The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1936-08-06, Page 6PAGE SIX WINGHAM ADVANCE-TIMES Thursday, August 6th, 1936' whispered at his ears T SYNOPSIS . . .Silas Spelle, high handed, low-principled cattle baron, is out to smash the local bank and force foreclosure on the small ranch ers of the Kanab desert country so that he can seize their range lands. He is opposed by Ed. Starbuck, pres ident of the Cattleman's Bank, and by San Juan Delevan, prominent ranch er who has been crippled by a fall from his horse. Johnny Clehoe and his partner, Tex Whipple, are cow punchers employed b ySan Juan Del evan to fight the rustlers and protect his interests. like1 he’s goin’ to bust wide open by tryin’ to clean up on all of us. I fig- ger he's goin’ to attack this ranch. So does yore dad. We’re jest gettin’ ready fer him, rhat’s all.” “Bu-but the law," argued Ronny. “What will the law say?" “1 dunno. Me—I ain’t figgerin’ on the law to help us out o’ the mud. An’ Spelle don’t give a cuss fer the law. right frank ain’t way, him ; It's pretty generally understood : now that he was in back o’ that hold-up. To everybody what prejudiced it .shore looks that An’ the law ain’t said boo to about, it.” and was from his head. Something Bullets plucked at his clothes. His hat whisked seared across his left thigh. Once he lurched and went headlong, but with Ronny’s despairing scream echoing in his ears lie was up and on again. The porch was close now, beckoning him on. He tried to fire again but the hammer of his Colt snicked futjly. The gun was empty. And now a cursing figure leaped clear of the underbrush and sank to one knee, sighting steadily along the barrel of a Winchester at Johnny’s bobbing shoulders. Inside the big liv- “Plenty,” answered Johnny suc cinctly. “Had a run in with Montana Wade an’ a jasper called Spike, back at Jake Butterfield’s. They come bustin’ in loud-mouthed an’ bossy like an’ told Jake that Spelle wanted all the .30-30 ca’tridges he had in the joint. Addin’ that crack to the' one Pink heard them dry-gulchers make last night about rushin' the ranch "here an’ cleanin' up the whole she bang, I figgered mebbe it’s be a purty good idee to corral that ammunition ourselves. So I sorta argued ’em outa it an brought it along.” “Oh—yuh did, huh?” rumbled Dele van peering intently at Johnny. “Yuh musta done some damn fast talkin’.” “Tollable—tollable,” nodded John-1 ny. “I don’t alius stutter when I got somethin’ real important to say.” “Hr-rumph!” Delevan cleared his throat again. “Yuh never out-argued Montana Wade without killin’ him. I know that jasper too well.” “Did I say I didn’t kill him?” asked Johnny innocently. a At this statement a squeak of joy "broke from Pink Crosby and he leap ed upon Johnny to belabor him joy fully on the back. “Oh dang yore miserable hide,” chortled Pink. “Johnny, if yuh click ed off that danged snake-in-the-grass I love yuh like a brother.” “Couldn’t help it,” remarked John ny soberly. “He went fer his hawg- laig first. An’ then this Spike hombre was backin’ his play. He got out o’ it lucky. I jest smashed his shoulder. I reckon that evens the count fer you an’ Pod, Pink.” “I’ll tell a man it does,” declared Pink fervently. “Wait ’till ole Pod hears o’ this. He’ll get well over night.” “Hope so. By the way—mebbe we better bring Pod up to the house here. I got a hunch we’re due for a visit from Spelle an’ his crowd . An’ say, Jim, accordin’ to Jake Butterfield ole Spelle offered him five hundred dol lars if he’d refuse to sell yuh any more supplies.” “Damn him!" rasped Delevan. “An' what did Jake tell him?" “Told him to go jump in the lake.” “Good fer Jake. I won’t fergit that. Dunno but what yuh’re right about bringin’ Pod up to the house. Can he be moved, Doc?” “Aye," nodded McMurdo. “If it is necessary.” “Looks like it’s damn necessary, Johnny, yuh an' Ping go down with Doc an’ fix up a stretcher outa blan kets. I’ll have