The Wingham Times, 1911-03-09, Page 7•40.40 est M•ir•lrsesttNNtorsr+nOttor4*r♦e4 4“443
The Round:Up
A Romance of Arizona
Novelized t'rom >i;drnund Day's Melodrama
By JOHN MURRAY and MILLS MILLER
Copyright, 1908, by G. W. Dillingham Co,.
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plied, "That ain't so muck." ' not frame an excuse at once nor 14 -
jack had become completely absorb- vent a new Ile to cover his old sin.
ed in the music. Iie and Echo trete Deeper and sleeper he was getting into
the mire of deception..
Echo bad arisen trent the seat. "It
was over $3,000, wasn't it?" she in-
aisteti.
"Something like that," answered
Jack noncommittally.
• "Well, where did you get it?" de-
manded his wife,
"An old debt—a friend of arsine—I
loaned hint the money a long time ago,
anti Ile paid it back; -that's all."
Jack took a drink of water from the
olla to hide his confusion,
"Who was it?" persisted Echo.
"You wouldn't know if I told you.
Now, just stop talking business,"
A "It isn't fair," declared Echo. "You
share all the good things of life with
me, and I want to share some of your
business worries, I want to stand my
share of the bad." "It was Dicks."
Jack saw he must humor her. was white and drawn, his lips cracked
"When the bad comes I'll tell you," he and parched. Now and then he would
assured her, patting her band. stumble and fall and lie there on hie
"You stand between ing and the face in thee -dot sand, digging into it
world. You're like a great big moun- with his bony fingers, seeking for wa"
tain standing guard over a little tree ter."
in the valley, keeping the cold north Echo shut her eyes as if to blot out
wind from treating it too roughly." the picture. Its reality almost over -
She sighed contentedly. "But the powored her.
mountain does It all." I "Suddenly he raised his eyes to
jack looked down tenderly at his mine," she resumed after a pause. "It
little wife. Her love for him moved was Dict.."
him deeply,
„ In her excitement she had arisen, ' grin, answered: "Y e -e �. That's why
stretching out her arms as if to ward they buried him."
Not hatad a
ail,„ he said to her. e The g Polly laughed in spite of herself,
lttca is a growsowoff an apparition.
green and beautiful, - "He tried to call me. I saw his his "What did he die of?” she asked.
It
a welcome shade abort it, and move, framing,my name. Dragging As Slim was about to take a drink
thh ce heart of the mountain is made
at the olla he failed to hear her.
himself to his feet, he came toward
glad to its rocky core to know that the me with his arms outstretched. Thea "Eh?" he grunted.
safety of that little tree is in its keep- tt f• t i cared between us
"What did I d' f?" hrepeated.
Taking her in his arms, he kissed
her again and again.
"Kissing again!" shouted Polly from
"I wait you to be happy."
oblivious to surroundings. His arm
had 'slipped about his wife's waist,
and she gazed fondly into his face.
Sagebrush was the first to notice their
attitude. On his calling the attention
of the boys to their happiness these
quietly tiptoed from the room. Polly
signaled to Mrs. Allen and followed
the boys. Josephine awoke Jim as if
from a dream and Ied him slowly out, the doorway. "Say, will you two nev-
leaving the young couple in an earthly er settle down to business? There's
paradise of married love. Bud Lane an' a bunch of others just
When Echo finished she turned in come into the corral. Maybe they
surprise to find themselves alone. leant you, Jack."
"Was it as bad as that?" she naively Jack excused himself. As he step,.
asked Jack. ped otic on the piazza be asked Polly,
' "What?" "Shall I send Bud in?"
"'Why, they've all left us." "Let bim come in if he wants to.
Jack laughed softly. "So they have.
I forgot they were here," he said, look-
ing fondly down at his wife.
Echo began to play quietly another
ballad. "I've always wanted a piano;"
she said.
"You'd have found one here waiting
if I'd only known it," he chided,
"You've given, me so much already,"
she murmured. ""I've been a big ex-
pense to you."
