ROBBERS’ ROOST h Zane Grey f . Copyright.—WNU Sorrto*. . THE STORY CHAPTER l.—Jim Wall, young on" puncher from Wyoming, in the < mv days of the cattle industry, see u new field in Utah. Ho meets ; ink Hays, who admits to being a n.ber, and tells Wall he is worklfic for an Englishman named Herrick who has located a big ranch in the >untalns. Herrick has employed a s‘ ill army of rustlers and gun-lighter and Hays and others are plotting to steal their employer's cattle and money Hays wants Wall to throw in with the rustlers. CHAPTER II. — At the little settle ment of ilroen River. Hays gets into an argument with a gambler called i-’tud, »>\< r a joker game. Wall saves Hank's life by bluffing the gambler out of shooting. With Hays and two other rustb rs. Happy Jack and Lincoln. Jim Wai •stalls out for Herrick’s ranch. In • t*np. the first night out. Jim re grets the step he has taken, but it is too late to turn back. “Wal. we set in n poker game with him one night. I was lucky. Stud j took Ids losln* to heart, tin* ho shore tried to pick a fight. First ho was goin’ to draw on me. then shifted to Jim. An* Jim bluffed him out of throwin* a gun." “How?" ‘Mint just said for Stud not to draw, as there wasn’t a man livin’ who could set at a table an’ l.rat him to a gun." “Most obligin’ an’ kind of you, Wall," remarked Smoky, with sarcasm, as lie looked Jim over with unsatisfied eyes. “If you was so all-fired certain of thet, wliv'd you tip bint off?'* “I never shoot » man just because ( the chance offers." rejoined Jim coldly, j There was a subtle intimation In I tills, probably not lost upon Slocum, j The greatest ot gunmen were quiet, j soft-spoken, sober individuals who | never sought quarrels. Jim knew that : his reply would make an enemy, even if Slocum were not instinctively one on sight, ltospeet could scarcely be felt by men like Slocum. Like n weasel he sniffed around Jim. “You don’t, eh?" he queried. “\Vnl. you strike me unfavorable." 'Thanks for Iteing honest, if not • complimentary," returned Jim. Hays swore at his lieutenant: "Un favorable. huh? Now why do you have to pop up with a dislike for him?" "I didn’t say it was dislike. Tnsi i unfavorable. No offense meant." "Smoky,” said Hays. “I won’t have j no grudges In this outfit. I’ve got the I biggest deal on I ever worked out. I There’s got to be harmony among us. j But Smoky bobbin’ up again my new j uian— thet's serious. Now let’s Ir.j the cards on the table. Jim, do you want to declare yourself'" “I’m willing to answer questions— unless they get nasty,” replied Jim, frankly. "You got run out or Wyotnln’?" “No. But If I’d stayed on I’d prob ably stretched hemp.” “Hold up a stage or somebody?" “No. Once I helped hold up a bank. That was years ago." “Bank robber: You’re out of our class. Jim." “Hardly that. It was my first and only crack it a bank. Two of us got away. Then we held up a trull—:»lew open the safe in the express car." “Smoky. I call It square of Wall." spoke up Hays. “He shore didn’t need to come clean as thet." “It’s all right," agreed Slocum, ns If forced to fair Judgment. Hays plumped ofT the porch rail "Now, fellers, we cun get to work. Herrick puts a lot of things up to me, an’ I ain’t no cattleman. Jim, do you know the cattle game?" “From A to Z," smiled Wall. . “Say. but I’m in luck. We’ll run the ranch now.” “Wlmt’ll I do. Hank?" asked Jim. “Wnl. you look the whole ciiggin’s over." Christians compose about 26.9 per cent of the world’s population, the largest of all religious groups. The robin is the most common bird in the United States. Next comes the sparrow. affaa .Tim lost no time lti complying with his lirst order from the sttperln temlent of Star ranch. What a mon -itrotis and incredible hoax was being perpetrated upost sotup foreigner! Kvidently there had been ranchers here in this valley before Herrick. Old log cabins and corrals adjoining the ■lew ones attested to this. dim (Hissed cowboys with only a word or a nod. He talked with an old man who said he had owned a home stead across the valley, one of those Herrick had gathered in. Jim gleaned Information from this rancher. Herrick had bought out all Jim Gleaned Information From This Rancher. the cattle men in the valley, and on j round the foothill line to Limestone i Springs, where the big X Bar outfit began, liiders for these small