Picture Show (May-Oct 1919)

14 The I'tclnre S/,o,r, S< i'l'.mh(r IZlfi, 1919. A THRILLING WESTERN STORY OF A MAN WHO MADE GOOD. ".A-j^--; ■■ .y^''T~:^^'5,Vii»' -.y^:— — 'ir:}^ OVER the roUiri'.; s u n b n k e (\ ground of an Arizona prairie a girl was riding witli an easy rein f-lie voung, not more than WILLIAM \ '^^HK^^H^ twenty-two, with fair c vtART ^^Ik. ^^^^K^J^lxr ^^"^ ^'^^ ^S^^ n/\ni , ^f^^MiX^ pyeS; and her pretty . as ^^^^^^ , ^^^Bel^^ face was tanned witli Steve Ransom. ^^!5sss=ssSS5*^ open-air exercise. Kot that Elsa Miller was alway.i in the open. Behind her, as she rode, was the town of Yellow Dog, and the post oflice, in which Elsa worked with her brother Carl. As she turned into a bv-path, Elsa came suddenly on a scene that sent a hot flame of anger to her cheeks. A vicious-looking Mexican was savagely beating his horse with a raw hide whip. Pas,sionately fond of all animals, Elsa rode forward cal'in" on the man to stop. As she came up to him, she noticed that hi? eves were inflamed with drink and that he was in a dangerous mood. With an evil leer the Mexican sprang towards her, and before she could prevent him he had seized the bridle of her horse. '■ You don't like me beating my horse, eh ? ' he shouted "Well, I take vours." As he started to pull her from tlie saddle. Elsa shouted for help as she struggled but her heart grew faint as she realised that it was not likely that anyone would be passing that part, which was off the But help wa~ at hand in the person of a tall athletic man with a strong clean■ shaven face His iac? was not the only thing about him that was strong, for with one powerful blow he knocked the drunken Mexican into a clump of chapparal. " Looks as if I arrived in time, ma'am," he said, as he cast a look of contempt on the Mexican, now sobered by fright. . ^. . The girl explained, and the newcomer turned his attention to the Mesirans horse, which stood with one forefoot poised gingerly in the air. '■Why, he's lame!" said the man. , , , . . j . Takiu" a knife from his pocket, he lifted up the horse s hoof and prised out a stone Then giving the animal a pat on the haunches, he sent him galloping away on the trail. Turning to the Mexican, he said: " Now you can walk home. And beat it quicklv if you don't want helping with my boot." Glad to get off so lightlv the Mexican scuttled away like a frightened rabbit. '■ Chance \ ou should meet anv more vermin like that," said the man, "I'll rido along with you if you like. My name is Steve AUen, and I'm riding in to Vellow Dog." . . . « „„ , , J t "Thank vou. v»rv much," replied the girl. "Ill be glad of your company hack, for tliat man" really frightened me." , . . ^ They rode along the trail side bv side, Elsa secretly admiring her rescuer. And there was reason for her admiration, for Allen was every inch a man. When the.\ reached Yellow Dog, Allen gave a graceful sweep of his black sombrero and wheeled l.i* horse. , , , ,, " Mavbe I'll see you again. I'm staying around here for a time. " I shall be pleased to see you," replied the girl frankly. " I am the telegraph operator at the post office." „ j ai Steve \llen did not let the grass grow under his feet, for he called at the office the verv next dav, bringing with him a bunch of wild flowers. Elsa smiled her thanks as she tookthe flowers, and introduced Allen to her brother, who immediately took a liking to the man who had rescued his sister. „ Whatever iHteve Allen's business was, it brought him to Yellow Dog ever} day. and he never rode into the town without calling at the office. " I had to come to Yellow Dog, so I thought I'd just drop in," was his invariable rreetin" 4 man of action rather than words. Steve found it very difficult to find 'xcu«es° for calling so he stuck to the one. And Carl Miller would chuckle to Himself as he busied himself with his books and left Allen to chat with his '" T^hev were stirring times even at Y'cUow Dog at this period. America was pxpeclVd to come in»o the war at any moment, and the newspapers that came into the town were eageriy bought up by the inhabitants as soon as they ^'^One^dav as \llen was chatting with Elsa, their attention was attracted by a large crowd in the square. Herman Brandt, the owner of the Magdalene Sliue. was addressing the gathering. ' . „ . , ^ , ti _ ^ " If America comes into this war, it will be ruin, he shouted. We must play the game with Germany, who has always been a good friend to us. It will be "suicid.al for us to help England." Steve AUen's lips tightened as he heard the words. . \, , • " I'll lay that Brandt is more of a German than an American, he muttered. " It's about time another speaker got to that crowd." , .