chuckled. "Just a printer, but I know a little about documents. I wouldn't promis e anything, but it might be that if the deed was faked and if the will was forged , I could tell. How, I don't know, and I couldn't promise anything. I'd have to examin e them, and preferably have them for a while."
"That's tough. Luby wouldn't turn loose of them. We'll see, though, for it's sur e an idea." He scowled. "You can't forge a deed, can you? This one's got a big sea l on it. I gave up when I saw that."
"Well," Rice said, "that might be the very reason it's on there. Did you have a goo d lawyer look at it?"
"Lawyer?" Horn exclaimed. "Man, there's no lawyer in Aragon but old Hemingway, an d he's drunk most of the time. I don't think he knows much law, anyway."
The following day, Rowdy worked hard, roping and tying calves, roping horses, an d attempting to improve his own speed and skill, though the steeldust wasn't nearl y the horse Cub was. Neil Rice had taken right hold, had cleaned out the house an d organized the cooking situation. Then he had handed Horn a list of supplies. Rowd y had grinned at it.
"All right, Rice," he had said, "I reckon we might as well eat and leave this plac e on full stomachs anyway. I'll head into Aragon and pick up this stuff."
With a packhorse Rowdy Horn headed for Aragon. All the way to town he was studyin g ways and means of getting the documents into his hands once more. There must be som e way. During their talk at breakfast Rice had told him that it was often possibl e to remove the seal from one document to another, that such a thing had been don e in more than one place.
Aragon was crowded when Rowdy rode down the main one of the town's three streets.
Banners were hanging across the street, and the town was bright with posters heraldin g the coming Stockman's Show and Rodeo. News had got around about the injury to Cub' s leg, however, and everywhere he went he found the odds on his winning first mone y had dropped. He was no longer given an even chance to win, for everyone had know n how much trust he placed in Cub, and all had seen the horse perform at one time o r another.
He called at the house for Jenny, but she was out. He r mother smiled at him, but her eyes looked as if she were disturbed.
"I'm sorry, Rowdy," Mrs. Welman told him, "Jenny's gone out. You may see her downtown."
He walked back down the street, telling himself that he was foolish to feel irritated.
Jenny had had no idea he would be coming in, and there was no reason why she shoul d be at home. He laughed at himself, then strode back downtown and went to the Emporiu m where he began buying groceries. He was packing them on his lead horse when he hear d a familiar voice, and glancing up, saw Bart Luby. Clinging to his arm was Jenny Welman!
Rowdy's face flushed, and he looked away, but not before Luby had seen him.
"How are you, Horn?" Bart said, making no effort to conceal his triumph. "Sorry t o hear about Cub! I was looking forward to the chance of beating him."
Jenny looked at Rowdy, paling slightly. His eyes met hers for an instant then h e looked away.
"Think nothing of it, Luby," he said, "but don't count me out. I'll be there yet."
"A man can't do much good on just a fair horse," Luby said, "but come along in. B e glad to have you."
Jenny hesitated. "I didn't know you were coming to town," she said.
"I see you didn't," he said, a little wryly.
Her chin lifted and her eyes blazed. "Well, what do you expect me to do? Stay hom e all the time? Anyway," she added suddenly, "I'd been planning to ride out and se e you. I don't think-well, we'd better call this off. Our engagement, I mean. "
He had a queer sinking feeling, but when he lifted his eyes, they revealed nothing.
"All right," was all he said, calmly. Her blue eyes hardened slightly. "You certainl y don't seem much upset!" she flared.
"Should I be?" he asked. "When a girl tosses a man over the first time he gets i n a tight spot, she's small
"That's tough. Luby wouldn't turn loose of them. We'll see, though, for it's sur e an idea." He scowled. "You can't forge a deed, can you? This one's got a big sea l on it. I gave up when I saw that."
"Well," Rice said, "that might be the very reason it's on there. Did you have a goo d lawyer look at it?"
"Lawyer?" Horn exclaimed. "Man, there's no lawyer in Aragon but old Hemingway, an d he's drunk most of the time. I don't think he knows much law, anyway."
The following day, Rowdy worked hard, roping and tying calves, roping horses, an d attempting to improve his own speed and skill, though the steeldust wasn't nearl y the horse Cub was. Neil Rice had taken right hold, had cleaned out the house an d organized the cooking situation. Then he had handed Horn a list of supplies. Rowd y had grinned at it.
"All right, Rice," he had said, "I reckon we might as well eat and leave this plac e on full stomachs anyway. I'll head into Aragon and pick up this stuff."
With a packhorse Rowdy Horn headed for Aragon. All the way to town he was studyin g ways and means of getting the documents into his hands once more. There must be som e way. During their talk at breakfast Rice had told him that it was often possibl e to remove the seal from one document to another, that such a thing had been don e in more than one place.
Aragon was crowded when Rowdy rode down the main one of the town's three streets.
Banners were hanging across the street, and the town was bright with posters heraldin g the coming Stockman's Show and Rodeo. News had got around about the injury to Cub' s leg, however, and everywhere he went he found the odds on his winning first mone y had dropped. He was no longer given an even chance to win, for everyone had know n how much trust he placed in Cub, and all had seen the horse perform at one time o r another.
He called at the house for Jenny, but she was out. He r mother smiled at him, but her eyes looked as if she were disturbed.
"I'm sorry, Rowdy," Mrs. Welman told him, "Jenny's gone out. You may see her downtown."
He walked back down the street, telling himself that he was foolish to feel irritated.
Jenny had had no idea he would be coming in, and there was no reason why she shoul d be at home. He laughed at himself, then strode back downtown and went to the Emporiu m where he began buying groceries. He was packing them on his lead horse when he hear d a familiar voice, and glancing up, saw Bart Luby. Clinging to his arm was Jenny Welman!
Rowdy's face flushed, and he looked away, but not before Luby had seen him.
"How are you, Horn?" Bart said, making no effort to conceal his triumph. "Sorry t o hear about Cub! I was looking forward to the chance of beating him."
Jenny looked at Rowdy, paling slightly. His eyes met hers for an instant then h e looked away.
"Think nothing of it, Luby," he said, "but don't count me out. I'll be there yet."
"A man can't do much good on just a fair horse," Luby said, "but come along in. B e glad to have you."
Jenny hesitated. "I didn't know you were coming to town," she said.
"I see you didn't," he said, a little wryly.
Her chin lifted and her eyes blazed. "Well, what do you expect me to do? Stay hom e all the time? Anyway," she added suddenly, "I'd been planning to ride out and se e you. I don't think-well, we'd better call this off. Our engagement, I mean. "
He had a queer sinking feeling, but when he lifted his eyes, they revealed nothing.
"All right," was all he said, calmly. Her blue eyes hardened slightly. "You certainl y don't seem much upset!" she flared.
"Should I be?" he asked. "When a girl tosses a man over the first time he gets i n a tight spot, she's small
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