JIM THE CONQUEROR

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 113, 22 February 1941, Page 7

JIM THE CONQUEROR

CHAPTER. XXVII

When Crooked Bill train for Elj Paso, he sent the following telegram to Glenn Hackett: “The ship is sunk without a trace so brace yourself for bad news, ibis Higgins boy gave me cards and spades four aces big and little casino aim beat me to deatn on the sweeps.- r am mighty sorry you have lost but lai from depressed that he appears to be going to win. However we will Keep on trying although i have no hope. 1 belong in a home for the feeble-mind-ed. ” At almost the same time Don Jaime joined Hen Hobgrt in front ot the Mansion House. . “Any luck?”' Hobart queried anxi-

ously. “I'm in the sheep business, lven. To-morrow morning we’ll pay off that gang of murderers Dingle was herding those sheep and put our own men on the job. Daigle gets the rails, too.’ “Well, you’ll clear a profit, wont 3'ou, chief. 5 ”’ “ What,’.’ replied Don Jaime mournfully, “doth it profit a man if he gam<£th the whole world and suitereth the loss of the lodestar of his existence ?” ‘ ‘Nolle whatever,” Ken admitted, without knowing in the least w'hat he was talking about. Five miles outside Los Algodones Ins sharp eyes observed something fai ahead and oif the side of the road. He called Don Jaime’s attention to it. in the starlight in tiny red dot gleamed. “Cigarette-Mexican-careless,” Don Jaime murmured. “Ah, he’s doused it. Getting ready for business.” He reached dowri into the tonneau and brought up a carbine; simultaneously Ken Hobart swung the car off the road and went through the low sage in a wide arc. “There may' be holes and dry watercourses on this road,” he announced calmly, “but we’ll have to take a chance.”

He switched off the .lights just as a volley of rifle fire broke the stillness of the night. The car was hit twice, but’most of the bullets droned overhead. Don Jaime pumped his carbine, firing at the flashes, and the car rushed on; when the magazine was empty he set the rifle back in the tonneaii. They reached the hacienda without further incident. Don: Jaime alighted and entered the patio. Roberta ran swiftly to meet him. “You’re safe Jimmy?” she cried. “Reasonably so, Bobby,” he replied. “My information was correct. Dingle’s crowd of imported killers laid for us.” He held his hat toward her and ran his fingers through two holes in the crown. “And that bonnet cost me forty dollars,” he grieved. “Oh, Jimmy! What if he’d aimed lower!” “Have you been worried, Bobby?” he asked gently. She nodded. “It’s been a long time since anybody worried over me, Bobby. What will I do when>you’re gone?” “What did you do before I came, Jimmy? And I—*—l think Jimmy, I’d better go soon. There’s really nothing more of a business ifaturo for me to attend to. There never was, in fact —just a few papers to sign, some sheep to look at—and they’re really your worry, not mine.” He shrugged. “Well, suit yourself. Blit we’ll tie a can to Dingle and his men before you go.” He stifled a little yawn. “Pm tired, Bobby, breakfast at six to-morrow morning. Will you join me? Then we can get an early start for the old Antrim ranch and jolt (Mr. Dingle out of his complacency.” She nodded and turned away to hide the tears of .mortifications that were welling to her eyes. Why couldn’t he see that she did not want to leave Valle Verde at all ? Why had'he 'not" urged her to stay? Of course, he had urged her, but then he had not been persistent in it. If he had persisted she would have reconsidered. No, he did not love her. Absolutely .not! Outwardly he was fiery ; inwardly he was cold. She felt very miserable as she bade him good-night with a little catch in her throat. At breakfast he noted the circles under her.eyes and rejoiced exceedingly thereat. “When they worry so about a fellow that they can’t sleep, a deaf man may not infrequently catch the faint sound of distant wedding-bells,” he reflected.