Chang git a bed in shape. An’ bring all the shootin’ irons around the bunkhouse with yuh. If Spelle wants a argument he’s shore due to git it.” Twenty minutes later Pod Fortune, still unconscious, was safely reposing in the ranchhou.se. Johnny had pre vailed on Jim Delevan to abandon his beloved porch corner and liaVe his chair wheeled inside. Now that grim old warrior was sitting at the edge of a trout window, a loaded Win chester across his knees and an open box of ammunition at his elbow. Pink Crosby, similarly armed, patrolled the rear windows, which looked out on the slope of the plateau, while Doc McMurdo, who had gruffly announced his intention of seeing it through with his friends, sat in the same room with Delevan, glaring dourly at the gulf of the desert. For himself Johnny was in the kitchen devouring the meal Ronny had prepared for him, He was doing his best to keep Ron ny from suspecting the true state of affairs, but she, wth her cleverness and intuition, would not be thwarted. “Johnny,” she said, standing at his elbow, “Something terrible is about to happen. Tell me now, what is it?" Johnny tried unsuccessfully to avoid both her searching eyes and equally searching words. He had to capitulate in the end. “Well, Ronny,” he mumbled final ly. “It’s like this. Spelle’s crazy-mad —must be. We’ve licked him at ev ery turn o’ the trail. He’s gettin’ des perate. On the face o’ things it looks Johnny grinned. “I reckon I owe you one, Jim. EBBIC E!jj kj “But-but, somebody will be killed,” wailed Ronny, “I reckon,” said Johnny slowly. “Let’s hope it won’t be anybody in this house. An’ when it does start —an’ if it does—I want you to get out o’ the way o’ lead. They’s a cel lar to the house, ain’t they?” Ronny stiffened and her little chin went out. “Johnny Clehoe, if you think I’m going to skulk in the cel lar while the rest of you fight, you’re mistaken. I can’t shoot very well but I know how to load the extra guns. Indeed I won’t hide out.” “Aw golly,” argued Johnny desper ately. “Please Ronny—please. If yuh don’t I amble right out in the open with the first shot." “If you do—I amble with you,” said Ronny defiantly. “So there.” In the end she had her way, and because of his worry for her Johnny prowled morosely about the house for the rest of an afternoon that seemed interminable. Just as the last rays of the sun were filtering through the window Doc McMurdo stood up with a snort. “I na believe that mon Spelle will come,” he grumbled. “I’m off for yon town.” By this time even Johnny began to doubt the soundness of his theory and he offered no argument to the con trary with the old Scotchman. “Sorry to have kept yuh this long, Doc,” he drawled. “Come on, I’ll go down an’ throw yore hull on yore bronc for yuh.’ ’ The doughty Doctor lingered for a moment to give Ronny some last instructions about the care of Pod Fortune so Johnny strolled corral wards by himself. He led out the doc tor’s horse and tossed the saddle blan ket in place. He smoothed it deftly with one hand and reached for the saddle with the other. At that mo ment a single rifle shot crashed out, coming from the fringe of underbrush at the edge of the clearing to the north. Came the spat of speeding lead meeting flesh and the luckless bronco went down in a heap at Johnny’s feet. The slight leaning twist Johnny had given as he reached for the saddle had saved his life, and the bullet, that otherwise would have torn through the center of his chest, struck the horse at the angle of one jaw and ranged upward through the animal’s brain. Like a flash Johnny whirled and went racing for the ranchhouse. Jt was far closer to the bunkhouse but even if he did reach it in safety he would Swiftly be cut off from of the ranch defenders to be ally wiped out ignominously. went through his mind as and though he knew his chances of ever reaching the ranchhouse alive were slim indeed, he did not falter. Instead he drew