Jack again slipped his arm about her
waist and kissed her. "There isn't any
limit on my love," he declared. "I.
want you to be happy"—
"Don't you think I am?" laughed
Echo. "I'm the happiest woman on
earth, Jack, and it's all you. I want to
be more than a wife to you. I want to
be a helpmate, but you won't let me."
A wistful expression crept over
Echo's countenance.
""Who says so?" be demanded play-
fully, as if he would punish any man
who dared make such an accusation.
Echo turned on .the stool and. took
his hand. "I know it," she said, with
emphasis. "You've been worried about
something for' days and days. Don't
tell me you haven't."
• Jack opened his lips as if to contra -
diet her. ""We women learn to look
beneath the surface. "What is it,
jack?'' she continued.
Jack loosened his wife's hand clasp
and walked over to the table.
"Nothing. What should I have to
worry about?" He`spoke carelessly.
"The mortgage?" suggested Echo.
"I paid that off last. 'week," explain-
ed Jack.
Echo felt deeply hurt that this news
should have been kept from her by
her husband.
"You -did, and never told me?" she
Chided. "Where did you get the mon-
ey?" she inquired.
"Why; 't-- Jack halted. He could
Talo VviNf:ti, 4M T1,MEF3, MAROII' 3r eat
iQnward lana ever: onward r stretched
yeller ridges and Alkali whitened ra-
vines, blisaing the eye and parehing
the throat,
"Tinen x saw a man staggering to-
ward me," she continued, "I1te face
"Spotted `Taylor shot two China
mete"
roily's curiosity was arnusad.
"What for?" she asked, stopping her
sweeping fora moment,.
"Just to give the new graveyard a
start,'" Slim tamale'.
Polly joined In his nterrirpeat,
""Spotted Taylor was always a Maine
spirited citizen," was her comment,
"He sure was," assented Slim.
"Get up there, I want to sweep un•
der that chair," Polly brushed Sliin's
feet with the broom vigorously. With
an elaborate ""Excuse mel" Slim arose,
but i' Bated himself in another chair
directly iu. the pathway of Polly's
broom.
"Oct out of there, too," she cried,
"Shucks! There ain't any room for
die nowhere," be muttered disgusted-
ly.
"You shouldn't take up so much ot
it.
Slim attempted to take a seat on the
small gilt chair which was Jack's
wedding present to Echo. Polly caught
sight of him in time. "Look out," she
shouted, "That chair wasn't bullt for
•a full growu man like you."
Slim nervously replaced the chair
before a writing desk. Polly wielded
her broom about the feet of the slier
iff, who danced clumsily about trying
to avoid her,
"You're just tryin' to sweep me out
of here," he complained.
"Well, if you will bring dust in with
you, you must expect to be swept out,"
Polly replied, with a show of spirit.
Polly was shaking the mat vigorous-
ly at the door when Slim saki:
"I see they buried Poker Bill tbis
morel/a."
"Is he dead?" It was the first Polly
had beard of the passing away of one
of the characters of the territory. She
had expressed her surprise in the form
of au interrogation, emphasizing the
"Ise," a colloquialism of the south.
west.
Slim, however, had chosen to ignore
• the manner of speet'li auci, with a
tell ,"a lot fnorci oo ger .-
old uian than Ile eaten to lifthe known, n
After a few days he began to bripg his hand, and the sheriff lead played
the name of Payson into the cenverea- ' it to Z1teI' ee'r� advantage..
tteu, Itis gossip became rupior and ( "Plenty!" Buck. shouted. "Old Ter -
then , ho t' trilled an robed
Haan coiumou report, When it became • rill t 1_r s tai b ,
ltuowe that Jack bat} paid off the an' the man who did it got just three
„
ryas the strongest curd Haat It e batt 1
Mortgage on kis ranch i3uck came Out iii Win" 0' $ otmean to say that the Boss.
