The Cass County Sun (Linden, Tex.), Vol. 61, No. 35, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 27, 1936 Page: 3 of 10
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THE CASS COUNTY SUN
Gunlock Ranch
Copyright Frank H. Spearman
WNU Service
By FRANK H. SPEARMAN
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CHAPTiSK I
It was 1 he Fourth of July, nn<1 Sleepy
Cut—that su lis wept little desert town
bordering on the Very Had Lands of
the arid Southwest—was dusty.
Dust was not unusual In Sleepy Cat;
to be dusty was Its normal condition;
when not dusty, Sleepy Cat was dead.
"But you needn't be scared of this
kind of dust," explained Dr. Carpy,
who, sitting with his feet up against
the porch handrail of Ills Sleepy Cat
Hotel, was talking to Jane Van Tam-
bel. ''It's not dirt, this dust—not like
your Chicago dust. It's clean volcanic
ash that drifts up from the Spanish
Sinks.
"But toward sundown when the ash
settles over the Superstition IJange and
the sun shines through it, the air shows
every color of the rainbow. That snow
on Music Mountain."—Dr. Carpy point-
ed—"looks pink and red and purple.
You'll like It out here."
Jane disagreed vigorously. "Oh, no!
It's going to he awfully lonesome after
•city life," she declared positively.
"You'll never be lonesome in Sleepy
Cat—unless you're good," observed the
doctor cynically. "Otherwise you'll find
things generally hum In Sleepy Cat."
"It certainly is lively today," con-
ceded the dissatisfied city girl.
It was. Horsemen, not a few of them
cowmen, clattered up and down Front
street and River street, chietly to hear
their own noise. And a mob of miners
and prospectors from Thief River had
come up for the celebration and the
liorse races.
"Been out on the Fairgrounds yet?"
asked the doctor, continuing his coat
with Jane. "Seen any of the races?"
"I saw the Indian races this morning
—such yipping and yelling! And those
Texans that rode Into town yesterday
—they yelled louder than the Indians."
"That outfit has Just delivered four
thousand head of cattle to the Gun-
lock Agency. They checked them In
yesterday. Some old-time Sleepy Cat-
ters in that hunch—Henry Sawdy and
John Lefever made the drive with the
outfit—all the way up from the Rio
Grande. Hello," exclaimed the doctor
A rafttW-1ufr®AA.,sfl«i,tofcft'ae'cl out.
somewhat bow-legged, strongly built
and confident. If not aggressive, in
manner, was coming up the wooden
steps lending from the sidewalk to the
hotel otlice. Carpy hailed him. Sawdy,
poised under an overwhelming som-
brero, turned and walked toward the
doctor and his guest.
"Henry !" exclaimed the doctor. "You
blamed old longhorn. I never looked to
see you back in Sleepy Cat."
"Ain't no warrants out agin me. are
there?" asked Sawdy In calm, blunt,
but spirited fashion.
"There must be one or more agin
you down along the Rio Grande, Hen-
ry," retorted the doctor, "or you
wouldn't be so far from the tinkle of
the guitar with winter coming on. Meet
Miss Van Tambel—newcomer since you
went south. Mr. Sawdy, Miss Jane."
Hat in hand, Sawdy stared: "Miss
Van Tambel?" he echoed. "Did I get
the name right?" he asked as Jane nod-
ded to his greeting.
"You got it right," remarked Carpy
dryly.
"Well," returned Sawdy, swallowing,
"If you could get a few more,newcom-
ers like tills. Doc, you'd have a live
town. She's no relation to—"
"Hub Van Tambel? Yes," nodded
i.arpy, easily anticlpatlve. "She's Ills
daughter—only daughter; only child. In
fact."
Sawdy swallowed again. "Well, I'll
say any man might be proud to claim
her. 1 used to work for your father.
Is he alive yet?"
"Alive, yes," Interposed Carpy, "but
a sick man. Have you had a horse
race this morning, Henry?" asked
Carpy In teasing fashion.
