..Tell him Jerry Card will never return!"
Thereupon, in the same dead calm, Venters backed Black Star away
from the curb, into the street, and out of range. He was ready
now to ride up to Withersteen House and turn the racers over to
Jane.
"Hello, Venters!" a familiar voice cried, hoarsely, and he saw a
man running toward him. It was the rider Judkins who came up and
gripped Venters's hand. "Venters, I could hev dropped when I seen
them hosses. But thet sight ain't a marker to the looks of you.
What's wrong? Hev you gone crazy? You must be crazy to ride in
here this way--with them hosses--talkie' thet way about Tull en'
Jerry Card."
"Jud, I'm not crazy--only mad clean through," replied Venters.
"Mad, now, Bern, I'm glad to hear some of your old self in your
voice. Fer when you come up you looked like the corpse of a dead
rider with fire fer eyes. You hed thet crowd too stiff fer
throwin' guns. Come, we've got to hev a talk. Let's go up the
lane. We ain't much safe here."
Judkins mounted Bells and rode with Venters up to the cottonwood
grove. Here they dismounted and went among the trees.
"Let's hear from you first," said Judkins. "You fetched back them
hosses. Thet is the trick. An', of course, you got Jerry the same
as you got Horne."
"Horne!"
"Sure. He was found dead yesterday all chewed by coyotes, en'
he'd been shot plumb center.
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