A Man Four-Square
BY WILLIAM MAC LEOD RAINE
AUTHOR OF THE YUKON TRAIL, BUCKY O'CONNOR, STEVE YEAGER, WYOMING, ETC.
1919
Contents
PROLOGUE
I. "CALL ME JIMMIE-GO-GET-'EM" II. SHOOT-A-BUCK CANON III. RANSE ROUSH PAYS IV. PAULINE ROUBIDEAU SAYS "THANK YOU" V. NO FOUR-FLUSHER VI. BILLIE ASKS A QUESTION VII. ON THE TRAIL VIII. THE FIGHT IX. BILLIE STANDS PAT X. BUD PROCTOR LENDS A HAND XI. THE FUGITIVES XII. THE GOOD SAMARITAN XIII. A FRIENDLY ENEMY XIV. THE GUN-BARREL ROAD XV. LEE PLAYS A LEADING ROLE XVI. THREE MODERN MUSKETEERS XVII. "PEG-LEG" WARREN XVIII. A STAMPEDE XIX. A TWO-GUN MAN XX. EXIT MYSTERIOUS PETE XXI. JIM RECEIVES AND DECLINES AN OFFER XXII. THE RUSTLERS' CAMP XXIII. MURDER FROM THE CHAPARRAL XXIV. JIMMIE-GO-GET-'EM LEAVES A NOTE XXV. THE MAL-PAIS XXVI. A DUST-STORM XXVII. "A LUCKY GUY" XXVIII. SHERIFF PRINCE FUNCTIONS XXIX. "THEY CAN'T HANG ME IF I AIN'T THERE" XXX. POLLY HAS A PLAN XXXI. GOODHEART MAKES A PROMISE AND BREAKS IT XXXII. JIM TAKES A PRISONER XXXIII. THE ROUND-UP XXXIV. PRIMROSE PATHS
A Man Four-Square
Prologue
A girl sat on the mossy river-bank in the dappled, golden sunlight. Frowning eyes fixed on a sweeping eddy, she watched without seeing the racing current. Her slim, supple body, crouched and tense, was motionless, but her soul seethed tumultuously. In the bosom of her coarse linsey gown lay hidden a note. Through it destiny called her to the tragic hour of decision.
The foliage of the young pawpaws stirred behind her. Furtively a pair of black eyes peered forth and searched the opposite bank of the stream, the thicket of rhododendrons above, the blooming laurels below. Very stealthily a handsome head pushed out through the leaves.
"'Lindy," a voice whispered.
The girl gave a start, slowly turned her head. She looked at the owner of the voice from steady, deep-lidded eyes. The pulse in her brown throat began to beat. One might have guessed her with entire justice a sullen lass, untutored of life, passionate, and high-spirited, resentful of all restraint. Hers was such beauty as lies in rich blood beneath dark coloring, in dusky hair and eyes, in the soft, warm contours of youth. Already she was slenderly full, an elemental daughter of Eve, primitive as one of her fur-clad ancestors. No forest fawn could have been more sensuous or innocent than she.
Again the man's glance swept the landscape cautiously before he moved out from cover. In the country of the Clantons there was always an open season on any one of his name.
"What are you doin' here, Dave Roush?" the girl demanded. "Are you crazy?"
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: A Man Four-Square by William MacLeod Raine
- 2: There'd be one less Roush or one less Clanton
- 3: Had wounded a Roush at long range
- 4: You ain't havin' no truck with Dave Roush are you
- 5: She nursed against her father not only resentment
- 6: From to night she was to be a Roush
- 7: I'm Hugh Roush Dave's brother
- 8: Ranse Roush hit her horse with a switch an' sez
- 9: The Texan chewed tobacco placidly and eyed the cowpony
- 10: My name is Wrayburn Dad Wrayburn
- 11: Yankie looked at him with a sneer
- 12: As soon as Yankie had cantered away
- 13: Prince roped out a cinnamon horse from the remuda
- 14: Probably Roubideau and his son Jean after strays
- 15: Roubideau must be standin' 'em off
- 16: The Mescaleros swept up the hill toward her
- 17: That gorge to the right is called Escondido Canon
- 18: Then ride hell for leather up Escondido
- 19: One bullet passed through the head of the third Mescalero
- 20: I got to admit that the Roush clan is dirt mean
- 21: Roush pitched forward on his face
- 22: Chapter IVPauline Roubideau Says Thank You
- 23: It's all right for yore dad to much you
- 24: It was different with Pauline Roubideau
- 25: If it hadn't been for old Nance Cunningham
- 26: The horse that Roubideau drove was an old and patient one
- 27: And the Roubideaus got two of 'em
- 28: I've a notion to go an' bust my laig too
- 29: Mebbe some day you may feel different about it
- 30: She had not yet fully emerged from her childhood
- 31: What do you mean trouble with the Snaith McRobert outfit
- 32: The butt of a revolver hammered the counter
- 33: When Webb drove through here two days ago with a herd
- 34: Might have warned Roush and perhaps did
