Thursday, May 20, 1937
FIFTH INSTALMENT
SYNOPSIS: Slim Loyale is pa
roled from prison after serving 18
months for a crime he did not
commit. He returns to his Circle
L ranch to find his father dead
and sinister forces at work, trying
to make him violate his parole so
that he can again be railroaded to
prison.
The Brockwells and their gang
are plotting to gain possession of
Circle L ranch and the property
of Mona Hall, a neighbor and
life-long friend of Slim Loyale.
Slim discovers that Sheriff
Starbuck has joined the plot
against him. With the help of Da
kota Blue and his cowboys, Slim
Loyale defies the landgrabbers to
do their worst.
I f
He only knew that he had this
hated fellow where he wanted
him, and that a keen, savage joy
flooded him every time his flail
ing fists found their mark.
He was insensible to the fact
that Mona was tugging and cry
ing at him. And even when Abe
Fornachon, at the frantic behest
of Mona, grabbed Slim by the
shoulders and dragged him from
his prey, Slim still fought.
But the foreman was powerful.
Between him and Mona, they fi
nally got Slim into a chair, where
Mona retained him by the simple
method of sitting on his lap and
wrapping both arms about his
neck, at the same time pleading
with tearful words.
"Slim!" she cried. "Slim, you
don't know what you are doing.
They'll take you back—back to
Jarillo."
A Abe Fornachon, who had been
jlJeaning over Leo Brockwell, se
curing his guns, now looked up.
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There was a queer pain In Abe's
eyes as he watched Mona.
"Not this time they won't Miss
Mona," he said quietly. "Remem
ber; if anybody goes to askln'
questions, it was me who hit
Brockwell —not Slim."
These words, more than any
thing else, served to quiet Slim.
Suddenly the hard-strung taut
ness went out of him and he sag
ged wearily. "I—l'm sorry Mona/'
he panted. "I reckon I shouldn't
have paid no attention to him.
But I'm all raw inside, an' that
dawg drives me loco! Abe, I'm
shore findin' out who my friends
are. However, I cain't let yuh
take the blame on yore should
ers."
"Yuh shut up and be good,"
growled Abe gruffly. "Brockwell
had it comln' to him. Was lin
yore place, I'd a been just as red
eyed."
With none too gentle power,
Abe dragged Leo BrockweH erect
and slammed him into a chair.
Leo's eyes were glassy and his
head rolling, but consciousness
was returning. Slowly the light of
complete comprehension showed
in his eyes, and his bruised, swol
len face twisted into a mask of
hate and rage.
"When Starbuck hears of this—
of this," he gasped, "yo're all
through, Loyale, yuh damned
ex—"
Abe Fornachon shook him
roughly. "Best thing yuh can do
is close yore mouth an' keep it so,
Brockwell. If Starbuck comes
snoopin' around here I'll tell him
it was me who whaled yuh, not
Slim. Now yuh take yore rotten
poison of this ranch an' stay off.
I told yuh somethin'; get goin'."
Leo Brockwell went, with Abe
Fornachon in close attendance.
As the door closed behind them,
Mona awoke suddenly to the
somewhat embarrassing position
she had taken, and slipped away
from Slim, faint color whipping
through her cheeks.
Slim did not appear to notice
her confusion. His head was bent
and his eyes staring straight at
the floor. "Mebbe it'd been best
if he had plugged me," he said
heavily. "Seems like all I'm good
for now is to be a liability to my
friends.» Shore, they cain't pack
my load forever. Better I reckon
that Starbuck should take me
back to Jarillo."
Mona stamped her foot. "Stop
that kind of talk, Slim Loyale.
THE ELKIN TRIBUNE, ELKIN, NORTH CAROLINA
You're no qquitter. You've got a
hard fight ahead, but it's worth
while isn't it? You see how your
real friends feel about it. They
are willing to back you to the
limit, believing in you utterly.
And if you don't do your part you
are throwing them down, render
ing their faith in you a worthless,
empty thing."
Slim's head came up slowly.
"Yo're right, Mona," he agreed
grimly. "I never guessed What
real friendship meant until now.