Sawdy snorted. "Hintin' at that sell
yesterday, ehV No horse race at all,"
he went on angrily. "It was just a
plnin steal. Doc—beggln' your pardon,
miss—a steal put up by this saloon
keeper, Boland, and a crooked cowman,
McCrossen, and that Thief River butch-
er, Clubfoot."
Jane started. McCrossen was the
Van Tambel foreman at Gunlock Ranch.
"But what about this race?" persist-
ed Carpy. "Sit down. Henry."
"Why keep ropin' at a dead corpse,
Doe?" protested Sawdy. And turning
to Jane: "Do you know this tnan?" he
asked, nodding toward the doctor.
"Slightly," smiled Jane. "I hope to
know him better."
"Don't get too well acquainted." ad
vised Sawdy. "He's got a trick of dig-
gin' into your sore spots."
"Tell us about that race," Interrupt-
ed Carpy.
"Well," began the cowman reluctant-
ly, "night before last we bedded the
herd down about three miles below
Thief River town. About sundown
Clubfoot rode into camp on a good-
lookin' bay mare. I didn't see him, I
was on guard. He said he was on Ills
way up to Sleepy t at. John l.efever. our
foreman. Invited him to take supper
and bunk for the night.
"He said tie was a prospector goln'
out ort the Gunlock range. He started
talk!n'j horses and said he wanted to
sell Ills pony—claimed he had the fast-
est mare along the Sinks. He blowed
about that pony until John got touchy
about Ills own little chestnut gelding,
and John finally promised him a race
when we got to Sleepy Cat. Nobody in
our utinch not havin' seen the fellow's
horse run, John waited till everybody
got to sleep and takes Clubfoot's mare
off. .hen .nle'-vMw iw'ffpeffrat all.
"Next day they arranged the race,
and we hoys put up our dough—every
dollar in the outfit. Whal do you think
of us for suckers? When the race start-
ed, that cussed prospector—beggln'
your pardon, miss—run in a ringer on
us—another bay mare, looked exactly
like the one he rode Into camp. That
mare run like a streak -covered five
hundred yards before John's gelding
got his feet picked up. Then we got
the story.
"Clubfoot turned out to be a side
swipe for this saloon keeper Boland
here. So we smashed up Roland's glass-
ware and lookin'-glnss last night,
proper.'
"That wasn't right, Henry," expos-
tulated Carpy with perfect gravity.
"That bird's got live hundred of our
dough," continued Sawdy grimly.
"Henry, I thought you and John were
too wise to get stung like that. How
you going to get even? Smashing glass-
ware won't do It."
"1 don't know, Doc. 1 don't know. '
"Henry," observed Carpy, "what you
mean Is you know but you won't tell."
"The races ain't all over yet. Then
there's the ropin' and tnrowin'—"
Carpy nodded.
"—nd' the trick rldin'. All I'll say
Is—" Sawdy hesitated.
"Say all you want to before this
young lady. She won't spill. I'll guar-
antee her," said Carpy.
"Well, If that's so, miss—and you
certnlnly look up to the brag—I'll say
McCrossen, that new foreman of yours,
was In on that skinnin' we took—nt
least, we think so. That's nothla' In
the world against you."
Jane spoke frankly: "Oh, I'm glad,
Mr. Sawdy, you don't bring me into It,
for 1 really don't know any more about
it than a babe unborn."
"I hear McCrossen Is quite a rider,"
observed Sawdy tentatively.
"That's what everybody says," re-
turned Jane. "He certainly is wonder-
ful in the saddle."
Sawdy nodded wisely, as If merely to
say, "It is well."
"Sawdy," demanded Carpy,' "what
you got up your sleeve?"
"Nothin' at all, Doc—not a thing in
the world."
"You can't fool me, you old desert
rat," persisted Carpy.
"Well, Doc, since you're so smart,
will you back what I've got up my
sleeve for fifty dollars? Will you do
it. Doc? I've Just come from Jake
Spotts' place. He lent me fifty—"
Carpy reached into his trousers pock-
et and drew out a roll of bills. "Go
along, you critter!" be exclaimed in-
dignantly. "I might have known your
long-winded story would cost me
money. But I didn't look for it to be
fifty dollars."
