The Project Gutenberg EBook of Alcatraz, by Max Brand

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Title: Alcatraz

Author: Max Brand

Release Date: February 20, 2004 [EBook #11195]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ALCATRAZ ***

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Proofreaders

MAX BRAND

Alcatraz

1922

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I.--CORDOVA

II.--THE COMING OF DAVID

III.--CONCERNING FIGHTERS

IV.--THE STRENGTH OF THE WEAK

V.--RETRIBUTION

VI.--FREEDOM

VII.--THE PROMISED LAND

VIII.--MURDER

IX.--THE STAMPEDE

X.--THE THIEF

XI.--THE FAILURE

XII.--FROM THE HIP

XIII.--THE BARGAIN

XIV.--STRATEGY

XV.--THE KING

XVI.--RED PERRIS: ADVOCATE

XVII.--INVISIBLE DANGER

XVIII.--VICTORY

XIX.--HERVEY TAKES A TRICK

XX.--THE TRAP SHUTS

XXI.--THE BATTLE

XXII.--MCGUIRE SLEEPS

XXIII.--LOBO

XXIV.--THE CRISIS

XXV.--THE LITTLE SMOKY

XXVI.--PARTNERS

XXVII.--THE END OF THE RACE

ALCATRAZ

_The characters, places, incidents and situations in this book are
imaginary and have no relation to any person, place or actual
happening._

CHAPTER I

CORDOVA

The west wind came over the Eagles, gathered purity from the evergreen
slopes of the mountains, blew across the foothills and league wide
fields, and came at length to the stallion with a touch of coolness and
enchanting scents of far-off things. Just as his head went up, just as
the breeze lifted mane and tail, Marianne Jordan halted her pony and
drew in her breath with pleasure. For she had caught from the chestnut
in the corral one flash of perfection and those far-seeing eyes called
to mind the Arab belief.

Says the Sheik: "I have raised my mare from a foal, and out of love for
me she will lay down her life; but when I come out to her in the
morning, when I feed her and give her water, she still looks beyond me
and across the desert. She is waiting for the coming of a real man, she
is waiting for the coming of a true master out of the horizon!"

Marianne had known thoroughbreds since she was a child and after coming
West she had become acquainted with mere "hoss-flesh," but today fo