Read the Riders Of High Rock (1993) for Free Online

and passed on his information. Sim Aragon's eyes lighted with excitement. A vicious killer he might be, but he was not a coward. A vain man, he could see
    how people would fear him if he killed the famous gunslinger of the Bar 20. Bones's face had gone blank with shock, and Grat was struck by something in his expression.
    "What's the matter?" he demanded sharply.
    "Grat"--Bones's lips fumbled with the words--"that hom-bre Hopalong Cassidy was a friend of Red Connors. Cassidy will be plenty sore if Connors is dead."
    Sim Aragon laughed. "Why be worried? He's only one man! I'll take care of him!"
    "You can have him!" Bones whispered fervently. "I want nothin' to do with that hombre!"
    Grat had forgotten what Bolt had advised, and the three trooped into the saloon together. One of the men who had spoken to Sue Gibson looked after them, his brow furrowed. "Now, that's funny!" he said to the man beside him. "I'd never figure any of Bolt's boys to be hangin' out with a thief like Aragon!"
    "Aw, just rode in with him, maybe. I did it myself, few days back." He spat. "Can't say I liked it, neither."
    "Yeah, that could be it." The tall puncher got to his feet. "Think I'll have a drink." He scowled. There had been something furtive about them as they talked, and he had heard Grat swearing. Now what was that about? Stopping short, he went into the Emporium.
    "Miss Sue," he said apologetically, "could I ask you some-thin'?"
    She turned quickly, a surprised smile on her face. These men were always most polite, but few of them had ever gone out of their way to address her. "Why, certainly, Joe. What is it?"
    "Seems sort of strange to me, and it sure ain't none of my business, but what did you tell Grat just now?"
    "Grat? Oh! Why, not much of anything! He just said he thought Red had gone on out of the country, and I told him that wouldn't be true because Red knew Hopalong Cassidy was coming up to meet him."
    "Cassidy?" Joe stared at her, an idea slowly forming in his brain. "Now what do you know about that?"
    "Why do you ask, Joe? What happened?"
    "Why, Grat seemed plumb upset about something, and then that Bones feller come in ridin' with Sim Aragon, and he couldn't get to them fast enough to tell 'em. Then Bones told Grat somethin' and he fell to cussin' somethin' awful. I reckon," he added, "I'm makin' a lot out of nothin', but it doesn't look right, and them with Aragon, too."
    "No," Sue replied slowly, "it doesn't."
    Sue looked at Joe. She knew the man by sight and had even danced with him once at a social. Joe Gamble rode for the 3F outfit. He was an honest, hard-working man and a top hand. "Joe," she asked suddenly, "have you lost any cattle lately?"
    It was his turn to look sharply at her, his eyes suddenly alert. "We sure have, ma'am. Hard to say how many, but some."
    "So have we. Red thought he had found a trail that morning he rode off. He said nothing to anyone else and told me not to tell Dad--it might worry him. He said he would follow it up, then come back. That was days ago, and there has been no sign of him since."
    Joe Gamble absorbed that slowly. He frowned at his boot toes. It was all vague and made no sense. None of them really knew they had lost cattle, and it might be they were heading into higher country where there was more water and the grass was greener. It could be. Still, when a man has been on the range for years he comes to the point where he can judge the
    number of cattle very well, and he was positive they were losing stock. Now Sue Gibson said Red had had the same suspicion. How about the others? It would do no harm to ask
    around.
    "May be nothin' to it," he commented then, "but if this here Hopalong shows up, let me know, will you? I may," he added, "scout around and try to pick up Red's trail. He seemed like a right nice feller."
    "We--Dad, I mean--have known Red Connors for a long time, and Hopalong, too. They drove herds over the trail together. They were together when my husband was killed."
    "Your