"Make It n hundred. Doc," ventured
Sawdy in his rich, persuasive voice.
"Not on your life, Henry. You'll lose
this, anyway."
"We get paid tomorrow—cough up
for me."
"Go hang! I haven't got It to spare.
Want to do some betting myself."
Jane held out her purse. "Why, here,
Mr. Sawdy. There's over fifty in this
that I'm sure I don't need. Take It."
Sawdy stared dumbfounded. "I
couldn't do that, young miss. 1
couldn't."
Jane, still smiling, had opened her
purse, taken from It five gold eagles,
and you refuse ,,,
much of a compliment to me," she pro-
tested. But it was the light in her eyes
and her lips parted over two even rows
of white teeth that staggered Sawdy.
He was groggy, but though going down
he fought on.
"1 know blamed well I ought not to
do it," muttered the big fellow. "Doc
—what shall I do?"
"Take It!" said Carpy gruffly. "You'll
lose It—then you can work It out for
Jane on the ranch this summer—sties
running things out there while her ta-
ttler's sick."
Sawdy reluctantly let the trim young
lady drop the gold pieces into tils horny
hand—she laughing, he serious, Dr.
Carpy vastly amused. "If the worst
comes to the worst, I could work it
out," repeated Sawdy soberly.
"But if you go to work at Gunlock,"
remarked the doctor, "make no mis-
take. Keep off the grass. Don't aspire
to the hand of this young princess. I've
got a bid In there myself."
"Why, Doctor!" exclaimed Jane, all
rosy In protest and rising to go.
"Just the same, girl, any man that
bids for you has got to face a major
operation at uiy hands. Will you be
back for dinner?" he asked of Jane as
she made ready to leave. "We're hav-
ing watermelon today."
"I'm not going to miss that. But I
must go over to Ruhido's to order some
supplies. By the way, I forgot to ask:
What shall I do with that medicine you
gave me last time?"
"Throw it out the window and ride
horseback. You're coming nlong won-
derful for six weeks out here.
"Hold on, miss. Just a minute,
please," begged Sawdy as the party
broke up. "You'll be at the Fairgrounds
this afternoon for the races?"
"Of course I'll be there," responded
Jane pertly.
"You've done me a kind, good turn.
I want to do you a good one. This goes
for this old medicine man, too." Sawdv
nodded toward the doctor.
"What is It?" asked Jane coolly.
Sawdy was solemn.
"You won't neither of you spill It?
AH right. Don't bet no money on the
trick rldin' this afternoon."
By two o'clock that day the Fair-
grounds were sizzling hot and tremen-
dously crowded. Frontier Day celebra-
tion was combined with the national
holiday and the county fair of a county
bigger than most eastern states. A
gathering of horsemen, cowmen, min-
ing men, railroad men, gamblers, pros-
pectors, desert rats, and frontier mI
venturers milled about the rickety lit
tie grandstand and what, under more
sophisticated circumstances, would tie
called the paddock.
A sprinkling ot Indians from the
Reservation added color to the wene—
elderly bucks, dignified and taciturn;
young men with their ponies; fat.
swarthy squaws bright In Navajo blan-
kets; and attractive Indian girls
rigged In gaudy fashions.
On an occasion such as this, when a
local celebration combined with the ar-
rival of a goodly outfit of cowmen,
there was reason to look forward to a
lively round-up by proprietors of thirst
parlors, gamblers, clothiers, merchants,
and barbers. On this particular Fourth
of July there was every reason but «ne
for sucli a nope—the cow outfit had
been thoroughly skinned by the ad-
vance guard ot Sleepy Cat sharpers iu
the, jiersou of Harry Boland and Club-
in consequence the Circle Dot hoys,
as Sawdy's outfit was known, made no
especial contribution to t fie Fair-
grounds festivities; they were present
hut not betting.
Sawdy, long-faced and solemn, heg
leeted to pull at liIs sweeping urns
taehios—a sure sign of mental depres-
sion. John Lefever. rotund and natur-
ally Jolly, Circle Dot foreman, onlr
whistled softly.
