THE NOVEL mavericks

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Mavericks, by William MacLeod Raine This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: Mavericks Author: William MacLeod Raine Release Date: December 29, 2004 [EBook #14520] Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MAVERICKS *** Produced by Kathryn Lybarger and the PG Online Distributed Proofreading Team THE RIDER SLEWED IN THE SADDLE WITH HIS WHOLE ATTENTION UPON POSSIBLE PURSUIT Frontispiece Page 33 THE RIDER SLEWED IN THE SADDLE WITH HIS WHOLE ATTENTION UPON POSSIBLE PURSUIT (Page 33) MAVERICKS BY WILLIAM MACLEOD RAINE AUTHOR OF WYOMING, RIDGWAY OF MONTANA, BUCKY O'CONNOR, A TEXAS RANGER, ETC ILLUSTRATIONS BY CLARENCE ROWE logo GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS NEW YORK 1911 STREET & SMITH 1912 G.W DILLINGHAM COMPANY TO MY MOTHER "In vain men tell us time can alter Old loves, or make old memories falter." CONTENTS I PHYLLIS II THE NESTER III CAUGHT RED-HANDED IV "I'M A RUSTLER AND A THIEF, AM I?" V AN AIDER AND ABETTOR VI A GOOD FRIEND VII A SHOT FROM AMBUSH VIII MISS GOING-ON-EIGHTEEN IX PUNISHMENT X INTO THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY XI TOM DIXON XII THE ESCAPE XIII A MISTAKE XIV A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION XV THE BRAND BLOTTER XVI A WATERSPOUT XVII THE HOLD-UP XVIII BRILL HEALY AIRS HIS SENTIMENTS XIX THE ROAN WITH THE WHITE STOCKINGS XX YEAGER RIDES TO NOCHES XXI BREAKING DOWN AN ALIBI XXII SURRENDER XXIII AT THE RODEO XXIV MISSING XXV LARRY TELLS A BEAR STORY XXVI THE MAN HUNT XXVII THE ROUND-UP LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS The rider slewed in the saddle with his whole attention upon possible pursuit She drew back as if he had struck her, all the sparkling eagerness driven from her face "Drop that gun!" They grappled in silence save for the heavy panting that evidenced the tension of their efforts CHAPTER I PHYLLIS Phyllis leaned against the door-jamb and looked down the long road which wound up from the valley and lost itself now and again in the land waves Miles away she could see a little cloud of dust travelling behind the microscopic stage, which moved toward her almost as imperceptibly as the minute-hand of a clock A bronco was descending the hill trail from the Flagstaff mine, and its rider announced his coming with song in a voice young and glad "My love has breath o' roses, O' roses, o' roses, And cheeks like summer posies All fresh with morning dew," floated the words to her across the sunlit open If the girl heard, she heeded not One might have guessed her a sullen, silent lass, and would have done her less than justice For the storm in her eyes and the curl of the lip were born of a mood and not of habit They had to do with the gay vocalist who drew his horse up in front of her and relaxed into the easy droop of the experienced rider at rest "Don't see me, do you?" he asked, smiling Her dark, level gaze came round and met his sunniness without response "Yes, I see you, Tom Dixon." "And you don't think you see much then?" he suggested lightly She gave him no other answer than the one he found in the rigor of her straight figure and the flash of her dark eyes "Mad at me, Phyl?" Crossing his arms on the pommel of the saddle he leaned toward her, half coaxing, half teasing ... They might have him outdoors or in the men's bunk house with them under a guard, or they might have locked him up somewhere until the arrival of the others If the latter, it must be in the store, since that was the only safe place under lock and key... growing feeling of them all, but he had flung it out as a stark challenge before the time was ripe It was one thing to resent the coming of settlers; it was quite another to set themselves openly against the law that allowed these men to homestead the natural parks in the hills... He nodded, after the fashion of the range, first to the girl, and then to her brother "Morning," he nodded "Headed for Mesa? Here, too." He fell in with them and rode beside the girl Presently they topped