Shore, I'll play the game. Dakota
Blue tells me that Leo Brockwell
has been hangin' around yuh a
lot. That don't mean yuh care
in particular about him, does it?"
"Does it appear like it?" she re
torted. "No, I dont' care for him;
I should say not. He gives me
the shivers, always did. But I've
got to get money from some
where, things have been going
so bad for me. And I've been tol
erating him merely to put over
this sale of stock that Abe was
talking with him about—l guess
it's all off now."
Mona's shoulders sagged a lit
tle wearily. Slim stood up and
went over to her. "My friends
ain't haltin' at nothin' to help
me," he stated quietly. "An' I
ain't gonna halt at nothin' to
help them. How much money do
yuh need? Yuh can have all I've
got."
Mona's eyes grew a little misty.
"I could use five thousand dollars
very nicely. Slim," she acknowl
edged. "But I won't take a cent
from you. You may need it your
self, later. Courtney and his
gang may start in rustling you to
paupership any time, the same as
he has me."
"Courtney!" exclaimed Slim.
"Yuh"Yuh mean Flash Courtney
from over past Battle Mountain?"
Mona nodded.
Slim was silent, thinking.
"Yeah," he mttered finally, "it
could be done. Flash Courtney,
eh?" He looked at Mona. "How
come yuh ain't been able to fight
him off? Have yuh taken it up
with Jigger Starbuck?"
Mona shrugged. "I've seen Star
buck about it, but so far he hasn't
done a great deal. And because
of lack of funds, I haven't been
able to keep anything like a full
crew for the past year.
"You know how Dad got roped
in on that mining stock deal.
When he died he left a lot of
debts. Those whom he owed
money to weren't very patient
about it. It got to where I
couldn't stand being haggled at
any longer. So y I borrowed five
thousand dollars and paid off all
of those old debts.
"I thought that owing the
money in one lump sum to the
right sort of person would enable
me to get more time and pull
through. But I find it was.mere
ly robbing Peter to pay Paul.
This sale I was dickering with the
Brockwells for, would have helped
some, but I imagine it was just a
matter of stalling off the inevit
able a little longer. I'm afraid
I'm going too lose my ranch,
Slim." Mona's voice was choked
and teary as she finished.
"Who'd yuh borrow that money
from?" asked Slim.
"Prom —from the lawyer,
George Arthur.' v
"George Arthur!" exploded
Slim. "Why he was the lyin'
polecat who sold out on me at my
trial an' let 'em railroad me for
somethin' I never did. I didn't
think yuh'd have anythin' to do
with him after that, Mona,"
Slim words were bitter.
"I don't think you understand,
Slim," he said wearily. "I was
desperate. I had to get the money
somewhere. Mr. Arthur was the
only one who would loan me that
much on a straight mortgage.
Remember, Slim; it was a case of
fight to live. I had no other re
course. Dad's creditors gave me
sixty days to produce the money
before they called a sheriffs sale.
In my place you'd have done the
same."
"But Arthur ain't givin' yuh a
whole lot of time," argued Slim
roughly. "If yo've got to sell off
yore stock to keep up with his
demands, he must be houndin'
yuh."
Mona lifted her hands protost
ingly. "Please, Slim," she beg
ged. "Please don't use that tone
to me. "I've been so gorgeously
happy since I've known you were
coming back. I felt 4 at last I had
a shoulder to lean on that was
trustworthy.
"Did you ever stop to figure
what the interest on five thous
and dollars at seven per cent
amounted to? Add that to. my
other expenses and you'll under
stand why I want to sell some of
my stock."
The note of tearful misery in
her voice made Slim quite hum
ble and contrite. "I'm sorry,
Mona; I'm on edge. Shore, yuh
did right all along. But listen
to me; don't yuh go to sellin' an
other haid of yore cattle. I'm
gonna see George Arthur tomor
row an* I'm payln' him every cent
yuh owe him. Yes, sir, I'm takln'
over that mortgage myself. An'
if yuh ever try an' pay me one
•ent of Interest, IH—lll—why
HI cuff yore ears for yuh." He
grinned boyishly.
Mona smiled in return, but
shook her head at the same time.
