Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 April 1909 — The Round-Up [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Round-Up

A of Arizona Novelized From Edmund Day’s Melodrama

By JOHN MURRAY and MILLS MILLER

SYNOPSIS.

Chapter I—Returning with gold from the mines to an Arizona ranch to claim Echo Allen, his promised bride, Dick Lane is attacked by Apaches led by Buck McKee, a renegade. After spending six months in a hospital Lane writes to his friend Jack Payson, owner of the Sweetwater ranch, to tell Echo he is coming home. He tells Payson he has |3,000 to pay a mortgage placed by Jack on his ranch to help him. ll—Colonel Jim Allen, owner of the Bar One ranch, is father of Echo and father by adoption of Polly Hope, Dick and Bud Lane. Polly and Bud are sweethearts. In Dick’s absence Echo falls in love with Jack, realizing that her love for Dick was merely friendship. Dick is believed to be dead, owing to the return of McKee with a lying story. Bud "chums” with McKee despite the warnings of Slim Hoover, the fat and popular sheriff. Echo and Jack become engaged. 111. Echo declares to Jack after the latter suppresses Dick’s letter, fearing to lose her, that she will be true to her promise to Dick if he returns. Bud quarrels with Jack about Echo, the boy championing his absent brother’s cause. IV—Aided by Bud, McKee murders Terrill, the station agent,. stealing from him >3,000 of county money. McKee suggests to Bud that Dick may still be Hying. V —The boys gather at the Allen ranch for the wedding of Echo and Jack. VI and VII —McKee plans to to throw suspicion of Terrill’s murder on Jack, and he and Bud go to the Allens’ for the wedding. Mckee raises a disturbance and is put out. VIII— All feady for the wedding. IX— Dick turns up at the Allens’ just as his rweetheart is married to Jack. Only Allen and Jack see him. Jack is tempted to shoot his friend, who pays the >3,000 to him and returns to the desert. X—The cowpunchers send for a piano as a surprise for Echo, now married to Jack. XI Jack keeps his business affairs secret from his wife, not daring to tell her where he got the >3,000 to pay the mortgage. Polly flirts with Slim, although she loves bud. The boys give the piano to Echo. Buck McKee comes to Payson’s at the head of his followers, the Lazy K outfit, to accuse Payson of killing Terrill.

CHAPTER XII. BUCK M’KEE had not been Idle in the days following the slay- | Ing of “Qle Man” Terrill. Having learned that Slim and his posse had discovered only the fact that the murderer had ridden a pacing horse to the ford, McKee took full advantage of this fact In the cow camps, the barrooms and at the railroad station he hinted at first that a certain person every one knew could tell a lot more about the death of the old man than be cared to have known. After a few days he began to bring the name of Payson Into the conversation. His gossip -became rumor and then common report. When It became known that Jack had paid off the mortgage on his ranch Buck came out with the accusation that Payson was the murderer. Finding that he was listened to, Buck made the direct charge that Payson had killed the station agent and with the proceeds of the robbery was paying off his old debts.

Gathering his own men about him and being joined by the Idle hangers on who are to be found about every town, Buck led his party to the ranch on the Sweetwater to accuse Jack and bo throw off in advance any suspicions which might attach to himself. Fortunately Slim happened to be at Jack’s ranch at the time. When he entered the corral he found Jack’s accusers and defenders rapidly nearing a battle. Jack was taking the charges coolly enough, as he did not know what support McKee had manufactured to uphold the charges he made. Slim Informed McKee he would listen to what he had to say and if afterward he thought Jack guilty he would place him under arrest; for all concerned it would be better to go into the house. The Sweetwater boys surrounded Jack as they followed Slim into the living room. Lining up In opposing groups, Slim stood in the center to serve us judge and jury, with Buck and Jack at his right and left hand. Inside the door Jack said: "Keep as quiet as you can, boys. I don’t want to alarm my wife. Now, what is it?” The punchers hushed their discussion of the charge and listened attentively to what the men most interested bad to say. “Well, darn it all,” apologized the sheriff to Jack, “it’s all darn, fool business anyway. Buck here, he started It” Jack smiled sarcastically and, glancing at McKee, remarked, “Buck McKee’s started a good many things In ids day”— Bock began to bluster. He could not face Jack fairly. Already placed on the defense whan be had considered he would be the accuser, McKee took refuge in the plea of being wronged by false suspicion. “I hain’t goto’,” be whined, “to have fcUcs suavfclon me uv any such doin’® as the killin’ uv ‘Ole Man’ Terrill. 1 got a wl.ness to prove I wasn’t In tyßUliy ihej»lafia,!’ „ ' ,