„ , . He walked out to the crowd and listened to some more of Brandt s pro-German utterances, and then pushing his way forward he raised his hand. His comnmnding fiaure focussed attention. , , „ . . , " This talk is no good, bovs," he said. " We ate Americans, and if our country calls us, we have got to go. "That is all there is to it, and the man who don't answer that call when it comes is a traitor." , i ^ c^t • a The crowd which had listened In silence to Brandt, cheered Steve s words, and the mine owner, feeling that he was losing his influence over them, began another speech, from which it was clear that his sympathies were entirely with Germany, and that his pretended concern tor America was sheer "^^SiSve's face crimooned with anger as he listened to Brandt's oily words, and, snatching a small American flag from outside a store, he rushed up to the mine iwner. , . ., . n ,, i, • ^ " If you arc a good American, kiss this flag, he cned. Brandt'*' face paled, but as he looked round the crowd he saw they were all with St'-ve He had got to dissemble or show he was a (ierroan at heart. He raised the flag, but before it could touch his lips Steve flung lum aside. " That flag needs no traitor's kiss," he said grimb'. And Brandt, with an evil look on his face slunk out of the crowd. _ As the crowd stood tilking, Elsa Miller rushed up waving a telegram. War ts declared ! " she cried, her eyes shining with excitement. „ ^ ^ Steve Allen took off his hat and gave a real cowboy s yell. I m off to Tort Scott bovs," he shoiit.ed. " I mean to be the first to enlist. „ . " A ringing cheer greeted his word? as the meu ran for their horses, all anxious • to answer the call of their country. Wanted by the Police. IN the private office of the Magdalene Mine Herman Brandt was talking m liis chief assistant, Schloss. "Who is this Allen?" he demanded. "Find out all about hira, and report to me. The hour has come, and if he is dangerous, he must be removed : " He lives on the hill," replied Scliloss, " and while he is riding to enlist we cim examine his cabin." Taking some of his trusted men with htm, Brandt rode off accompanied bv Schloss. Almost the first thing they found in Steve's cabin was a photograpii of a man in the uniform -of an officer in the American army. On the hack w^i^ written : " To my son Stephen. May you ever be loyal to the flag you ser\'-. James Ransom." " Ranspm," said Brandt, looking at Sch!o.5s. "and he calla himself Allen. A man does not change'his name for nothing. We must find out his secret." The conspirators rode back to the mine where Brandt sent a telegram to tbSheriff of WiUow Springs : " Have you got any information about a man named Steve Ransom ? " In a little while the Sheriff replied : " Ransom wanted for manslaughter." " Now we have hira," cried Brandt exultantly. " All we have to do is to wire to Fort Scott telling them that a man giving the name of. Allen is coming to enlist and that he is wanted by the Sheriff. Tliey will arrest him. and put liiin in prison, and that will be one meddlesome patriot out of our way." All unconscious of these designs against him, Steve Ransom, as we will now call him. rode on to Fort Scott, and to his great joy when he arrived there he found that he was the first man to come to enlist since the declaration of war. He was warmly welcomed by the officer who sent hira to wait in a tent while the surgeon could find time to exaraine him. It chanced that this particular tent was next to the orderly room, and while he was waiting Steve heaid the telegraph operator call out the message from the Sheriff ordering his arrest. Before the officer luid received the me.s,sage, Steve had crawled out of the tent, and, finding his horse where he had tethered him, galloped away. Clear of the fort he reined in his horse and shaded bis eyes with his hands as he looked towards Yellow Dog. " Well, General, old boy," he multeted, stroking the neck of his steed. " I guess they'll be after tis slick But there's a girl in YeUow Dog, and I'm going to say good-bye to ber, cost wliat it may." And as if