All-Story Weekly, Vol. 112, No. 1 — page 88: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

by George Gilbert Author of “ The Flame Orchid,” “They Were Seven,” etc. PRECEDING CHAPTERS BRIEFLY RETOLD D BURLANE seated on his stallion, Midnight, had witnessed the altercation between Nicked- Nose Peters and Bart Barnquist over the lease of the water-rights on Twin Springs Ranch, Peters’s place. What he ‘had not witnessed was the frame-up in Brown’s saloon. Young Barnquist had proposed the idea which met with the enthusiastic endorsement of the elder Barnquist and his henchmen, Maltrane and Weaver. Barnquist was to invite Peters into the saloon, pretend friendliness, and, when his back was turned Maltrane was “to get” Peters while Weaver shot-up the place with a nicked .38, such as Peters always used. Then Weaver was to grab Peters’s cold gun and leave his own, which was like it, in the dead man’s hand, and the rest was easy; a mere matter of explanation and corroboration. Peters’s daughter, Berenice, would inherit her father’s place, but young Barnquist undertook to deal with her. Burlane followed Peters to Twin Springs, where he was welcomed by father and daughter. Burlane undertook to remain indefinitely, since he had come from Vernon way on just such a chance. On the way to the Barnquist ranch, which was the largest and richest place in that corner of San Felice County, father and son quarreled over money. Barney wanted his father to give him a big sum of cash. Greasewood Kate, the Papago Indian half-breed, who presided over the domestic arrangements, had heard the last of the wrangle. She tried to comfort Barney, and reminded him she expected him to marry Ess-Way, her daughter. Barney hastily dismissed the girl with an indifferent caress and consoled: himself with a visit to Mescalero Pedro’s place, where Maretta sent him about his business until he could show a big roll like a. real ranger. Before he retired that night, Barney lifted a bullet from Weaver’s belt and prepared his gun and six blank cartridges which looked like good .45’s. The next morning’ before they left for town, Barney exchanged the faked .45’s for the good ones in Maltrane’s gun. When the party of four reached Coppered Jack they found Peters on the street and invited him for a drink. Burlane, a few minutes later, arrived at the saloon and found it in an uproar. With both guns ready for action, he immediately took charge of the situation. Peters was on top of a writhing mass on the floor, and young Barnquist was denouncing him as the murderer of his father. Peters explained he had been attacked from the rear, and when he had reached for his gun found it had been slipped from his belt. Then he started in with his fists. Peters asked Burlane to take the news to Berenice at Twin Springs, and he would wait at the house of his friend, Wickson, until the sheriff arrived. Barney watched beside the body of his father while all the town seethed with excitement. While Burlane was taking Berenice into Coppered Jack to see her father, Pedro Aguilar slipped into the Peters place and stele Midnight. Meanwhile the sheriff arrived and the coroner. A preliminary inquiry was held, but not the inquest. Barney, Weaver, and Maltrane all testified they had seen Peters shoot down the elder Barnquist. The sheriff committed Peters to jail, to be held on suspicion. Then, Burlane went back to Twin Springs to get Midnight. . Burlane tried to follow the trail of the horse, but Midnight’s tracks were lost in the trampings of the herd. Impelled to follow somewhere, he came to Maretta’s place. The woman denied all knowledge of the horse, but promised to keep a sharp lookout. After the funeral, Barney assured his men the ranch would be run in the old grooves. Maltrane, who admitted he was aware how the shells in his gun had been changed, was taken on by Barney at an increased wage. He would continue to act as the private killer for the master of Ox Bow Ranch. Barney had been unable to find a will, but Kate assured him his father had confided a will to her keeping and she had sent it on to Vernon for safety. The jury to consider the death of Barnquist was not impaneled. The sheriff seemed to delay of set purpose. Burlane waited impatiently. This story began in the All-Story Weekly for June 19. 78 COMICOooe C©