The Rangeland Avenger

the wind and galloped down the road whe

Gaspar. "I knew they wouldn't dare. The

smile was for Riley Sinclair. "On

g her face, the gi

y here and face me-afte

r, "you mean after the

Jerry comes,"

clair grew

spar together was to start in raising trouble-well, they'd be more action than you ever seen in that cabin b

hat aback, this con

always the ones that d

re you sta

till the sheriff

grew

John Gaspar. "See how close I came to death, and yet I was

en she flashed at Riley a glance of utter scorn, as if inviting him to see w

ight at all times. Only suspicious moves he would resent with violence. Sally Bent heard al

housework, "I'd actually think you believed that God was on your s

s first registered in his face. It was easy to understand how Sally Bent had been entrapped by the classic regularity of those features and the

ike that. Women like to have such things said. She'll be absolutely conf

frowning, "that you're not much dis

can

man enough to tr

hide myself in an open field from that hawk. No, no! I'll g

man, just do your best, and I'll do mine. You try to give me the

cious reserve, very much as if he suspected a trap. A great many words

nce. To him no sin was so great as the sin of weakness in a man, and certainly Gaspar was superlative

in a quandary. One certainty was growing upon him. He wished Gaspar to escape. It would bring him shame in

fore, judge as if he knew him. He softened his voice. "Gaspar," he said, "keep your head up. Make up your m

voice, and Gaspar lo

ing yourself full of co

y Bent, coming back. T

a chance,

s head. He seemed e

u see. You're made for fighting. You make me think of that h

ld do a lot yourself. You're full of nerves, and a gent that's full of nerves makes a first-class fighting man, once he finds out

The hand passed through thin air. Gaspar had slipped away. He stood at a

arkly. "Now what d

," said Gaspar steadily. "I'd

her thin

uous nickname, doubly contempt

and take what you want.

stronger?"

room, and I can make

dles. Go ahead and clear yours

ed if it might be worth while for him to explain. Neve

into the house?" ask

enough," said Sinclair.

ving room of the cabin and in

The couch before the window was heaped with cushions. There was an easy chair with an adjustable b

t I mean," m

"Well, you got this place fixed up pretty stuffy," he ans

those fingers whose delicacy baffled and distu

expect you to unde

"You're a queer bird, Jig.

his face brightened into a smile. "I'd be swinging f

ily to the bookshelves, took up two or three random

anked out of this little imitati

t perha

E

ing may

can ha

ing like you

that word irrita

utal manner. "Jig, d'you know what a friend mea

somebody you know and like

of Sinclair. "That's just

I wr

or your gun or your life, no matter how bad you want 'em; he's the gent that trusts you when the world calls you a liar; he's the one that don't grin when you're in trouble, who gives a cheer when you're going good. With a friend you let down the bars and turn your mind loose like wil

nkie of the law, but I'm tolerable well acquainted with what th

"that you would be a friend li

u give yourself away, and you get

ig softly, "that friend

riends hav

ed. Then he said gently

l your

lucky and had

d, eagerness in his eye

w you well e

if with a physical hand. There, as though in covert, he

he first, in spit

w wh

t we'd ge

e getting

hink

muttered the c

hard as you seem. One of these days I'll

you so sur

. He looked extraordinarily boyish at that moment, and he seemed to have the fearlessness of a child which knows that

I'll keep coming back into your mind a long time after you leav

thunder

erstand at the trial that you knew I was innoce

w that?" ask

Jig broke into his s