In Montana and Wyoming he was held responsible for the outrages of the
band that had descended from the Hole-in-the-Wall territory and for
over a hundred miles carried murder and theft that shamed as being
weak the most assiduous efforts of zealous Cheyennes. It was in this
last raid that he had made the mistake and it was in this raid that
Frenchy McAllister had lost his wife.
When Frenchy had first been approached by Buck as to his going in
search of the rustlers he had asked to go alone. This had been denied
by the foreman of the Bar-20 because the men whom he had selected to
accompany the scout were of such caliber that their presence could not
possibly form a hindrance. Besides being his most trusted friends they
were regarded by him as being the two best exponents of "gun-play"
that the West afforded. Each was a specialist: Hopalong, expert beyond
belief with his Colt's six-shooters, was only approached by Red, whose
Winchester was renowned for its accuracy. The three made a perfect
combination, as the rashness of the two younger men would be under the
controlling influence of a man who could retain his coolness of mind
under all circumstances.
When Buck and Frenchy looked into each other's eyes there sprang
into the mind of each the same name-Slippery Trendley. Both had spent
the greater part of a year in fruitless search for that person, the
foreman of the Tin-Cup in vengeance for the murder of his wife, the
blasting of his prospects and the loss of his herds; Buck, out of
sympathy for his friend and also because they had been partners in the
Double Y.
Pages:
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205