his gun as he ran and threw shot after shot at the trea cherous undergrowth. The answering fire was murderous. ing room a virulent oath fell from old Jim Delevan’s lips and the rifle which had rested across his knees leaped to his shoulder and spat fire. The crouching figure at the edge of the brush stiffened and rolled over, while the bullet that h<td been meant for Johny ripped harmlessly into the ranchhouse roof. Johnny took the porch steps in two long leaps and burst through to the sanctuary of the house. Ronny had her arms about him immediately. “Johnny—Johnny,” she whispered brokenly. “I thought they had killed you.” Johnny patted her head. “Thought so m’self for a minute,” he panted. “The dang bush-whackers shot the heel plumb off’n my left boot. Wow! That was shore some hot sprint. Now brace up, honey. We got work to do." Johnny limped into the big room, punching empty shells from his .45. He caught up a handful of fat, yellow shells from a heap on the table and dropped them through the loading gate, clicking the cylinder around with his thumb. “If you ain’t a fool for luck,” rum bled Jim Delevan. “What yuh limp in’ about?" “Lost a heel o’ my boot,” grinned Johnny. “Got a flat wheel on the left side. I reckon I owe yuh one, Jim.’’ “Huh. Fergit it, I may be glued to this dang chair, but 1 ain’t fergot how to look down a Winchester. Hell, there-goes another pane of glass. An’ that stuff *costs like blazes in this neck o* the woods.” “Let ’em have their fun. Good thing yuh built this ole house oiita log's instead o’ sawed lumber. The soft-point slugs they’re usin ain’t get tin’ through worth a cent. The shoot in’ will slow up pretty .quick I reck on. They cain’t have any hell of a lot o’ shells, seein’ as I beat ’em to Jake Butterfield’s stock.” True to Johnny’s prediction the burst of fire which had followed him to the house and had grown to a veritable fusilade when Delevan had picked off the reckless marksman who had been determined to get Johnny, gradually faded to a few desultory shots. To Jim Delevan’s profane dis gust there was hardly a sound pane of glass left in the windows. After the4 first abortive attack on Johnny’s Spelle’s men had pretty near circled the house. At intervals bullets whistled through the devastated windows to thud harmlessly on the inner walls. Once the whang of Pink Crosby’s rifle sounded, to be followed a mo ment later by a shrill yell of triumph by the excited Pink. “Pink musta made a bullseye by that clatter,” grinned Johnny to Del evan. “Shore, I’m—wow! That was a close one. Holy hen-hawks—what they got out there—a canon?” Johnny’s exclamation was caused by a -deep-toned bellowing report from down in back of the bunkhouse and by a big bullet which tore through .the log wall, to’ cut a neat nick out of one wheel of Jim Delevan’s chair, from there to pass on and splinter one leg of the table. “Sharps,” growled Delevan. “Ole buffalo gun. That jasper’s dangerous. We got to get him, Johnny. But he’s usin’ black powder. See it hangin’ down yonder at the corner of the bunkhouse.” Johnny nodded and pulled back the hammer on his. Winchester. Then he crouched at one corner of a window and watched the bunkhouse with un blinking eyes. A slow minute ticked past before the big gun thundered i the rest eventu- All this he ran, Business and Professional Directory Wellington Mutual Fire Insurance Co. Established 1840, Risks taken on all classes of insur ance at reasonable rates- Head Office, Guelph, Ont. ABNER COSENS, Agent. Wingham. Dr. W, A. McKibbon, B.A. PHYSICIAN And SURGEQN Located at the Office of the Late Dr. H. W. Colborne, Office Phone 54.Nights 107 HARRY FRY Licensed Embalmer and . Funeral Director Furniture and Funeral Service Ambulance Service. Phpnes; Day 117, Night 109. 