with the aeeusation that Payson was i you
the murderer, Finding that he was here"--- began Sagebrush, in his anger
listened to, Buck Inde the direct. Making a rush at McKee. Ilse was
chargo that rayson had killed the star. held back, but the disturbance attract -
tion agent aur with the proceeds of ell Echo and Mrs Allen from the
the robbery was paying off lois old kitchen, Heim hurtled to her bus -
debts. { band's side. ile slipped his arm about
Gathering , bis own men about him I her waist, and together they faced his
and being joined by the idle hangers ++' accus r au got to say is whar did you
on who are to be found abeet every I
town, Buck led his party to the ranch get tet money!" cried Buck, who had
on the Sweetwater to accuse Jack and seen Diets Lane pay it to Payson and
so throw oft lu advance any suspicions conjectured that Payson did not Baro
which might attach to himself, to reveal the fact of this payment,
Fortunately Slim Happened to be at with all the disclosure it implied.
Jack's ranch at the time, When he "Why, it was paid to me by"--' Then
entered the corral he found Jack's ac- Jack stepped. Ile could not tell who
cusers and defenders rapidly nearing gave him the money without revealing
a battle. to Echo the return of Dick, The whole
Jack was taking the charges coolly miserable Ile would then come out.
enough, as he did riot know what sup. Echo noticed Jack's hesitancy.
port lfcK'ee had manufactured to up- - "`What is it? What's the matter?"
hold the, charges he made. Slim in- she asked in frightened tones,
formed hlcICee lie would listen to what "Nothing, uotbing," he answered
he bad to say and if afterward he lightly to lessen tier terror.
thought Jack guilty he would place "Bats off, everybody!" commanded
him under arrest; for all concerned Slim in deference to the presence of
it would be better to go into the house. Echo.
The Sweetwater boys surrounded Jack "Who are these men? What's
as they followed Slim into the living wrong?" pleaded Echo.
room. Lining up in opposing groups, Buck bowed to the trembling wee
Slim stood in the center to serve as man, who had thrown her arms about
judge and jury, with Buck and jack her husband's neck,
at his right and left hand. othin','' he exclaimed, "only we
Inside the door Jack said: "Keep as want to know whar yer husband got
quiet as you can, boys. I don't want the money to pay off the mortgage on
to alarm my wife. Now, what is it?" this ranch."
Tlie punchers hushed their discus- The request seemed a very simple
siou of the charge and listened atter- one to Echo. AH the talk of harming
tively to what the men most interest- Jack, the high words, the threats,
ed had to say. could be silenced easily by ber hero.
"Well, darn it all," apologized the Smiling into his eyes, Echo said, "Tell
sheriff to Jack, "it's all darn fool busi- them, Jack."
ness anyway. Buck here, he started "I can't," he fraltered.
it" "It was paid to him by a friend,"
Jack smiled sarcastically and, glance bravely began Echo—"a friend to
ing at McKee, remarked, "Buck Mc- whom he lent it some time ago."
Bee's started a good many things in Buck interrupted her explanation,
his day"—
Buck began to bluster. He could not
face Jack fairly. Already placed: on
the defense when he had considered
he would be the accuser, McKee took
apo ter otm , i p , e c to leo . SIH, refuge in the plea of being wronged
fighting to keep hint back. They fought "five aces," was the sober reply of by false suspicion.
there under the burning sun in the hot the sheriff before he drained the gourd: ,ex haiu't he whined, "to have
dust of the desert until at last one was Potty put the broom back of the dour folks suspicion me uv any suck loin's
crushed to earth. The victor raised
and was rearranging the articles on as the kinin' uv 'Ole Alan' Terrill. I
his face to mine, and—it was Jack." the table before Slim could muster up got a witness to prove I wuzu't in
Echo buried ber face in her hands. enough courage to speak on the topic twenty miles uv the place."
Dry sobs shook her bosom. Awe winch was always uppermost in his ""Who's your witness?" asked Slim
stricken, Polly gazed at the over- mind when in her presence. In his most judicial tones.
wrought wife. Say, trills Polly"— he began. "Bud.Lane. Me an' him rode over to
"Phew!" she laughed to shake oft
"`If you've anything to say to me, the weddiu' together from the Lazy
her fright. "That was a sure enough Slim hoover, just say It. I can't be le, an' I wuz put out as not fittin' to
nightmare. If I'd a dream like that
I'd wake up the whole house yappin'
like a coyote."
