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The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1931-04-16, Page 7THE EXETEB TIMES-A&VOCATE got crossed (be room, kid fsaw 'her face, flare of a match across the lamp ■him.” Nate’s wife dull, level £oue which Sbrit him ou The she answered “They can’t do any more They've got Nate—they MAMA" I tiger IE YE "I WANTmy Arm shonh was piugg®fl» sh right, ■$jot a doubt in the world about that. Wnny the kid hadn’t noticed it be­ fore, But, then, Wheeler had fallen pu that side and his arm had been ‘iijiderneath, and the hole in h)s head was too plain to miss? seeing. It never had occurred to the kid to look at that arm. Hadn’t happened dtp get hold of it when he loaded him on the pinto, either. Kell, lid hadn’t missed, after all! Hit the arm right -where he aimed, up above the elbow where there was only one bone to .bust and no .great harm done. Few weekfe in a sling, arm good as ever. The ldd felt the little heat waves ^streaking up his spine at tile wo-* man's voice from the .doorstep, and the heat warmed and dissipated that ®old lump he ha*d been carrying in lais idlest. He hadn’t bungled that shot, after all. Wheeler must have ducked his head right in line with the bullett. It was an accident—r- nnd. that made a difference; a very jgreat difference to the kid, justly firoud of his skill. . He lifted "Wheeler's- body from the f)into to his own back, carried it in und laid it on the bed, The wife now stood .staring down at him with1 dtlie hot, dry eyes of hate. Hate for the man who had killed her husband. She stooped now and picked up the baby and set him astride one <)ojiy hip and wiped his nose and cheeks with a corner of her apron, JRed-headed little tike, fh’^t baby. Ued-lieaded like his pappy. It point­ ed now tq Wheeler^nd said “Baddy ©o bye?” twice, waving its chubby, •arm toward the bed. That did something to the woman, ■fclnda. She gathered the baiby’s' arm down, and turned, away quick, and sat down on a rocking chair and started moaning and- rocking, the "baby's face pressed so close against Sier shoulder that its little stubby snose was flattened and it kicked Hike a calf ,at the branding fire, try­ ing to get loose. ‘‘Anything yo’all want’ me to do— anilk, or anything like that?” The icid stood by the door with his bul- Set-scarred liat in his hand, jtrying -to keep the red out of his falce. “No—oh, no—oh, feed the pinto— ■and feed the team—The little woman still rocked'the baby; speak­ ing jerkily l^ke that between her ffioahingr ’• ; ‘ The kid went *out and led Pecos <md the pinto down bo the stable. Pecos 'he led, behind the stable. Dark, T>ack in there. Pecos snorted ■ a little, but he’d stand, all right. No arise having him out in sight—not an a country where the nesters hol­ lered “Draw, you .coyote*” and then «tart popping it right to you, with- out waiting to see if yo’all were go­ ing to draw, The chores where goon done. How about a grave? Plump foolish to start digging, unless he knew where to dig. (She ought to have the say about that, but he hated to ask her. Riders coming. Poole men, may­ be, after Nate Wheeler. They ought- not bothei’ the widow now, the way she was feeling. The ljid started running, He reached the cabin door and opened it while the riders were still at the gate. “Men a-comin’ heah, Ma’am, If yo’all don’t want them-—” “Oh, let ’em come, wearily, damage, ought to be satisfied with that. She got up and and presently the dead white in the she was drawing wilck, . The riders; stopped outside calbin and some one whistled a —•but it was not the night-bird Balbe Garner had fought the Different. This was the first strain' of that old war song “tyhen Johnny Crimes Marching Home.” The kid’s ljips puckered thoughtfully and lie repeated the strain, standing; just inside the closed door, Friends, they must be; that, is friends of the Wheelers. He wouldn’t haye to dig that grave, aftei' all. The kid was- glad, for he hated grave digging. - He-opened the door and the men came in; four of them, one after the other, Shag'gy, fdrmer-looking men with _stuibby cheekfe that .stuck out on one side with great cuds of to­ bacco. The ljid fqft a vague disgust for them.- / They halted, at sight of him, hud­ dling just within the room instead of scattering. But the kid’s hat was off, and though it dangled from ■his left hand. lie. looked, at home there, somehow. Besides, they had •got th^ir signal right. The leader re­ laxed, dropping his hand to his side, “We come to" tell Nate there’s-a meetin’ over to Hans Becker’s place and we’d- like to have him go alripg.” f . - ince toward the kid. and checked what more he would-have said. “You'bet­ ter get ready and go too.