ranches j had gone to work for Herrick. He > was told that Ileeseman. with ten j men, was out on the range. Presently Jim encountered Hays, ac companied by a tall, floridly blond man, garbed as no westerner had ever been. This, of course, must be tbe ' Englishman. Ho was young, hardly j over thirty, and handsome In n fleshy ; way. “Mr. Herrick, this is m.v new hand 1 j was tollin’ you about,” announced j Hays, glibly. "Jim Wall, late of j Wyotnin'. . . . Jim, meet the boss.” j “How do you do. Mr. Wall," returned i Herrick. “I understand you’ve had 1 wide experience on ranchos?" “Yes, sir. I've been riding the range | since 1 was n boy,” replied .11 in. "Hays has suggested making you his foreman." "That Is satisfactory to me." "You are better educated than .these ; ether men. It will be part of your | duties to keep iny books." "I've tackled that job before." “So 1 was tollin' tbe boys," Inter- i posed Hays. •As l understand rnncning, wont on Herrick, “n foreman handles the ; rldors. Now, ns this ranching game is i strange to me I’m giad to have a fore- j man of experience. M.v Idea was to , hire some gunmen along wllh the cow- , boys, llnys’ name was given me at | Grand Junction ns the hardest nut In ; eastern Utah. It got noised nbout, I \ presume, for other men with rcputu- 1 tions calculated to Intimidate thieves I applied to me. I took on neesemnn and his friends.” “Rut you really did not need go to j the expense—aDd risk. 1 might add—of I hiring Heeseman’s outfit." “Kxpense Is no object. Risk, how ever—what do you menn by risk?” “Between ourselves, I strongly sus pect that Heeseman Is a rustler." “By Jove! You don’t say? This Is ripping. Ileesomna said the identical thing about Hays.” “M ai, Mr. Herrick, don't you worry none,” interposed Hays, suavely. "Shore I don't take kind to what Heeseman called me to your face, hut I can overlook it for the present. You see, if Heeseman Is workln' for you he can’t rustle as many cattle as If he wasn’t. Anythin' come of that deal you had on with the Grand Junction outfit?” "Yes. I received their reply the other day." rejoined Herrick. “By Jove, that reminds me. I had word from my sister, Helen. It came from St. Louis. She Is coming through Denver and will arrive at Grand Junction j about the fifteenth." "Young girl—If I may ask?” added I .Tim. "Young woman. ITelen is twenty two.” "Cornin’ for a little visit?" asked Hays. ' "By Jove, It bids fair to be a life long one," declared Herrick, ns if pleased. “She wants to make Star ranch her home. We are devoted to each other. If she can stick it out in this bush I’ll be jolly glad. Can you drive from Grand Junction In one day?" "Shore. Easy with a buckboard an’ a good team," replied Hays. Herrick resumed Ills walk with Hays, leaving Jim to his own devices. Jim strolled around the corrals, the sheot long afterward Hays returned to tlie cabin jubilant. “You’d never guess, Jim. That Engllsher laughed like the very devil. An’ he ordered me to ride off after some desperadoes who’re not afraid of .Tim Wall.” “Ha! Ha! But Heeseman won’t get a laugh out of it." "Shoot the lights out of him," said Hays, fiercely. "Wal, I’m oft for Grand. Happy, pack me a snack of grub.” “Ilow long will it take you to ride over?” / “Eight hours, I reckon. An' I’ll be back tomorrow night." “Certainly these buyers will knot, you're selling stolen cattle?” “Oh, shore.” After Hays had gone .Tim set^ed himself to pass (he hours away. “Mebbe It won’t be so tedious," ob served Happy Jack, dryly. "We've got three rifles an' a sack of shells right handy. So let ’em come.” Jim half expected a visit from Her rick. but the morning dragged by with out any sign of anyone. About mid afternoon, howet er, six riders appeared coming down the lane along the bench. The sight made Jim start. How often had he seen the like—a compact little company of riders, dark-garbed, riding dark horses! It was tremendously suggestive to a man of his experience. He reached Inside the door and, draw ing out his rifle, advanced to the front of the porch. (TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK) Love, Jess et ux. Mahaffey, S. W. et ux. Minters, Mrs. W. D. Morris, J. N. ec ux. Mosley, W. A. E^t. McCall, Mrs. J. Frank £ Roland Owens. McCall, J. Frank et ux. McGaha, R. L. et ux. 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