As the commonplace ever intrudes
upon the uuusual, so a kuock on the
door relieved the tension of the sit-
uation, It was Slim. He did not wait
for an invitation to enter, but, opening
the door, asked, "Can I come in?"
"Sure, come in!" cried Polly, glad to
find any excuse to shake off the de-
pression of Echo's stream.
"Howdy, Mrs. Payson? Just come
over to see Tack," was the jolly sher-
iff's greeting.
"He's down at the corral," she in -
Pained him.
Mrs. Ailed hurried in from the kitch.
en at this moment, calling: "Echo, -
come here an' look at this here cake
It looks as if it had been sot ou." -
Echo closed the lid of the piano and
called her mother's attention to the
presence of Slim Hoover.
"How d'ye do, Slim Hoover? You
might have left some of that dust out
side.".
Tate sheriff ryas°greatly embarrassed
by her chiding. In his ride from
Florence to the Sweetwater the alkali
crud sand 'stirred up by the hoofs of
the horses had settled on bis hat and
waistcoat so freely that his clothing
'had assumed a neutral, gray tone,.
'above which his sun tanned ,face and
red hair loomed like the moon In a
fog. Josephine's scolding drove him
to brush his shoulders with his hat,
raising a cloud of dust. about his
head.
"Stop it!" Mrs. Allen shouted shrilly.
"Slim Hoover, if your brains was dy-.
,namite• you couldn't blow the top of
your head. off!" •fin's
Polly was greatly amused by "
encounter with the cleanly Mrs. Allen.
:Slim stood with open mouth, watch.
:Ing Mrs. Allen flounce out of the room
after Eche, who was trying in vain
to suppress her laughter. Turning. tc
,Polly, he said, "Atari seen you in some
time."
• Slim was thankful that the girl wail
Sege() at the table with her back to
buns Somehow or other he found he
' could speak to her more freely when
• rhe was not looking at him,
Heart Trouble
Caused Diezettess, Viletkersts
and Smathea'ing Spoils.
Through one cause or another a ]urge
majority of the people are troubled, more
or less, with some form of heart trouble.
Wherever there ate sickly people with
weak hearts, Milburn's heart and Nerve
Pills will be found to be the moat effective'
nteiietae on the market.
I'm not sendin' for him." Polly spite-
fully turned up her nose at him. Jack
laughed as he closed the door.
Echo reseated herself at the piano,
fingering the keys.
"How are you getting on with Bud?"
she asked the younger girl,
"We don't get on a little bit," she
snapped. "Bud never seems to collect
much revenue, an' we Just keep trot',
tin' slow -like, Wish I was married an'
tiad a home of my own,"
"Aren't you happy with father and
mother?"_ -
Polly glanced at Echo, with a mike
"Lord, yes," she replied, ."in a way,'
but I'm only a poor relation! Your
tna was my ma's cousin's cousin or
somethin' like that."
Echo laughed. "Nonsense," she re-
torted. • "Nonsense. You're -my dear
sister and the only daughter that's at
the old home now."
"But I want a home of my own like
this," said Polly.
"Then you'd better shake Bud and
give Slim a chance."
Polly was too disgusted to answer
at once. "Slim Hoover—shucks! Slim`
doesn't care for girls. He's afraid of
'em," she said at length. "I like Bud
with all his orneriness," she declared.
"Why doesn't he come to see you.
more often?"
"I don't know. Maybe It's because
he's never forgiven you for marryin'
Jack."
"Why should he mind that?" she
asked, startled.
"Well, you know," she answered be-
tween stitchee, drawing the, needle:
through the cloth with angry little,
jerks, "Bud he never quite believed
Dick was dead."