They chatted in desultory fashion during the meal; then Roberta went to fetch her coat and hat. She was waiting for him at the patio gate when he emerged from the ranch office, a carbine in his hands, a belt of ammunition around his waist and the two pistols tied to his legs. Julio brought the enclosed car up and when they climb-, ed in, Roberta noticed - that beside Julio sat Ken Hobart. He was armed similarly to his chief and carried a spare carbine. An hour later they pulled up at Al - Antrim ranchhouse. It was,, a tumbledown affair set in the middle of a desolate field. Not much of a heritage, Roberta thought, as she gazed on the lonely and unpleasant scene. Ken Hobart got out, walked to the front door and banged on it loudly. A chinaman, in a greasy apron, opened it. “Where’s Dingle?” the foreman demanded. “He go ketchuxn sheep.” Hobart walked around the house and inspected the interior of an equally dilapidated barn. I imagine the Chinaman’s telling the truth. Dingle’s car is not in the barn,” he reported. , “We’ve had our drive for nothing, Ken. Well, we’ll go back to Valle ‘Verde, put a couple of saddle-horses in a truck and run down to the range where the sheep are. We’ll go as far as wo can) with tho truck, and this car, then unload and ride up into the hills. Gamp for the journey, Bobby?” She nodded and they whirled across the dusty plain to Valle Verde. Here four horses were saddled and led up a ramp into a large motor tritck, and, preceded by the motor-car, they headed down the road toward Los Algodones. From time to time Don Jaime’s riders had reported on the approximate location ofl the main body of sheep still on tho open range and the ditbction

By PETER B. KYNE, Adventure and Love in Texas.

(Copyright).

in which they were moving; consequently he was enabled to make a good guess as to where he would find them today. They left the road presently and broke trail across the s f age to the foothills. Ken, you and Julio ride in a northeasterly direction,” Don Jaime ordered. “Miss Antrim and I Will ride in the general direction of that butte yonder to the southeast—the one with the old landslide scarring its western front'. Aurelio, you will remain here with the truck and the. ear. We will meet here not later than four o’clock this afternoon, Ken.” Roberta, mounted the hunter Don Jaime had given her. To her surprise she found a light carbine protruding from a holster swung under the sweat leather on her stock saddle, and a belt of cartridges hung over the pomel. They rode steadily into the southeast, gradually climbing the butte; when they reached its crest, Jaime reined in his horse. With his binoculars he swept the country for'miles in every direction. . * “Do you see a slight film of white dust iii the sky—rising beyond those low slate-coloured hills yonder?” He pointed. Roberta adjusted the glasses and looked. The cloud in question was very faint, but it was a cloud. “Sheep moving—south,” Don Jaime informer her laconically. “I had a hunch Mr Dingle is headed for Mexico with the said sheep.” “You mean—hes’ stealing them?”

“I do. There’s fair range below the Rio Grande—for sheep—and it isn’t at all a difficult job for the Dingles of this world to get across the line without being detected. Money sometimes does ft, more frequently guile.” They rode on, keeping to the backbone of the western fringe of foothills. An hour of hard riding brought them to the crest of the slate-coloured hills. Below them a plain sloped gently into the bluish haze; faintly to them came the continuous bleating of sheep; a dirty grey blur indicated the flock—and it was moving southward, 8 slowly, tortuously, as a worm moves. At its rear and on the flanks, little black dots, that were herders and sheep dogs, urged the weary animals along. Don Jaime counted the largest dots. . “Twenty herders,” Roberta heard him remark. “Hum-m-! It doesn’t look as if it would be quite safe to give Bill Dingle his walking papers to-day. He is not in’ a mood to accept them.” He cased his binoculars, whirled his horse, and, without even a look at the girl beside him, started back the way they had come. “What are you going to do Jimmy?” she asked anxiously, spurring up alongside of him. “We’re going back to the car, Bobby. I’m going to send Aurelio hack to Valle Verde for reinforcements.” j “Will there be a fight?’ “I think so, Bobby. Dingle has twenty herders. Six, with the dogs, should be ample to manoeuvre those sheep. 'So, it looks as if he had prepared for trouble, and when men prepare for trouble, it’s a pretty good sign they will not avoid it.”

“I don’t want a fight,” the girl cried passionately. “You and some of yoiu* men may get hurt—killed.” “Quite likely. I have no intention of making this anything but a slaughter.” i Roberta commensed to sob. “Oh, Jimmy, I’m afraid —terribly afraid! t have a presentiment you’ll be killed.” “Would that matter so very much to you?” His hand closed over her arm. “Look at me, Roberta. Would it matter so very much?” She nodded an affirmative, unable to trust herself'to speak. He said something in Spanish. Roberto suspected it was an oath. “Oil, Jimmy! Please—please for my sake.”

He pulled up his horse and. glowered at her. “My dear girl,” he cried sharply, “you’re trying to make a quitter out of me. When a man permits a woman to rob him of his strength he might as.well get killed and have his shame over with. Is that understood?” Roberta nodded miserably. What argument could prevail above his logic ? And yet, beneath her could fear there burned a wild pride that he had made his decision so, and deep down in her rebellious, belligerent heart she knew that, come what might, she would not have it otherwise now. (To be Continued.)