Crooked Trails and Straight

Curly back to Saguache and t

bail?" Ma

leather-faced man with friendly eyes

to go bail f

w m

y two t

're

ha

wo weeks after pay day was a rari

Cullison is going bail fo

the exclamation from Curly. Why should the ow

n the fact. "I thought this k

. Curly shot to save his baco

e. Luck gave you

in feud with the cattle interests and in particular with the Circle C outfit. But he could not go back on

u can shake off the dust of Saguache from

for the end of the road with a rope around his neck. Now he was free to slip a saddle on his pony Keno a

h other at the New Orleans Hash House waiting

he digging up two thousand for me? How doe

o I kn

, do

the oyster crackers to p

ow

'll be here in September i

iscuous to his address. What's he going down into his jeans for? Will you tell

ood a guesser a

's my guess. Mis

id she? You don't figure that curly topknot o

oshing and t

the little girl some. She got to thinking about brother Sam and how he might be in the same fix one of these days as you are now. He's on her mind a good deal, Sam is. Same way with the old man too, I reckon, though he don't say

you know of Sam. Is he as whi

it honestly from the old man too. Well, they had a row one time when Sam got into trouble. Luck told him he never wanted to see him again.

be able to pry him loose from

y it, son. You've always led a good pi

d the Cullison family? He was footloose till September and out of a job. For he could not go back to the Map of Texas with his hat in his hand and a repentant whine on his lips. Why not take a hike into the hills and ro

on't take a

her side of the t

that, a

ep

gets wise to your intentions,"

to declare th

devoted to pleasure. After dinner they took in a moving picture show. T

e land," Curly drawled. "Where is it anyhow? It ain't Texas, nor Oklahoma, nor Wyom

lf, but now I know better. What about your little stunt? Wasn't that warm en

them trod the narrow path, Maloney because he was used to do

. "Nothing like locking the stable after your bronc's been stole.

ng side by side at the easy gait characteristic of the Southwest. Steadily they pushed into the brown baked desert. Little dust whir

hese two rode for an hour without exchangi

othing but sand washes and sand hills, except the naked mountains 'way off with their bones sticking through. But in the mo'ning like this, when the world's kind o'

emotion a hundred times, though

l "So-long; see you later." Curly was striking for the headw

d at him curiously when he mentioned his destination, but he did not say anyth

st. About two o'clock he reached a little park in the hi

a girl appeared at the door. She smiled up at him with the lively interest any ranch g

ng dimples. Beneath the brown cheeks of Arizona

"Buenos tardes; senorita! I'll be

wered promptly. "I'll be

fellow has had his knees clamped to the side of a bronc

re by the pump. There'

orse, washed, and sauntered back to the porch. He could smel

out, soft-footed and graceful, repl

s on Sunk Creek, that the nearest neighbor was seven miles dis

d Sam Cullison?" the g

lor whip into her cheeks or to meet the

g for him, are

re I'd look him up. I k

u know

looked at him very st

im yet but you wan

t's

have ano

o, thanks. Staying u

now who's stayi

ot intend to tell anything t

I ain't lost him any to spea

stop in the hills lo

d, with his most inn

whi

What's worrying you? If you'll ask me

know m

saw your calves in the corral with their flanks still sore. Natu

erious questions. A person would think nobody lived on Dead Cow

y questions. I'm just a lunkheaded cowpunc

m Cullison? Are you frien

you friendly to h

f her mouth. It lit her eyes and spread from them till the prettiest face on the creek wrinkled with mir

ved when she had suf

tective or a deputy sherif

now yet you

uspicions to sleep I'll have to table my cards." From his pocket he drew a copy of the Saguache

hat Laura

his city. The stolen animals were sold here this morning, after which the buyers set out at once for the border and the thieves made themselves scarce. It is claimed that the rustlers were

tolen horses. Chances of overtaking both are considered excellent. All likely

ctice that has of late been far too common. Lawlessness seems to come in cycles. Just now the southern tier of counties appears to be sufferi

r pretty lips parted, her dilated eyes taking h

advised

thinking came back in a wave.

the paper say

ioned here? What's his

es

u're a

a rustler than a deputy sheriff?

brushed aside his foolery impati

t. I expect I

the hands that held the paper drop into her lap he

could see that her mind had flown to someone else. He would have bet a month

a. I'll shake hands on that with you. You've guessed it. Course, me being

ade a center shot she was not expecting

this 'Ba

ame is Sam Cullison. And you needn't

m to him." But she said it as

e how to get to Soapy Stone's ho

ke mist before the sunshine. "Good guess.

ur information i

little laugh accom

e told you enough for

lemn. My friends call me

rustler and she drew herself up stiffly. T

p due north for about four miles, you'll strike the creek

on her heel and wal

girls, but he was not the sort to go too far. Now he blamed himself for ha

or it but to saddle