he knew the need for haste, General, at the touch of his master's heel, sprang forward at liis top speed. Half-way between the fort and Yellow Dog he spotted a group of men standing around a figure on the ground. Sle\e crept closer and recognised in the prostrate man Carl Miller. The men around him were Brandt, Schloss, and another man belonging to the mine. Brandt was reading a telegram, and from the excited expression on his face Steve decided it was very important news. Eventually Brandt and Scliloss rode off, leaving the third man to look after Miller. Steve Ransom bit his lips with vexation. He felt sure that Brandt was planning: some villainy with which the telegram was in some way connected, but he couhl not ride after hira without pts-sing the man they had left behind. And, to add to his dilemma, the troopers from Fort Scott would by this time be on his track. If he rushed by the men in charge of Carl, he vyould certainly be recognised, and the man would give information to the troopers, who would catch up with liim before he could track Brandt and find out what he was planning. As he stood there thinking what 'las best to do, a cloud of dust signalled another rider fioni the direction of Yell.iw Dog. and the next minute Elsa Miller rode into \iew. Steve heard her explain .that her brotlfcr s horse had galloped into the town riderless, and knowing something must have happened to him she had ridden to find him. As the girl bent over her brother, Steve heard Carl say : " Get that man away for a minute. It is a matter of life or death Turning to the man, Elsa said : " My brother is parched. Will you get Mm some water ? " The man grumblingly obeyed, but Steve, keeping a sliarp eye on him, noticed that as soon as he was out of sight he crept back and, crouching behind a bu.sh. listened to what Carl was tclhng Elsa. As he watched the man, Steve saw him draw his revolver and level it at the pair. Ransom's own gun was out like a flash, and it was liis weapon that spoke first. With a loud cry the man pitched forward on his face, and then turned over with one convulsive movement He had gone to a higher master than Brandt of the Magdalene Mine. " What does all this mean ? " cried Steve, as he rushed to the brother and sister. " Y'ou are just the man we need," said Carl. " Listen. Brandt is a German spy. 1 came out to meet him with a telegram, it was all about mining, and I had no suspicion that anything was wrong. When I got to this spot, my horse shied and I was thrown to the ground. Brandt and the others found me and took the telegram from my hand. I recovered consciousness while Brandt was reading the wire, and to my horror I learned that the mining terms were merely a code. The real message read : " Pershing and bis staff have sailed." As I lay here helpless, I heard Brandt say how he would send a wireless message, by a wireless plant that is liidden in the mine, to Berlin, giving the Huns the information that would enable them to locate the transport on which Pershing is and sink her with their U-boats. Don't worrj about me, but you and Elsa ride straight for the mine. It will take some time for them to fix up the 'wireless, and you may be in time to save Pershing." | Steve Ransom could see that this was the only way In which they could outwit Brandt ; and making Carl as comfortable as possible, he and Elsa galloped as hard as they could to Magdalene Mine. Tethering their horses in a little thicket they crept forward on foot. | " Look ! " said Elsa clutching Steve by the. arm. She pointed to the assay shed, and Steve, following her finger, saw the roof of the shed parting w liile a wireless mast appeared through the orifice. " We are in time," breathed Elsa. " They have not rigged up Uie mast yet.^ But we must Iiiirrj-." We can't go tlirough the office," said Steve. " They would be sure to see lis. Do you think you could let me carry you across tliat trestle-work which runs to the top of the Rhed? The.v will be inside, anJ we shall not be seea._ It's . dangerous, but it is our only chance." " I'm ready to face any danger — with you,"' wliispered Elsa. -Taking the girl in Ids arms, Steve mounted the trestle-work. The stmts of timber were .about a foot apart, and it needed a sure foot and a cool head to climb the trestle-work, encmnbered.as lie was with the weight of the girl, but they reached \Pontinueil on oaae 75 I