in the living room, of the j
girls’ dormitory. Town and dormi
tory students and a few invited
town guests will attend.
Prizes for the occasion have been
donated by Macfie’s Drug store, Uni
ted Variety store, Farmer's Hard
ware stare, Tranthams Department
Btore, Bradley’s Clothing store,
Smith’s Barber shop, demean thea
ire, Long’* Drug store, Ruth’s Beauty
shop, Jeanne's Beauty shop, The
Fashion shop end the A k P store.
Several other prize* will be given by
town stores.
At the close of the evening, re
freshments will be served.
A small admission will be charged
and the receipts will be used for
future entertainments given by the
expression department.
HUSKY THROATS
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