(TO IMC CONTIMKIJj ■
eS
Modest Miss
A girl returned home from a
party and told her father a young
man had kissed her.
"How many times did he kiss
youJ?" asked her father.
Looking up into his face, the
girl replied: "Father, I came to
confess, not to boast."
Found Impossible
"It can't be done," said the
young woman, despondently.
'What can't be done?" asked
the policeman who was pulling
her out of her wrecked car.
"Lighting a cigarette, using a
lipstick, powdering my nose, and
steering the car at the same
time," she sighed.
THOROUGH JOB
Sue—How did the Fritter's mar-
riage turn out? You know she
married him to reform him.
Jim—She succeeded so well
that now he gets shocked at ev-
erything she does.
A Gentle Hint
Sailor (to Benign Old Gentle-
man) — An adventurous life I've
led. Had an operation a little
while ago. After I'd crime to,
the doctor told me he'd left a
sponge inside me. 'Let it be,' I
said, and there it is to this day.
"Does it pain you?" his listener
inquired.
"No pain at all, but—I do get
terribly thirsty!"
Dad in Soak?
"Yes, I know that book is a
best-seller. But is it pure and
clean?"
"Well, ma'am, the hero's a
white hope, the girl works at a
soap factory, and her mother
takes in washing. What more
d'ye want?"
AND lO^JARS
THE I0« SIZE CONTAINS 3'/2TIMES AS MUCH
AS THE 5< SIZE - WHY PAY MORE?
MOROLINE
■ ▼■SNOW WHITE PETROLEUM JELLY
Flower of Time
Opportunity is the flower of time
and God's angel.
Variety ot Appropriate
Gifts for Anniversaries
Here is a list of gifts appropriate
according to tradition, to the varloui
anniversaries:
1—Paper. U—Silk, fine
2—Cotton. linen.
8—Leather. l.'l—Lace.
4—Fruit ann 14—Ivory.
flowers lo—Crystal.
5—Wooden. -0—China.
6—Sugar. Silver.
7—Woolen, .'!<>—I'earl.
8—India rubber. 4(1—Ruby.
9—Willow. M—Golden.
10—Till. 7>"i—Diamond
11—Steel.
There are lists which are sllglirij
different rtoni this but the majority
of sources of such information stamp
this as correct.
TO KILL
Screw Worms
Your money back if you don't like
Cannon's Liniment. It kills screw
worms, heals the wound and keeps
flics away. Ask your dealer. (Adv.)
Presenting
GUNLOCK
RANCH
by
FRANK H. SPEARMAN
gripping . . . enthralling
. . . a racing story of
love and hate in the
western mountains . ..
"Small girl for a big
job, as the Indians
would say."
That wasohl Doc Carpy's
opinion of Jane Van
Tambel, Eastern girl who
came to Sleepy Cat to
manage Iter ailing fath-
er's ranch. But Jane
proved herself capable.
You'll follow with in-
tense interest this truly
unusual Western novel
written by a master of
Rocky Mountain fiction,
Frank H. Spearman.
You'll be swept into fie-
tionland by the intense
story of a girl who found
START IT IN
THIS ISSUE!!
that her father was a
despised crook, and that
his mortal enemy was
the man she loved!
Such was the situation
facing Jane Van Tambel
as her struggle for hap-
piness began. Read how
she battled both man-
kind and cruel nature,
how she fought another
war within her own
heart ... a war between
one force that told her
to love Bil« Oenison
and another that asked
her to respect an unde-
serving father.
A NEW GIRL NOW
i1sfuNiocoout AGWN.
CUTICURA CEKtWHCf
OONT BE DISCOURAGED
BY EXTERNALLY CAUSED
PIMPLES, RASHES,
BLACKHEADS-GET
QUICK RELIEF WITH
wicm
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SOAP <4vd OlNTM€NT
WNU—L
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USLO FOR 65 YEARS
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Banger, J. E. A. & Erwin, W. L. The Cass County Sun (Linden, Tex.), Vol. 61, No. 35, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 27, 1936, newspaper, August 27, 1936; Linden, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth341125/m1/3/?rotate=270: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Atlanta Public Library.