" M WE6’6 -yous witness?" asked Slim In his most judicial tones. "Bud Lane. Me an’ him rode ever to the weddln’ together from the Lazy K, an’ I wuz put out as not flttln’ to be there, an’ by that very man there that did the killin’.” The punchers had to grin in spite of the seriousness of the occasion. Buck appeared to be deeply hurt at the unceremonious way he had been left out at the feast. "What makes you point to me as the man?”, asked Jack quietly. “You wuz late gettln’ to yer own weddln’.” Fresno could not repress his feelings any longer. He started angrily toward McKee, but Jack and Sagebrush held him back. The others were about to follow his lead when Slim motioned them back with the caution, “Keep out of this, boys!” 4 “I was late,” explained Jack, “but I told you I rode around to the station to get a wedding present I ordered for my wife”— , Jim Interrupted him to substantiate the statement. Pointing to a desk, he said: “That’s so. There It is, too—that there desk.” The Sweetwater outfit nodded in acquiescence, but the others looked Incredulous Buck sneered at the defense which Jack made. “Nobody saw you over that way, did they?” “I saw Terrill. It must have been just before he, was killed. I didn’t meet anybody else.” Jack showed no trace of temper under the Inquisition. "Of course you saw him before he wuz killed—about a minute. Mebbe you didn’t plug him the next minute with a 44?”

The charge roused Sagebrush’s fighting blood. Drawing his gun, he attempted to get a fair shot at the accuser. Fresno and Show Low grabbed him by the arms, holding him back. The foreman shouted, “There’ll be some one plugged right now If you all make another break like that!” Slim waved his hands over his head, driving the men backward, as If he were shooing a Way a flock of chickens. “Easy, now— easy," he drawled. "There ain’t a-goin* to be nothin’ doin’ acre ’cept law an’ justice.” Buck laughed sneeringly at the wavering of his men. He would have to do something to put more heart Into them and regain the ground he bad lost by his single handed conduct of the case. “There hain’t, eh?” he asked contemptuously. “Well, it’s lucky I brought some uv my own outfit with me.” “Mebbe you’ll need them if you get too careless with your talk,” answered the unruffled sheriff. Turning to Jack, Slim said, “This fool thing can be settled with one word from you.” The young ranchman listened to the sheriff earnestly. He wished to clear himself forever of all suspicions. He did not want Echo ever to hear that there was a false Impression abroad that she was the wife of a slayer. “What is It?” he asked simply. “Why, you paid off a mortgage of an even three thousan’ dollars last week, didn’t you?” “Yes. What has that to do with It?” he asked.

Buck broke In at this point. Here was the strongest card that he had in his hand,- and the sheriff had played It to McKee’s advantage. • “Plenty!” Buck shouted. “Old Terrill wuz shot an’ killed an’ robbed, an’ the man who did It got just three thousan’ dollars.” “An’ you mean to say that the boss here”— began Sagebrush, In his anger making a rush at McKee. He was held back, but the disturbance attracted Echo and Mrs. Allen from the kitchen. Echo hurried to her husband's side. He slipped his arm about her waist, and together they faced bls accuser. “All you got to say is whar did you get that money!” cried Buck, who bad seen Dick Lane pay it to Payson and conjectured that Payson did not dare to reveal the fact of this payment, with all the disclosure it Implied. “Why, it was paid to me by”— Then Jack stopped. He could not tell who gave him the money without revealing to Echo the return of Dick. The whole miserable lie would then come out. Echo noticed Jack’s hesitancy. “What is It? What’s the matter?" she asked in frightened tones. “Nothing, nothing,” , answered lightly to lessen her terror. * "Hats off, everybodyt” commanded Slim in deference-to the presence of Echo. “Who are these men? What’s wrong?" pleaded Echo. Buck bowed to the trembling woman, who had thrown her arms about her husband’s neck. “Nothin’,” he exclaimed, “only we want to know whar yer husband got the money to pay off the mortgage on this ranch.” The request seemed a very simple one to Echo. All the talk of harming Jack, the high words, the threats, could be silenced easily- by her hero. Smiling Into his eyed, Echo said, “Tell them. Jack.” « “I can’t,” heJWtersU

“Ts was panT to ETm by a friend,” bravely began Echo—"a friend to whom he lent It some time ago.” Buck interrupted her explanation. "Then let Him tell his friend’s name an’ wbar we can find him.” Turning to Jack, he bullied: “Dome on! What’s his name?” Jack closed his eyes to shut out the sight of his wife. In his agony he clinched his fists until bls nails sank into the flesh. “I can’t tell you that!” he cried in his misery. “Of course he can’t,” sneered Buck, smiling evilly in his triumph. “He can’t account fer himself on the night uv ttye weddln*; he rides a pacin’ horse—rode on that night; he gets three thousan’ dollars paid him, an’ he can’t tell who paid It. What’s the verdict?" Buck did not wait for an answer. Raising his voice, he shouted, "Guilty!” "Jack, Jack! What have you' to say?” begged Elcho. “Nothing,” was his only answer. “Tell him he lies!" cried Sagebrush. “Jack, we all know you. You’re as white a man as ever lived, an’ they ain’t one of this outfit that ain’t ready to die fer you right now.” “You bet!” chorused his men.