< The wor men are talkin’ about stayin’ .all’ to­ gether over there, where it’s a. big house and plenty of "room, tl-ilWe get the Poole—He stopped‘'again" “This boy workin’ for you?” he' .ask­ ed brusquely. “He’s—'been helping me—” “Oh, T don’t call him to mind. Yuh want to1 look out for fitrangers. Where’s Nate?” The .little woman lifted her hand from ’patting the baby, and pointed the call call kid, and we d like to have linn go alrin He ’cast another ^suspicious ,gla iwIm <a| Steele, Briggs’ Seeds. Specially selected for purity and germi­ nation and most suitable for Canadian Gardens. To grow the best—sow the best. 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It'-provides for1 You . a definite monthly income commencing at a cer­ tain age, and continuing for life, with a guaranteed minimum number of moiith- / 3y income cheques. Or, if you So desire, you may withdraw a substantial amount in Cash* when the plan matures. It provides for You ... a definite -monthly income if *you become totally disabled by sickness’or accident. All de- • posits are Waived during such disability, Confederation Life Association Toronto, Canada Without obligation, send me frill information'regarding “Ari Income for Life —■Guaranteed.” flame.... Address. . one finger to the corner where stood the bed. “Sick?” A head.shake was his answer, and ; the kid did not move, “No time to go’ on a toot, with "the Poole—’ “They , spoke in that • the kid hated to hear the road somewhere. The boy found him pad brought him home.” . The/kid stood aside for them, as they rushed to the bed to- look at Nate, but no 'one paid any attention to him. Not then. The tall man brought the lamp and examined the , body thoroughly, They muttered together, but the kid could not hear what they said, because he stayed back, near the foot of the bed. Near the door too, No use letting them block the way out even if they did think! he was working for the Wheel­ er’s, Therewas. a sudden and signifi­ cant pause, The fall man leaned over and probed carefully with a fin­ ger, then stood up and spat’ over , his shoulder into the shadows, looked past his companions, his unpleasant gaze on “You over there, nahie?" “Bob Reeves,’’ said “Reeves—-don’t know that Where' you fijom?” “Brazos.” The kid. did not lift his eyes—much. But he got a pretty; comprehensive yie.w through his lashes. “He brought Nate home to me.' And he did the chores.” The little, woman in the rocking chair, holding' the 'deep-slackened* form of her baby; in her arms, stopped rocking and turned her anguished eyes upon the tall man. “He’s been awful nice and. accomntoddtin, Pete Gorham.’’ “Accommodatin’!” The tall man snarled the word like an oath. ‘Prob- 'ly 'one of the- Poole’s new Texas killers they shipped in! Accommo­ dated you, meibby, by killin’ Nate. Willin’ to take Nate’s place, mebby!” The kid lifted his eyes now, though one was squinted .shut and The other was the eye of a tiger. They did not see him draw his gun, but the little woman jumped and caught her ba.by up against her breast at the shattering roar of the .kid’s gun. ■ „ ‘ ‘ ■ • “That ‘to earmark yo’all so wlift-ei fbik?ii 'know and walk wide of a skunk,” drawled the kid, as the tall man clapped hand to his head., ‘And that’s for spittin’ oai the flooj*>”, he added, on the echo of another shot. “Scuse me, Ma’am—I couldn’t stand to see him insult yo’all that-a-way.” No one in that room saw the kid make a hurried move, but the door opened, fanned the acrid haze of powder smoke and sliut with a bang. Where the kid had stood was empty space. Theydooked. at one' another, then looked at Pete Gorham, with the blood trickling down”each side of his iiefck from bullet holes bored tlirought the grisly tops of his-ears that stood out against the black brim of his hat. Once more the kid was running away, but he was not taking any more time than was necessary. He Was in the. saddle and waiting, peer- iny forth, when he heard the cabin 'door Open, saw za dim shape steal out .Then another, and aftei' a min­ ute one more. Afraid of him, the way they act­ ed. Afraid lie would liid.e ofitsidc •in the dark and pick them off one at a time as they co,me but-, That’s about killer aib Out Pete would his life. Shoah was a neat trick, and tempting too, with his edrs stickiirg'^up like a field mouse under his black hat. Shoah made a fine mark, easier than shoeing the pips Out of cards. The kid gave a sud­ den boyish laugh at the thought of those ears with their round bullet holes, - / • The three went in again, slipping .ill one at a time. 