Echo rose hastily. The vague, -haunt,
ing half thoughts of weeks were crys-
tallized on the instant. She felt as 11
Dick was trying to speak to her from
out of the great beyond. With a shud-
der she sank Into a chair at the table'
opposite Petty.
"Don't," she said, her voice scarcely
above a whisper. "I can't bear to hear
.spoken of. I dreamed of bitn the
other night=' -a dreadful. dream."
Polly Was delighted with this new
mystery. It was ell so tomantici
"DW you?. Let's hear it"
With unseeing eyes Echo gazed
straight ahead, rebuilding from her
dream fabric a tragedy of the desert
in Which the two meta Who had played
so Brea; a part in her life were the
actors..
We. F. Leslie Craig, 114 Erie Ave., "It seems," she told, "that I Was in
Braefford, Ont., viritea:-•-"Yt is With the the desert, such a vast, tereible desert,
greatest of pleasure I write you 'stating where the little dust devils eddied and
be
the be •,fit 1 have receiver by usin
fit; !, are' [ andTerve pills: $widen and the merciless sun beat
:uf e'e 1 wrest y from heart trouble which down until it shriveled up every grow-
:n.use1 t'%'zines'. vsealutess and smother- ing thing:"
spells. 1 Ir:•e I n great deal of Dt,'ai Polly nodded her head a eiy,.
K
o borne fart re •eived it benefit. A "'That'* the way the desert Tooke, and
s, m,•tck
it lee ratty to buy a hex of your he watery'
pitka, which 1 tai i, and Were I had ;p,, chi! paid no heed to the interrep-
bothered today—all the fixin's an'
things," saucily advised the girl.
"Well, what I want to say is"— be-
gan the sheriff.
At this moment Bud Lane, laboring
under heavy excitement, burst open
the door,..
"Say, Slim, you're wanted down at
the corral," he cried, paying no heed
to Polly.
"Shucks!" exclaimed the disapitoint-
ec1 sheriff. "What's the row?"
"I don't know. Buck McKee, he's
there with some of the Lazy K outfit
They want to see you."
Slim threw himself out of the door.
with the ntild expletive, "Darn the
luck!"
Bud turned quickly to Polly. "Did
Jack pay off the mortgage last week?"
he almost shouted at the girl.
Polly stamped her foot in anger et
what seemed to her to be a. totally ir•
"That's so?" she challenged. "Come
to the birthday?"
"Not regular," he answered.
Polly glanced at him over hex` shoul-
der. The look was too much for Stine
late turned away to .hidehte embarrass,
went. Partly recovering from his
bltshfalnees, he coughed preparatory
to speaking. But Polly had vanished.
As one looks sheepishly for the 'ma-
gician's disappearing coin, so Stint
gazed at flour add ceiling as If the girl'
Might pop tip anywhere. Spying an
empty chair behind him, he sank into
It gitrgeriy and awkwardly.
Meantime Polly returned with a
broom and began sweeping nut the
evidences of Slam's visit. She Spoke
, tensile 1 o e box t telt on touch better 1 tion: Trier twee htearee wan and hese again.
co lti• ,1 the; use by faking two boxes. in her mtnd'e eye she saw the "Get them holdups yet that killed
1 ht mete
,.N.,,tam"ml these pills to any: hard as . •Old Vete Terrill? she asked,
epee' mete I is teen heart and nerve Weary *.trate of We eel m rc tai gttiver ".Not yet. But we had a riety shootin'
troui.le,' and swish under the merciless ruin,
Not a t�ee, not a blade of grass, not • Creer'n our totvn yesterday'."'
Mahar • Ile :t nta,! Nerve .1'itls tare. inbtf toll bt Slime was tieing hie best to alike
i , he e et
fl s•e tea ee,, l:,t, t, d for '1 he at x11: Also. of life, broke ta t conversation, roily did tint help bluff
r'enle s, or Issue l (hetet by The T. Aid'- crumbling cliffs acrd pinnatled reeks, out very freely.
burn t o., Idttt'r[eil,'I'uronta, One. , "That Stet' t' tVait lter.:r'ent" .. .