"That's dear of you, Slim. But
you mustn't do it. I'd feel terri
ble, owing money to you. And I'll
make out some way or other. I
feel pretty confident of that."
Mona's more spirited tone did
not fool Slim a bit. He saw
through it and understood the
valiant courage of this slip of a
Western girl. Without kith or
kin she was waging a lone-hand
ed, losing battle against big odds,
and she was courageously facing
the ultimate. siim*s eyes soften
ed as he watched her. Little
Spartan, that's what she was.
"We wont talk about that any
more," he drawled. "One thing
is plumb certain, though; yuh
ain't ever gonna lose- yore ranch.
Whether yuh like it or not, Mona,
I shore wont' stand for some slick
jasper like George Arthur fore
closin' on yuh. That's final. Now
cheer up; let's be happy for 'a
change.." He gave her a comfort
ing pat on the arm.
Strangely enough, they did fill
into channels of easy range gos
sip. There was much that had
happened while Slim had been
away. Folks had died; others
had married; babies , 'had been
ushered into the world—just
homely gossip that did a lot for
them both in easing them and
cheering them up. When Slim
squeezed Mona's hand and left,
some two hours later, he was
humming happy to himself. It
was good to be back again.
As Slim Loyale headed home
ward through the velvet night,
he had already made up his mind
as to how he would ward off the
cloud that was hanging over
Mona Hall's head. The first thing
on the following , morning, he
promised himself, he would ride
into pinnacle and hunt up George
Arthur.
Then he would buy up the mort
gage on the Dot H Dot if it cost
him a thousand dollars more than
the amount of the note. He'd say
nothing to .Mona about it. When
she finally did learn what had
happened, there would be noth
ing she could do. Slim grinned
to himself. He knew Mona would
be as mad as hops, but she'd get
over it.
A couple of miles drifted back
under the steadily thrumming
hoofs of his bronco. He was still
engrossed with thoughts and
plans concerning Mona, when,
out of nowhere it seemed, a
mounted figure rose before him in
the trail. Slim jerked erect, wary
and suspicious. Unconsciously he
reached to his thigh, only to real
ize that he had left his guns at
home.
"Pull down. Slim," came a
husky undertone. "Shore an'
there's dirty work abroad to
night. Not another step unless
yuh'll be after wantin' a coward
slug in the ribs."
"Roy!" exclaimed Loyale. "Roy
O'Brien, what in blazes are yuh
ridin' around at this time of
night for?"
Roy swung his mount close be
side Slim's. "Divil a bit do yuh
worry about the why an' where
fore, lad," he answered. "I'm
swappin' hats an' broncs with
yuh now."
Without waiting for the amazed
Slim's consent, Roy reached over
and swept off Slim's cream som
brero, replacing it with his own
roll-brimmed black one. Then he
swung to the ground.
"Git off'n that gray hoss of
yores," he ordered. "Off I say, tin'
scramble up on this bay o' mine.
Then do yuh turn north off the
trail a bit an' be after goin' home
in a roundabout way."
Still bewildered. Slim slid -to
the ground, but he did not relax
the grip on the reins of his gray
gelding. "What's the meanin' of
all this hocuspocus, Roy?" he in
sisted. "Open up or don't move
a step." t
Roy swore softly. "I tell yuh
there be polecats an* dirty spal
peens ridin' tonight, lad. "Tis yuh
they are after. TJnless yuh -listen
to old Roy, yuh'll never git home
alive. But we'll be after foolin'
them.
"Do as I say. Go north to the
town trail an' then home. "I'll
wait here an hour to give you
plenty of time. Then I'll start
home myself. But I'll be drunk
an' singin' loud, so it'H seem.
They'll know who I be an' they
won't be after botherin' me."
(Continued Next Week)
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Phone 250 Elkin, N. C.
fAtAVATA^TATaai^
Congratulations 4
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OF MOUNT AIRY
A for outstanding- success in winning a place with the A
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t 48% MORE NEW BUSINESS THAN EVER BEFORE t
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Home Office—Winston-Salem, N. C.
J Blue Ridge Insurance Agency \
w Leonard Building, Mount Airy, N. C.
R« P- JONES, Manager E. C. COLLINS, Assistant Manager