- 35: Roush let fall a surprised oath
- 36: Some of them carried out the body of Hugh Roush
- 37: The Roush brothers were in our party
- 38: Not a muscle twitched in the lean
- 39: Replied Albeen with heavy sarcasm
- 40: I'm not talkin' about Jim Clanton
- 41: I'll get yore own horses from the corral
- 42: I'm on the bronc Sanders rides
- 43: Young Clanton looked at his friend suspiciously
- 44: But always he came back to Dave Roush and his brother
- 45: When the Texan returned to his friend
- 46: Prince covered him with the blankets and his coat
- 47: My road brand is Billie Prince
- 48: Did he really kill Dave and Hugh Roush
- 49: Why don't you keep his face sponged
- 50: Yo' suppah done been ready an hour
- 51: Snaith recognized this and accepted it
- 52: And ride through to Webb for help
- 53: Do you know where Jack Goodheart is
- 54: The drag driver directed Goodheart to the left point
- 55: Wrayburn turned to the foreman
- 56: Wrayburn did not raise his voice
- 57: Dropped over the head of Yankie
- 58: If that's his name had a feud with the Roush family
- 59: Not with yore horse carryin' double
- 60: Snaith leaned forward in the saddle
- 61: From across the river came a scatter of bullets
- 62: Both Clanton and Prince returned the fire
- 63: Get yore head down to the water
- 64: The two men entered the arroyo
- 65: The gelding went sun fishing into the air
- 66: Wrayburn recognized the man as Peg Leg Warren
- 67: Homer Webb called to Prince and to Wrayburn
- 68: Billie found himself in the van of the stampede
- 69: Jim Clanton called his friend to one side
- 70: It wouldn't be fair to you or to Webb either
- 71: The remuda had been brought up by the wranglers
- 72: But this was no excuse for Clanton
- 73: Clanton was now a two gun man
- 74: That Mysterious Pete Champa was one
- 75: Did Dave Roush an' Mysterious Pete seem pretty friendly
- 76: Particularly he hated Dave Roush
- 77: I swear I thought it was Clanton
- 78: Devil may care young fellow at the gate was Clanton
- 79: He took hay and grain contracts
- 80: You don't have to send to Vegas for it
- 81: The woman that marries Jim Clanton is doomed to be miserable
- 82: And Jim had clapped him on the shoulder
- 83: Yankie dismounted and straddled to the fire
- 84: Commented Albeen to the world at large
- 85: Roush grumbled something inaudible
- 86: You will if Yankie can bring it about
- 87: Joe Yankie is as revengeful as an Injun
- 88: At the edge of a heavy growth of brush Clanton pulled up
- 89: A slow anger at Clanton burned in him
- 90: But Billie had talked with Dad Wrayburn
- 91: It might be Clanton you're double crossin'
- 92: Buck Sanders might not like it
- 93: You'll get yore gun when we reach Los Portales
- 94: In combing the sand desert east of the Mal Pais
- 95: Why shouldn't I be here when Lee Snaith is lost
- 96: When Lee passed the buckboard driver
- 97: Her muscles ached with the flogging they were receiving
- 98: He gave her sandwiches and she devoured them
- 99: There never was a sweeter girl than Polly Roubideau
- 100: I think I'm a little lucky too
- 101: Chapter XXVIIISheriff Prince Functions Yippy yip yip yip
- 102: A railroad had pushed in to Live Oaks
- 103: Prince got his keys and unlocked the room where Clanton was
- 104: Jack Goodheart also observed the cowpony
- 105: I don't need to handcuff Clanton
- 106: Goodheart did not take the direct road to Live Oaks
- 107: She turned on Goodheart Bel et bien
- 108: Personally he believed that Clanton was guilty
- 109: Goodheart came into the parlor with Pierre Roubideau
- 110: But Goodheart was thorough in whatever he undertook
- 111: Clanton stretched his stiff muscles
- 112: Pauline was under great nervous tension
- 113: I came up through the trapdoor when I was in the cellar
- 114: Brad was sitting on a bench against the wall
- 115: He knew that Goodheart would pursue
- 116: Roush could make no resistance
- 117: Roush dropped screaming to the ground
- 118: Tell him I jumped Roush on the Ruidosa
- 119: The rustler at once corroborated the story of Roush
- 120: He called Goodheart to one side
- 121: Yankie closed his eyes wearily
- 122: Billie did not at once follow them
- 123: Goodheart reached town a few hours earlier than his chief
- 124: Clanton sustained the burden of the talk