"Vire aces," was file sober reply of the
' sheriff.
relevant question to the lovemaking
• site expected. "How do I know?" site
angrily replied. "If that is all you
come to see die for you can go an' asst
hint. It makes the so doggone amt 1!"
Polly, with Gushed face and knitted
brow, left the bewildered Bud stand
ing in the center of the room asking
himself WW1 It was ,all about.
The sound of the to!ces 01 c'isputine
men floated in fi"om the coital. Bud
he:u'tl them and comprehended its sig.
nitiennee.
"It's all up with me!" he cried in
mortal terror. "Book McKee has stir-
red 11p the suspicion against Tack
Payson, ;Tock paid off his ncort„a'Te,
and they want to know where be rats.
ed the tV>a,sy Well, Jack Can tell.
If he can't 1'11 confess the whole buss-
nem. I won't let him suffer for me:
Buck shan't let en innocent man hang
for what we've done,'
,The sound of footsteps en the piazza
and the opening of the door drovo Bud
to take refuge in an adjoining room,
Where he could overhear all that was
happening. He closed the door as the
cowpunchers entered, with Slim at
their head.
CIIAI'TEIt 1TI.
VOX Iat'TaEIe had not been idle
til the days following the slay-
ing of "Ole Man" Terrill. Have
lug learned that Slim and his
posse hhd discoverers tally the faet
that the murderer had ridden a pacing
horse to the toed, McKee took full ad-
'tentage of this fact. In the cow
tamps,tbo barrooms and at the toile
road gtation lie hinted et first that it
serrata person every one knew could
•'s •._- -e „ u ent the ddath ot the
be there, an' by that very man there
that did the killin'"
The punchers had to grin in spite of
the seriousness of the occasion. Buck
appeared to be deeply hurt at the un-
ceremonious way he had been left out
at the feast.
"What makes you point to me as the
man?" asked Jack quietly.
"You wuz late gettin' to yer own
weddin':"
Fresno could not repress les feelings
nny longer. He started angrily to-
ward McKee, but Jack and Sagebrush
Held him back. The others were about
to follow his lead when Slim motioned
them back with the caution, "Keep out
of this, boys!"
"I was late," explained Jack, "but I
told you I rode around to the station
to get a wedding present I ordered for
my wife".•-
Jlm interrupted him to substantiate
the statement. Pointing to a desk, he
said: "That's so. There it is, too—that
there desk."
The Sweetwater outfit nodded in ac-
quiescence, but the others looked in-
credulous
Buck sneered at the defense which
Jack made. "Nobody saw you . over
that way, did they?"
"I saw Terrill. It must have been
just before he was killed. I didn't
meet anybody else." Jack showed no
trace of temper under the inquisition.
"Of course you saw Mini before he
wuz killed—about a minute. Mebbe
you didn't plug hint the next minute
with a 44?"
The charge roused Sagebrush's fight •
ing blood. Drawing his gun, he at"
tempted to get a fair shot at the ac.
Buser. Fresno and Show Low grabbed
hits by the arms, holding him beck.
The foreman shouted, "There'll be
some one plugged right now if you
"Then let him tell his friend's name
an' whar we can find him." Turning
to Jack, he bullied; "Come on! What's
his name?"
Jack closed his eyes to shut out the
sight of his wife. In his agony he
clinched his fists until his nails sank
into the flesh. "I can't tell you that!"
he cried in his misery.
"Of course he can't," sneered Buck,
smiling evilly in his triumph.
"He can't account fer himself ou the
night uv the weddiu'; he rides a paein'
horse—rode on that night; he gets
three thousan' dollars paid him, an'
he can't tell who paid it. What's the
verdict?" Bhek did not wait for an
answer. Raising his voice, he shouted,
"Guilty!"
"Jack, Jack! What have you to
say?" begged Echo.
"Nothing," was his only answer.
"Tell him he lies!" cried Sagebrush.
"Jack, we all know you. You're as
white a man ea ever lived, an' they
ain't one of this outfit that ain't ready
to die fer you right now."