4 I DR. R. L. STEWART PHYSICIAN Telephone 29. Dr. Robt, C. REDMOND M.R.C.S. (England) L.R.C.P. (London) PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON DR. W. M. CONNELL PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON Phone 19. w. A. CRAWFORD, M.D. Physician and Surgeon Located at the office of the late Dr. J. P. Kennedy. WinghamPhone 150 again. This time the slug tore through not a foot from Delevan’s head to carry on and hopelessly wreck a framed Remington picture on the inner wall. smoke seemed to spring from ridge pole of the bunkhouse. (Concluded Next Week) And the billow of the Bit Tongue in Fall ’ “If thy tongue offend thee, cut out,” is a scriptural injunction that can hardly apply to the scare Tom Wolfe, a local teamster, is reputed to have got from this unruly member on Monday last. While driving a load of gravel from the Jos. Ernest pit west of town, an improvised seat on which he was -pei'ched gave way and Maw— ii r tj—'AMHsa it J. W. BUSHFIELD Barrister, Solicitor, Notary, Etc- Money to Loan. Office — Meyer Block, Wingham Successor to Dudley Holmes. J. H. CRAWFORD Barrister, Solicitor, Notary, Etc. Successor to R. Vanstone. Wingham Ontario R. S. HETHERINGTON BARRISTER and SOLICITOR Office — Morton Block. Telephone No. 66 F. A. PARKER OSTEOPATH All Diseases Treated. Office adjoining residence next to Anglican Church on Centre St. Sunday by appointment. Osteopathy Electricity Phone 272. Hours, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. precipitated the local over the whiffle- trees and onto his head on the high way. Stunned by the fall, he was as sisted to his feet by Pat Quirk, who was with him at the time, and as Tom had bitten his tongue so badly that a copious hemmorhage ensued. — Walkerton Herald-Times. Something to Cackle About Mr. Norman Archibald, the taxi-owner, is also an experienced poultryman and during tjie past year has had 125 barred rock hens in his pens. These birds have proven them selves marvelous producers of hen fruit, for in the period from March 17th to the present date, uly 28th. local A THOMAS FELLS AUCTIONEER REAL ESTATE SOLD Thorough knowledge of Farm Stock. Phone 231, Wingham. It Will Pay You to Have An EXPERT AUCTIONEER to conduct your sale. See T. R. BENNETT At The Royal Service Station. Phone 174W< J. ALVIN FOX Licensed Drugless Practitioner CHIROPRACTIC - DRUGLESS THERAPY - RADIONIC EQUIPMENT Hours by Appointment. Phone 191. Wingham A. R. & F. E. DUVAL CHIROPRACTORS CHIROPRACTIC and ELECTRO THERAPY North Street — Wingham Telephone 300. £ i ?■ i Mr. Archibald has gathered from the nests no les slhan 10,29S eggs, which' is an average of eighty eggs per hen during the period of about months. The highest number of eggs in a single twenty-four hours, was 114 which means that almost one hundred per cent, of the birds are layers. This is surely something worth cackling about and if those 114 barred rocks announced to the world in the usual way of the fowl that they were doing their bit to aid production there would be noise without end, as it were, although the great discord would be music to the taximan’s ears. —Walkerton Herald-Times. SCENE OF DESPERATE FIGHTING IN SPAIN Desperate fighting between govern ment troops and rebel Fascist forces have marked the present civil war in Spain. Guerilla warfare, pitched bat tles in the streets, burnings and dis order have swept the country from south to north. Rebel forces were re ported to be marching on Madrid, the Spanish capital. In Barcelona, where the revolt broke out, fighting this week has been heavy, with hundreds killed and wounded. These pictures show, in (1) a church in historic Se ville, burned by Communists of the government forces in retaliation ag ainst rebels. Automobiles were used as barricades in Barcelona street fighting, then burned, as shown in (2), Loyalist troops in Barcelona suf- ----- ’ ' !|feted heavy casualties, but captured I guarded, by loyal troops after their . they had barricaded themselves, many rebels. Disarmed prisoners, | capture in a Barcelona hotel in which I shown in (3)< ar<® \