Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 19, 2025
"I wasn't noticin' that you was worryin' about him." "I'm right flustered," returned Ferguson. "Where's he now?" "Gone down the crick with Tucson." Ferguson smoothed Mustard's mane. "Leviatt been with you right along?" "He went up the crick yesterday," returned Rope, looking quickly at the stray-man. "Went alone, I reckon?" "With Tucson." Rope was trying to conceal his interest in these questions.
Stafford halted his pony and looked at Ferguson, but the stray-man had seen enough tragedy for one day and he shook his head, sitting gloomily in the saddle. "I'm waitin' here," he said simply. "There'll be enough in there to do it without me." The clear-eyed man looked at him with a grim smile. "Why, hell!" he said. "You ain't goin' in?" his eyes lighted for an instant.
But this knowledge had not disturbed him. He felt secure because of his position. Even the stray-man would have to have absolute, damning evidence before he could hope to be successful in proving a range boss guilty of cattle stealing. Leviatt had been more concerned over the stray-man's apparent success in courting Mary Radford.
There ain't a man in the bunch could see a rustler if he'd hobbled a cow and was runnin' her calf off before their eyes!" He hesitated to gain breath before continuing. "What have I got an outfit for? What have I got a range boss for? What have I got !" Leviatt grinned wickedly and Stafford hesitated, his hand upraised. "Your stray-man doin' anything these days?" questioned Leviatt significantly.
Ferguson had left word with the manager that he was to show the latter the rustler, and by that token Leviatt knew that the stray-man had gathered evidence against him and was prepared to show him to the manager in his true light. He, in turn, had left a message with the manager for Ferguson. "We'll be ready for him," he had said. He did not know whether Ferguson had received this message.
He knew that Leviatt felt bitter toward the stray-man and that the news that the latter might succeed in doing the thing that he had set out to do would not be received with any degree of pleasure by the range boss. But watching closely, Stafford was forced to admit that Leviatt did not feel so strongly, or was cleverly repressing his emotions.
But now he advanced a little toward Ferguson, and the stray-man caught his breath sharply. But when he spoke his voice was steady. "Why, it's Ben Radford," he said. "That's just who it is," returned Radford. "I've been waitin' for you." "That's right clever of you," returned Ferguson, drawling his words a little. He was puzzled over this unusual occurrence, but his face did not betray this.
Half an hour after leaving the Two Diamond they rode along the crest of a ridge of hills above Bear Flat. They had been riding here only a few minutes when Stafford, who had been watching the stray-man, saw him start suddenly. The manager turned and followed the stray-man's gaze. Standing on a porch in front of a cabin on the other side of the flat was a woman.
Rope shot a swift glance upward at the manager's back. Then he grinned furtively. "Two-gun," he observed quietly; "with the bottoms of his holsters tied down. I reckon your stray-man ain't for to be monkeyed with." But Stafford had told his story and knew that within a very little time Rope would be telling it to the other men. So without answering he walked toward the ranchhouse.
You reckon?" The stray-man drew a deep, resigned breath. "I expect that's right," he admitted. "But I've told you where you can find them. All you've got to do is to ride over there an' catch them." Stafford's smile widened a little. "Sure," he returned, "that's all I've got to do. An' I'm goin' to do it. But I'm wantin' my range boss to take charge of the outfit that's goin' over to ketch them."
Word Of The Day
Others Looking