"You bet!" chorused his men.
"He liniu't goin' to get off like that,"
declared Buck. Looking confidently at
his own followers, he said, "The Lazy
K can take care uv him."
Buck's men mored closer to him,
preparing to draw their guns if need
be and open fire on .Tack's defenders.
"Look out, boss!" warned Sagebrush
at the hostile movement of Buck and
his punchers.
"Hold oar drawled the sheriff, who
as the danger grew more real became
more deliberate in his movements.
"Tiley ain't goin' to be nothin' done
here unless it's done in the law. You
all know me, boys. I'm the sheriff.
This man's my prisoner." Pointing to
Jack, he added, "There ain't nobody
gobs' to take hint from me—an' live."
Bock saw Jack slipping from his
clutches. "Yer not goin' to be bluffed
by one man, are you, boys?"
"No," his punchers answered in uni-
son, crowding toward Jack, who held
up his hand and cried: "Stops I 'want
a fair deal, and 1,11 get it"
"I'll settle this thing all right. All I
ask is a few words alone with my
wife."
Jack clasped Echo to his breast as
he begged this boon from the men
who sought his life.
"No!" blustered Buck.
"Yes," ordered Slim quietly, but em-
phatically. "mr. Payson, you'll give
me your word you won't try to es -
all make another break like that!" cape?"
Slim waved his hands over his head, "Yes," agreed Jack.
driving the men backward, as if he "Ills word don't go with us," shout -
were shooing away a flock of chid:- ed Buck.
ens, Slim laid his hand on the butt of
"Easy, now—easy," 110 den's -vied. his revolver, ready to draw if neces-
"There ain't n-goin' to be nothin' iloin' nary t0 enforce his command. Buck
here 'sept law an' justice." saw the movement and shouted to
Thick laughed sneeringly at the him: "Keep yer hand away from that
wavering of his teen. IIe wonkl hers gun, sheriff. You know I am (snick on
to do something to put mere heat't the draw." Ile sigu]ficantly fingered
into them and regain the ground he his holster as he spoke.
hnd lost by his selgte handed conduct "So I've hoard tell," agreed Siim,
7
"1'11 give ;you at Iesson 1,1 1•s:`ti':" ,, :tr•
though," he dee1nred. his t'nice 113
steady as his hands "1t••::'t vie +•",
1311011," be warned :13 11 -trete tt •i ` ,^ r it
"11. i� ofyou 1
r anyleas r
"nor oft
"I sa'k'L gents," he repeated.
this hand alone. Buck McKee, you've
been flirtiu' with a tombstone fer some
time. hands up, gents," he ordered,
raising the pistols significantly,
"I said gents," he repeated when:
Buck McKee did not obey him witlil
alacrity. The balked leader of the
Lazy K outfit reluctantly held bis
bands aloft,
"Sagebrush!" called Slim.
"Here!" answered the foreman, cov-
ering a man with his revolver.
"Parenthesis!" summoned the sher-
iff.
"Here!" the man of the bowlegjs re-
plied as he drew his gun.
"Me, too!" cried Fresno, while Show,.
Low came to the front with "An' like-
wise here!"
When the Lazy K outfit was thor-
oughly under subjection Slim stepped
forward and said: "Now, gentlemen, if
you please, you see, this here's my,
party, an' I regelate it my way. jack
here gave his word to stay an' face
this thing out. He's a-goiu' to do
I'm responsible fer him. Sagebrush,'
you will collect at the door sech arts
cies of hardware as these gentlemen•
has in their belts. I deputize you.
Gents, as you walk out the do' you will'
deposit your weapons with Mr. Sage-
brush Charley, the same to be return-'
ed to you when the court sees fit an'
proper."
"You halal t
goin' to let him"— Buck
did not finish the sentence, for Slim,
thoroughly aroused, shouted: "Buck -
Mcliee, if you say another word I'm..
goin' to kill you. Gents, there's the
door, Your hosses are in the corral.
Get!"