“He haln’t gain’ to get off like that,” declared Buck. Looking confidently at his own followers, he said, "The Lazy K can take care uv him.” Buck’s men moved closer to him, preparing to draw their guns if need be and open Are on Jack’s defenders. “Look out, boss!” warned Sagebrush at the hostile movement of Buck and his punchers. “Hold on!” drawled the sheriff, who as the danger grew more real became more deliberate in his movements. "They ain’t goin’ to be nothin’ done here unless it’s done in the law. You all know me, boys. I’m the sheriff. This man’s my*' prisoner.” Pointing to Jack, he added, “There ain’t nobody goin’ to take him from me—an’ live.” Buck saw Jack slipping from his clutches. “Yer not goin’ to be bluffed by one man, are you, boys?” “No,” his punchers answered in unison, crowding toward Jack, who held up his hand and cried: “Stop! I want a fair deal, and I’ll get it.” “I’ll settle this thing all right. All I ask is a few words alone with my wife.” Jack clasped Echo to his breast as he begged this boon from the men who sought his life. “No!” blustered Buck. "Yes,” ordered Slim quietly, but emphatically. “Mr. Payson, you’ll give me your word you won’t try to escape?” “Yes,” agreed Jack. “His word don’t go with us,” shouted Buck. Slim laid his hand on the butt of his revolver, ready to draw if necessary to enforce his command. Buck saw the movement and shouted to him: “Keep yer hand away from that gun, sheriff. You know I am quick on the draw.” He significantly fingered his holster as he spoke. “So I’ve heard tell,” agreed Slim, hastily withdrawing his hand from hU revolver.

Slim appeared tb agree to the surrender of Jack to Buck and his punchers, permitting them to deal with him as they saw fit. He fumbled in his left hand waistcoat pocket, pulling out a bag of tobacco and a package of rice paper. Ostentatiously he began to roll a cigarette. Then, with the quickness of a cat, his left hand was plunged In the inside right hand pocket of his waistcoat. Grasping a revolver by the muzzle, he deftly jerked it upward and seized the handle In its flight. He covered Buck McKee before that worthy realized what had happened. With his right hand Slim pulled the weapon which swung at his hip and aimed it at the other boys of the Lazy K. The guns moved up and down the line, backed by the sheriff’s usually mild blue eyes, coldly steady now at the call to battle. “I’ll give you a lesson in pullin’ guns, though,” he declared, his voice as steady as his hands. “Don’t move, Buck,” he warned as McKee wavered, “nor any others of you. I’m playin’

this hand alone. Buck McKee, you’ve been flirtin’ with a tombstone fer some time. Hands up, gents,” he ordered, raising the pistols significantly. "I said gents,” he repeated when Buck McKee did not obey him with alacrity. The balked leader of the Lazy K outfit reluctantly held his hands aloft. “Sagebrush!” called Slim. “Here!” answered the foreman, covering a man with his revolver. "Parenthesis!” summoned the sheriff. “Here!” the man of the bowlegs replied as.he drewJUajum.

"Me, tobT’~cfied I'reeno, while Show Lbw came to the front with “An* likewise here!” ■ When the Lazy K outfit-was thoroughly under subjection Slim stepped forward and said: “Now, gentlemen, if you please, you see, this here’s my party, an’ I regelate it my way. Jack here gave his word to stay an* face this thing out He’s a-goln* to do it I’m responsible fer him. Sagebrush, you will collect at the door sech articles of hardware as these gentlemen has in their belts. I deputize you. Gents, as you walk out the do’ you will deposit your weapons with Mr. Sagebrush Charley, the same to be returned to you when the court sees fit an’ proper.” “You hain’t goin’ to let him’’— Buck did not finish the sentence, for Slim, thoroughly aroused, shouted: “Buck McKee, if you say another word I’m goin’ to kill you. Gents, there’s the door. Your hosses are in the corral. Get!” (To be Continued)

“I said gents,” he repeated.