'The kid grinned again. He’d bet Pete Gorham was the man that stayed inside and didn’t come out. After awhile they came out again, this time with a lantern, one man Walking ahead as if he were on guard, The kid didn’t know about that lantern. If they went snocip- irig around, and if they looked be- ;liind the stable,* he might have to shoot somebody. Better not take a chance. So he backed. Pecos a step at a time, back and ba|ck until they were out beyond the stable. There, within sight of the gate Within easy shooting distance too jthe kid waited in the gully not far from the gaje. from the house at last, coming his way. team, his horse following behind the wagon. The little woman was on the seat beside him. Two riders wont ahead. the kid. what’s the kid . He fixing yore name. Evening- rales on "Anyone" (station-io-station) calls be- . gin at 7 p-m. Night rates begin at 8.30 p.m. Just give "Long Distance?’ the num­ ber you want — it speeds up the service,. Half a mile behind them, he fol­ lowed the little cavalcade. Easy enough, with the cluck of the wagon coining faintly through the starlight. The kid wondered it they wqre afraid he might be on their track. Prob­ ably not. • His little .argument with Pete was kind of peij^onal. One of the men didn't like Pete’s remarks any too well. He’d be glad Pete got himself earmarked that-a-'way. He followed the wagon to Becker’s ranch apd saw the men gathered there,, and. knowing the signal, he. s.Q^Ijj Whistled the, fi.pt ^wo^b.ars of, “^h’en Johnny Gomes Marching* Home,” and so got .by the man on guard at the gate. The room would not; hold all the men gathered there, and some stood outside in the dark and talked ' and ' smoked. Drank, too, from bottles that went from ■hand to hand until they were emp­ tied and thrown away. their notion of what a Texas would be like. That was the way they would fight— GiOirham, anyway. Now he go earmarked for the rest of One man was driving the It was really the first time Dorothy had ever been away from home alone. She was happy as could be at Aunty’s, and romped and played the whole day long—till bedtime came—-then a terrible fit of homesickness came over her. Aunty was at her wits’ end—till she thought of Long Distance. In just a few seconds Dorothy^ mother was talking to her little girl . , . quietly, firmly, chperily ,. . then she fold her to let Aunty tuck her away in bed. 1 Everything was all right after that. Dorothy felt that her mother really wasn’t far away after all. And the telephone had saved^Aunty from an awk- f ward predicament—at a cost of just 35 cents. i n The kid did not talkj He kept] |h*6 month chut -ond’* T» io * -oil t»cj nnn-n like old Killer Peeves always had) advised. When thd* gathering'show- ’ ed signs of breaking up, ’he melted into the shadows so quietly he never was missed, and presently he rpde past the unsuspecting guard gate and went his way. The kid unsaddled Pecos, him dry and went whistling path to the cabin. It was warm and reeked with the smell of qoal oil fumes and stale cigarette smoke. Babe’s paper novel lay cipen, face down on the table, only two or three pages left to read.. “I damn’ near saddled up and took out after yuh, Tiger eye,” lie.,__ ________ . . ..... - . - . said querulously. “These are shore * caught yuh there, they’d ’a.’ strung bad times to be Tidin’ around alone.1 yuh up in a holy minit. Don’t yuh Nester see yuh—well, you bughta1 take another chance like that, Tiger know.’’ ’ ” “Shoah do, Babe The kid did net talk] He kept! “Have any trouble?. If it’s a fair his mouth shut and his'ears open, question.” i “Not to call trouble. Trailed some nestalis to Sam Becker’s ranch. Had a meetin’ theah. Right smaht gatherin’.- They aim to call the Poole men into a trap. Some talk of drivin’ cattle into Oxbow Bend- Poole men’ll go theah and half the nestahs will be cached in the pass—r “Yeah?” Babe looked startled. “•Say, that might’a’ drawed the Poole riders out, at that, if they didn’t know it was^a. frame up. "We been watchin’ our chance to get ’em in the act, the damn’ cow thieves! Say, you got no call to take a chance Jike that,” Babe frowned, as the kid’s ex­ ploit hecurred to him. “’F.they’d’a. at the rubbed up th.e Eye.’’ (To be continued) And Nimble in Traffic Durant Six Cylinder De Luxe Coupe With Rumble Seat Model 6-jj LOWER PRICES GREATER VALUE / A EVERY Durant tradition of inbuilt quality and value finds expression in the improved and refined Durant 6-14. The Durant 6-14 is a car of quiet elegance. With its surplus power, it is swift and smooth, nimble in traffic and easy to handle. The Durant 6-14 merits your immediate inspection because of its exceptional Value and its proud ownership record. See it. - Drive it. 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