GUNSIGHT PASS HOW OIL CAME TO THE CATTLE COUNTRY AND BROUGHT A NEW WEST BY WILLIAM MACLEOD RAINE AUTHOR OF THE BIG-TOWN ROUND-UP, A MAN FOUR SQUARE, THE YUKON TRAIL, ETC. 1921 TO JAMES H. LANGLEY WHO LIVED MANY OF THESE PAGES IN THE DAYS OF HIS HOT-BLOODED YOUTH CONTENTS I. "CROOKED AS A DOG'S HIND LAIG" II. THE RACE III. DAVE RIDES ON HIS SPURS IV. THE PAINT HOSS DISAPPEARS V. SUPPER AT DELMONICO'S INTERRUPTED VI. BY WAY OF A WINDOW VII. BOB HART TAKES A HAND VIII. THE D BAR LAZY R BOYS MEET AN ANGEL IX. GUNSIGHT PASS X. THE CATTLE TRAIN XI. THE NIGHT CLERK GETS BUSY PRONTO XII. THE LAW PUZZLES DAVE XIII. FOR MURDER XIV. TEN YEARS XV. IN DENVER XVI. DAVE MEETS TWO FRIENDS AND A FOE XVII. OIL XVIII. DOBLE PAYS A VISIT XIX. AN INVOLUNTARY BATH XX. THE LITTLE MOTHER FREES HER MIND XXI. THE HOLD-UP XXII. NUMBER THREE COMES IN XXIII. THE GUSHER XXIV. SHORTY XXV. MILLER TALKS XXVI. DAVE ACCEPTS AN INVITATION XXVII. AT THE JACKPOT XXVIII. DAVE MEETS A FINANCIER XXIX. THREE IN CONSULTATION XXX. ON THE FLYER XXXI. TWO ON THE HILLTOPS XXXII. DAVE BECOMES AN OFFICE MAN XXXIII. ON THE DODGE XXXIV. A PLEASANT EVENING XXXV. FIRE IN THE CHAPARRAL XXXVI. FIGHTING FIRE XXXVII. SHORTY ASK A QUESTION XXXVIII. DUG DOBLE RIDES INTO THE HILLS XXXIX. THE TUNNEL XL. A MESSAGE XLI. HANK BRINGS BAD NEWS XLII. SHORTY IS AWAKENED XLIII. JUAN OTERO IS CONSCRIPTED XLIV. THE BULLDOG BARKS XLV. JOYCE MAKES PIES GUNSIGHT PASS CHAPTER I "CROOKED AS A DOG'S HIND LAIG" It was a land of splintered peaks, of deep, dry gorges, of barren mesas burnt by the suns of a million torrid summers. The normal condition of it was warfare. Life here had to protect itself with a tough, callous rind, to attack with a swift, deadly sting. Only the fit survived. But moonlight had magically touched the hot, wrinkled earth with a fairy godmother's wand. It was bathed in a weird, mysterious beauty. Into the crotches of the hills lakes of wondrous color had been poured at sunset. The crests had flamed with crowns of glory, the cañons become deep pools of blue and purple shadow. Blurred by kindly darkness, the gaunt ridges had softened to pastels of violet and bony mountains to splendid sentinels keeping watch over a gulf of starlit space.