om Blome's open intention of meeting the
Ranger.
Hoden was right. Not twenty-four hours after his last talk with Steele,
in which he advised quick action, he was found behind the little room of
his restaurant, with a bullet hole in his breast, dead. No one could be
found who had heard a shot.
It had been deliberate murder, for behind the bar had been left a piece
of paper rudely scrawled with a pencil:
"All friends of Ranger Steele look for the same."
Later that day I met Steele at Hoden's and was with him when he looked
at the body and the written message which spoke so tersely of the
enmity toward him. We left there together, and I hoped Steele would let
me stay with him from that moment.
"Russ, it's all in the dark," he said. "I feel Wright's hand in this."
I agreed. "I remember his face at Hoden's that day you winged him.
Because Jim swore you were wrong not to kill instead of wing him. You
were wrong."
"No, Russ, I never let feeling run wild with my head. We can't prove a
thing on Wright."
"Come on; let's hunt him up. I'll bet I can accuse him and make him show
his hand. Come on!"
That Steele found me hard to resist was all the satisfaction I got for
the anger and desire to avenge Jim Hoden that consumed me.
"Son, you'll have your belly full of trouble soon enough," replied
Steele. "Hold yourself in. Wait. Try to keep your eye on Sampson at
night. See if anyone visits him. Spy on him. I'll watch Wright."
"Don't you think you'd do well to keep out of town, especially when you
sleep?"
"Sure. I've got blankets out in the brush, and I go there every night
late and leave before daylight. But I keep a light burning in the 'dobe
house and make it look as if I were there."
"Good. That worried me. Now, what's this murder of Jim Hoden going to do
to Morton, Zimmer, and their crowd?"
"Russ, they've all got blood in their eyes. This'll make them see red.
I've only to say the word and we'll have all the backing we need."
"Have you run into Blome?"
"Once. I was across the street. He came out of the Hope So with some of
his gang. They lined up and watched me. But I went right on."
"He's here looking for trouble, Steele."
"Yes; and he'd have found it before this if I just knew his relation to
Sampson and Wright."
"Do you think Blome a dangerous man to meet?"
"Hardly. He's a genuine bad man, but for all that he's not much to be
feared. If he were quietly keeping away from trouble, then
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