Preceded by some of the Sweetwa-
ter boys, the Lazy K outfit filed out,
Sagebrush taking their guns as they,
passed him. Fresno and Parenthesis
brought up the rear.
"He needn't think he'll escape. We're
bound to have hien," declared Buck.
"Are you goin'?" demanded SUM,
his voice full of menace.
"Can't you see me?" sneered Buck.
Sagebrush relieved him of his guri
as he passed, handing it to Fresno.
Buck paused in the doorway long
enough to Iament: "Talk about hospi-'
tality. I never get in but what I attn-
put out."
Slim watched McKee from the wide
dow until he disappeared through the
gate of the corral. Then, walking
down to Jack, he took him by thehand.
"It'll be all right in an hour. Thant
you, boys," Payson assured them.
"We all know you are the whitest
man on the Sweetwater, assured
Sagebrush, speaking for the punchers
as they left Jack a prisoner with Slims
eySpeaking in a ]ow tone, Jim asked.
Jack, ""Where did you get that mon•"
e+,
"Don't you know?" he asked in ante
prise.
"From" --
Jack nodded bis head.
"I'll wait fer you in the other room,"
said .
"Maw, Polly—we all better leave 'em
alone."
As the woman and the girl left the:
room the old ranchnian paused at the
doorway leading to the kitchen to ad-
vise his sou -in-law earnestly: "I 'low,
you better tell her. It's best"
The two young people were left
alone in the room in which they had
passed so many happy hours to face
a crisis In their lives. The day which
had begun so sunnily was to end itt
darkest clouds: The awful accusation
wee incredible to Echo. Her faith., in
her husband was not shaken, Jack,
she felt, could explain. But, no matter
what the outcome might be, she would
be loyal to the men She loved, On antra
point she felt wholly confident. Had
the not pledged her faith at the mare
ridge altar?
"Zack?" A volume of questions waS
in the word. 'Taking ber bands in hie
and looking searchingly into her eyes,
he saki:
"Before I tell you what's beets on my
mind these many weeks 1 want to hold
you In my arms stud hear you say,
'Jack, T believe in you."
Echo 'put her arcus about his neck
and, nestling close to bis breast, do-
elated: "1 do believe in you, Mtrtrat
Mat-
ter what circumstances may be against
you. No matter if All the world cane
you guilty, I believe iii you sod level
heart,'
Jaek seated himself at the table and
drew his wife down beside: bine T'ut-
iheg his nrtne about her as the knelt
beforit hiM, he Murmured, "You're tt
of the case. hastily withdrawing his hand from his
"There hain't, eh?" he asked con- revolver.
temptuously. "Wen, it's lucky I Slim appeared to agree to the sur -
brought some uv my own outfit with tender of Jack to Buck and his punch -
me." ors, permitting them to deal with him
" Mebbe you'll steed them if you get as they saw fit. He fumbled in his
too careless with your talk,' answered left band waistcoat pocket, pulling out
the uuruflied short/. a bag of tobacco and 11 package of rice
Turning to Jack, Slim said, "This paper. Ostentatiottsty lie began to roll
foe' thing can be settled with one a cigarette. Then, with the quickness
word from you." • of a eat, his left hand was plunged in
The young rane.htean listened to the the inside right hand pocket of his
sheat! earnestly. He wished to elver waistcoat, , Grasping a revolver by the
himself forever of all suspicions. He muzzle, he deftly jerked it upward
did not want Echo ever to hear that and seized the handle in rte fight. He
there was a false impression iibread covered Beek McKee before that
that she was the wife of a slayer. worthy realized what had happened.
gthe
"What is it?"he asked simply. With his right band Stint pulled
"Why, yoti paid eft a mortgege of weapon whtelr swung fat his hip and
...
an even three thousan' dollars last alined it at the other boys of the LAO
ween, didn't you?" X. The guns moved up and down the
"Yes. What has that to de With line, backed by the sheriffes usually
its" he asked, mild blue eyes, coldly Meetly now at
Buck broke in. at this point. here the call to battle. -
eL4o be deailtiued.)