r Ur ' l. He was known flown Gulch City way Threo-Gun Weaver. Strmnffera in Gukh City often inquired concerning the origin of We*' calling-name and had as often received querulous rerfy of, “Don’t yon savvy podnerT** He was a treat who carried guns all over hii •elf and he was Inch Inin* on the draw, but except when waa plenty riled, he was a plumb peaceful hombre. Three-Gun Weaver was a youn* cow-poke for Square-Dot Ranch, which was one of the largest call businesses east of Goat Range. It was said of him he shied from work bitter than anybody on the ranch, ing daylight he hung around “Chiehsa* Frier's saloon, at night ha just couldn’t be found. You ass. Weaver was one 1 of those guys that women fall for. He wasn't a vary big man, but if he been any more handsome, he could have been called prel His trim figure and gay manner were envied by r oum and admired by every woman in Gulch. But to qu< the young men in Gulch, “he jast had what it took. 1 trail of broken hearts could always be found where Gun had been. But the trouble that Three-Gun complained was that he had broken all ths hearts in Gukh so there were no more to break, j * That’s the kind of that he told in Chicken’s saloon to his Smoky Circle which consisted of some pokes shout Thrse-Guo’s own who worked around Gulch territory and who liksd. to Its! to his storiss about woman—women who had lost thsir hi at first jseoting Three-Gua and who had had thsir 1< and affection ensnared by his unquestionable charm. Each member of the gang, too, had felt heart pal dae to this saperior control of Three-Gun’s when he stolen girl-friends and returned them only as the grew tiresome. The gang had taken these punishments being unpreventable, but had s lingering hope that sot time would come a day of retribution. “Some day,** said “Fissle” Bland—and the other yo\ men. including “Suds” Braziel, nodded their heads and approval, “you’re going to fall for some damp and hard you’ll never get over it. We know you’ve got r thing, but—" “You said it.; FVe got everything—but a heart!** that, Three-Gun walked ou^. leaving the saloon doors Ring, and left the gang to what turned out to be a ; spiracy. And in that conspiracy, genius was born in head of one of Throe-Gun's heart victims, Otto Shields, brought fourth the fact that on that very day the school marm, a most gorgeous angel, a perfect s] of feminine loveliness—had moved into Jett Sullivan's which was right across ths creek from Otto’s Dual hangout Perhaps she might be persuaded to work for cause! H would be s great joy to the youth at Gukl see a gal give Weaver a dose of his own medicine. Otto’s plan was received coldly at first Maybe was married. Maybe she would fall ia love with Gun like all the others. But maybe—! Otto eras to take the problem to her. That he did, and this of great feminine attributes reluctantly agreed to woi what she had .been persuaded is believe was a good Maybe it was because the sweetness of spring BY A. I WBIHiOtl t i ceremonies soon b**‘ a i sun : f Mr OCTOBER, 1939 .1 the air in Gulch City that Weaver foil., MafUn It was bee sum Mary Magee, the new addition of queenly beauty to Gujfch, was the saaaues of spring herself, that caused him to falL But regardless, the time of year and Mary’s beauty were certainly no hindrance to a thickening plot. Three-Gun lost no time in courting Mary when he was introduced to her by mas ter-of- Otto Shields. And his visits to Mary's residence le a nightly occurrence. Each evening as the to redden the weet, he would saddle up Sugar, him little paint horse, and ride with the lengthening shadows through Hangman’s Draw toward Mary’s residence. He' wouldj scarcely hear the high thin ufcil of the tou^ur, so eager did he become to see her. Tkree-Gun became so interested, in fact, that he rarefy ever attenax her outdoors. ‘Let’s go outside and 1^1 point out the wonders of the night for you. Lot me show you things you never dreamed of before.** But Mary shook \her head and told him that she had rather look at him WMm»her eyes wouldn't be so strained. He had pefUiatod, “You know Mary, ^ Is pretty outside, with the mellow moon s-shinin,’ the breeses Mowin', the crickets crickin' and the grasses growin’. j Don't .jp*i ^jtos? pon’t you think so?" At this she just wrinkled up that pretty little nose of berm, and Three Gun's inphW would feel like that time when he had tried to bdst that ornery strawberry roan. t . # How wonderful H was to court a e: mature like Mary! How fresh and how different she was at every visit! He just knew that she felt the way he did, but her refusing 'to say so just made the situation, the mter^tin* • Bgd: finally she let him point out the wonder* of the ' night to her. lit They left the- Sullivan house by the kitchen door and I wandered down to Sluice Creek, which they x could hear bubbliag as it wound its way along in the darkness Up- stream along the water's edge they followed, disregarding the dangers of the night. Shortly they small waterfall made by the creek whet | Sullivan property. Hete they sat and talked, mdved their boots and rinsed their feet in the cool water and watched as a full moon began to raise its* 1 a clump of trees across the creek. The water shook Sad sparkled before them, while back ia the bill trews could In board the shrill cry of the screech owl . . . A few days later Otto saw that Three-Gun ifaa showing , V est signs of absent-mindedness and Ions of at f >< nt* so hs earns i Jt snt I , J 13 Ml