The Range Boss   By: Charles Alden Seltzer (1875-1942)

THE RANGE BOSS

BY CHARLES ALDEN SELTZER

AUTHOR OF THE BOSS OF THE LAZY Y, ETC.

ILLUSTRATED BY FRANK E. SCHOONOVER

NEW YORK GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS

Copyright A. C. McClurg & Co. 1916 Published September, 1916 Copyrighted in Great Britain

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE I At Calamity Crossing 1 II The Sympathetic Rescuer 12 III At the Flying W 33 IV A Memory of the Rider 42 V Love vs. Business 56 VI A Man and His Job 65 VII How an Insult Was Avenged 78 VIII What Uncle Jepson Heard 97 IX "Somethin's Gone Out of Them" 104 X The Law of the Primitive 111 XI Hagar's Eyes 130 XII The Rustlers 143 XIII The Fight 160 XIV The Rock and the Moonlight 166 XV The Runaway Comes Home 184 XVI Two Are Taught Lessons 188 XVII The Target 202 XVIII The Gunfighter 217 XIX Ready Gun and Clean Heart 233 XX The Bubble Dreams 245 XXI One Too Many 254 XXII Into Which a Girl's Trouble Comes 265 XXIII Banishing a Shadow 278 XXIV Realizing a Passion 291 XXV A Man Is Born Again 313 XXVI A Dream Comes True 328

ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

Randerson watches the newcomers Frontispiece

"I am Ruth Harkness, the new owner of the Flying W" 64

The twilight was split by a red streak 96

The grim, relentless figure behind him grew grotesque and gigantic in his thoughts 320

THE RANGE BOSS CHAPTER I

AT CALAMITY CROSSING

Getting up the shoulder of the mesa was no easy job, but judging from the actions and appearance of wiry pony and rider it was a job that would be accomplished. For part of the distance, it is true, the man thought it best to dismount, drive the pony ahead of him, and follow on foot. At length, however, they reached the top of the mesa, and after a breathing spell the man mounted and rode across the table land.