Arizona Days

1
The Spring drive had
  started and enormous
beef herds were trailing 
north to shipping points.

2
Ed Hicks, whose over-
  worked branding
iron was responsible
for the drive he was
starting.

	J.P. McGowan

3
Black Bailey, who also
  had a motherly af-
fection for any stray 
mavericks.

	- Mack V. Wright

4
"Soon as we git Martin's
 beef rounded up that
 herd'll be ready for th'
        trail."

5
Through the long winter,
  Jackson County had
been terrorized by or-
ganized cattle stealing
and the Martin Ranch
had been one of the 
   heavy losers.

6
John Martin, who
  had adopted peculiar
methods in protecting 
his own herd.

  - John Lowell Russell

7
"Ed, your men are
  rounding up my 
      stock!"

8
"Waal, yore one of us
     ain't yuh?"

9
"I only joined your
 rustling outfit because
 you said that my cattle
 would be left alone."

10
"The Cowman's As-
 sociation would git 
 suspicious if yuh was
 th' only one of us that
 didn't have beef stolen
 - that's why we're
 takin' some o' yore
    herd along."

11
"But don't worry - we'll
 turn yore stock loose
 at th' border and
 they'll be sure to herd
      back home."

12
Chuck Drexel, who was
  blessed with a keen
sense of humor that had
got him out of many 
tight spots.

	- Bob Custer

13
Dolly Martin had always
  been suspicious of
Hicks and his methods -
in spite of his interest in
her father's affairs.

  - Peggy Montgomery

14
"Will we cut out Martin's 
 beef and turn it loose
 when we reach the
      border?"

15
"No - sell 'em along
   with th' rest."

16
"Ed, there's a lot of our
 cattle mixed up in
     that herd."

17
"Yore cattle! Yuh mean
 yore father's cattle."

18
"No! Mine - - just as
 much as his - and I'm
 going to hold them on
 our range - even if I
 have to get the Sheriff
     to help me."

19
"Yore always breeding
 trouble by hornin' in
   on my affairs."

20
"When I get back with
 the Sheriff you'll get
 a worse fall than
     that, Ed."

21
"Go ahead an' git th'
 Sheriff - - you'll find
 yore Dad takin' a
  tumble hisself."

22
"I'll call that bluff, Ed,
 and let the Sheriff
  decide the bet."

23
"You are not going to
 the Sheriff, little girl."

24
"I'd like to see any fresh
    cow-hand hold me
         back."

25
"I'm going to take you
  home, little girl."

26
"Don't little girl me - -
 and when I want your
 fresh help I'll ask for it."

27
"Naughty - naughty -
 be a nice little girl."

28
"Dad, that fresh cow-
 puncher has been
 making a fool out of 
         me."

29
"If I had a gun I'd drill
 some manners into
     his head."

30
"Thanks for the lesson
 in manners, little girl."

31
Black Rock - - The
   County Seat.

32
"Just heard that th'
 Cowmen's Association
 was shippin' a detec-
  tive inter town."

33
Reginald Van Wiley - -
  tenderest kind of
tenderfoot.

	- Jack Ponder

34
"I say, old chappie,
 where is the Martin
 Rancheerio and all
 that sort of thing?"

35
"Somebody must have
 tipped th' association
 off that Old Man
 Martin's turned rustler"

36
"Awkward - extremely
      awkward."

37
Since meeting Dolly,
  Chuck found many
excuses to visit the
Martin ranch.

38
"You'll find my father
       outside."

39
"Ed, your men didn't
 turn my stock loose as
     you promised."

40
"S'funny, John, some-
 how th' brandin' irons
 got mixed an' we
 couldn't find yore
 cattle in th' herd."

41
"Hyars a little on ac-
 count - I'll settle in full
 soon as Bailey gits
 back with th' rest o'
     th' jack."

42
"That's Ed Hicks - he
 and my father are
 mixed up in some
      deals."

43
"He's the new man
 that's taken Lackey's
 cabin up in the pass."

44
"Mebbe if you'd found
 th' Sheriff yuh wouldn't
  have got that coin."

45
"Let go of my arm!"

46
"Miss Martin's just
 started a school
 teaching manners."

47
"I'm staying at Lackey's
 cabin up in the pass."

48
"A code letter!"

49
To Dolly the code letter
  contained a sinister
threat against her 
 father's safety.

50
Lackey's cabin in the 
         pass.

51
"What brought you up
 here in this disguise?"

52
"The chief insisted that
 I come up and report
       to you."

53
"If Hick's suspicions are
 aroused he's liable to
 start trouble and ruin
   all of my plans."

54
"Hicks and his rustlers!
 I've got to lead them
 away so that I can get
  back to Martin's."

55
"Watch this tenderfoot -
  I'll attend to his
       partner."

56
"He had my father
 handcuffed and drove
  off towards Black
        Rock."

57
"Dolly fell for our plan -
 she rode off to warn
        Hicks."

58
"I'm heading for the
 pass - - you keep
      driving."

59
"That fellow is onto us,
 Ed, but you've got him 
 bluffed - - he made
 his getaway as soon
   as he saw you."

60
"We'll round up every
 head of stock and get
 it across the line."

61
"Dad - you're letting
 Hicks tighten the rope
 that's half way around
    your neck now."

62
"You mind yore own 
 affairs or I'm onery
 enough to giv' said
 rope a jerk that'll hurt."

63
"The rustlers have fall-
 en into my trap and
 are starting another 
 round-up. Don't let a
    steer get by."

64
Hicks starts his final 
       round-up.

65
"Martin sent for these
 detectives - then spread
 a trap an' led us into it."

66
"I'll ramble over to th' 
 ranch an' teach 
 Martin some manners"

67
"Black Bailey found my
 identification papers
 and went to warn
 Hicks.

68
"They'll head for the
 Martin ranch - you get
 the Sheriff while I hold
 them off!"

69
"Martin, you've reached
 th' end o' yore rope!"

70
"I'll 'tend to yuh in my
        own way."


The End.