The morning call., 1893-06-11
ling deflantly. He surveyed with un
daunted front the omin Gus preparations OF

Familiar faces were abnut him the
faces of men who had known him for
years, men with WHOM he had shared
bread and drink. work and play; but in
all the faces there was no gleam of SYM
pathy, no lingering spark OF friendly con-
cern. All that was lost in the fierce de-
sire of blood for blood that sat on every
face. Dark and turbidding they frowned
upon him and he smiled defiantly back as
he stood in the still night face to face with
the death he had helped to measure TO
others.
The full moon filed the heavens above
with silver light that softened the rugged
outlines of the cliffs into curvlng lines of
beauty.
Colonel JIM" said the man selected
for spokesman. stepping forward as the
superintendent came M. "'B0ut an hour
ago Caynse johnny an Texas Jack was a
playin' keerds in the Ei Monty, an Jack
made kind of al otf-hand remark, as II
We're, an Johnny he up an shot i'm
Killed i'm dead as door nail. Now we
some of us thinks Johnny's gittin' jest a
eetle too techus for these Giggins, an
we're goin' TO give i'm a chance tn distin-
guish hlsself on tight rope now in about
five minutes"
Some of the men laughed and Johnny
cut pigeon wing To indicate his con tempt
of the speaker. But most of the men
scowled angrily; they were too much in
earnest to relish any byplay.
lie colonel knew he ought not to have
any sympathy tur Johnny. The camp was
well rid of that scoundrel. Texas Jack. but
was Johnny any better than Jack had
been? Yet the big heart of the colonel
grew tender for the friendless vagabond
before him, as the heart OF a generous man
always does warm to the under dog in the
fight.
We'll. Johnny" he said in the deep,
nj n fAt, . f1a,.N (. LII,
what have you to say for yoursrlf?"
"Oh. amt got nothin' to say" returned
the scamp chetrfu!ly. Il reckon OF Happy
Valley camp ii be better off without ne.
Let 'em 60 on with their hangin' bee."
ANY eXtenuating circumstances ?"
asked the colonel, turning to the butcher,
the only man present who looked unde-
cidsd.
oh. we'll" repl led the man little con-
fusedly. Texas Jack, he was ugly some
allays was that, ye kn0w-an' purity drunk
an sassy"
"Re want no uglier nor drunker nor
sassier than Cayuse Johnny is The biggest
part of the time," called out hoarSe voice
and In the omln Gus growl that followe ed
the colonel saw that he could not do
johnny any good by trying TO defend him.
Il suppose he is as worthless and God
forsaken chap as ever came into this
camp" said the colonel, indicating Johnny
as he turned to the men and speaking in a
tone OF hearty conviction. ''He spends his
nights gambling and drinking and think
ing up all kinds of devilment to play on
sober men who are sleeping after a hard
days work"
The men looked a little sheepishlv at
each other at this, for the most of them
were not averse To gambling, and practical
jokes were not beneath the dignity of any.
Lord. LORD" went on the colonel,
shaking his head, II don't know how
hos Ri1lad hal
he does either. You remember, Bronson"
| he appealed to a tall fellow who was
guarding Johnny with bloodthirsty zeal
you remember that time the Indians
hunted lotofy you up Pinto Canyon, ,where
there wasn't any water and precious little
shelter, and a Bannock bullet stretch ed
you out and Cayuse johnny got you be-
mind rock and stood over you and kept
picking the Indians off every time one
dared to show his head. until the boys
came up aud rescued you?"
BroCSon'S mouth opened, and he stood
staring at the colonel as if fascinated By
the memories cOnjured up before him.
'No, no; we don't forget the capers he's
played" continued the colonel. We
haven't forgotten how he made Jim Smith
dance. baretooted. all over the camp
when he first came-have we, boys?"
The men g:inned. The picture of
Smith. who weighed 200 pounds, perform
ing his involuntary waltz, was very ludi-
crOus.
Nor how he chased Bill Hansen up on
tile roof of his shanty with nothing on
but his shirt and kept him there for
two hours singing Yankee Doodle Cay
use Johnny was celebrating the prosper
ity of the camp. and that was the way he
induced Bill. who always was a lazy cuss,
to help him."
The men laughed. Cayuse Johnny had
always been great one to stick up for
his camr, and someway these remin s.
cenceS sounded differently coming from
the colonePs lips than when they had been
growled OUT by Big Tom and his friends
Nor how he shot thaL brute of a Gam
bier Joe because Joe beat his sick wife -
low murmur of approval ran around
the circle.
And worthlessW continued the colonel,
raising his voice. why, he isn't worth a
nickel and he won't save his money. If
he isn't hung or shot he'll be a burden on
the community in his old age. You re-
member, Will Peters, when you got word
three years ago that your old mother was
not expected TO live, and you were dead
broke and cnuldn't raise copper, how
Cayuse Johnny gave you money to 90 to
her and made you go?"
VIII Peters, slim. boyish-looking fell
low. grew red, then pale, and sat down on
the keg by the rope.
''Shiftless, too! I'll be hanged if KIN w
now the fellow manages to get enough to
eat, 1or he is always sharing what he has
with some poor devil. And when Pop
eye Frank had the smallpox and there
wouldn't a soul 60 near him, that mser.
able skunk of Cayuse johnny went and
nursed him like a brother and wouldn't
take cent for it. Some of you
know the hard winter when wa get word
that the folks over at Alec Camp were
starving and the man that brought the
news couldn't be hired to go back with
supplies. and what did that ornery Cay
use Johnny do but take pack on his bach
and with the snow ten feet deep and more
coming he went. it took him three days
to go and he froze his feet. but be got
there, and, Hansen, your children were
crying for the food he brought, and yours,
Morgan. and yours, too, Jones'"
His voice was like bell and seemed to
vibrate In the souls of the men he spoke
to-. Morgan dropped his head and groaned
and something like sob broke from
Hansen
And quarrelsome, toow went on the
colonel. "Do you mind the time, boys.
You Old-tmers, when he fought Larry
from Charco for saying that was a better
camp than ours, and"
Ihere was crash and the branch on
which the rope bad been fastened bent and
oroke. and Morgan was coling the rope in
MS nands. Jones and Hansen were UNITY
ing Cayuse Johnny's hands and Bronson,
stanolng very tall and scOwling at Big
iom, said. sternly aud significantly, ''El
they 8. to be a llangin' In this camp anyways
soon, 1t won't be Cayuse Johnny's."
AND the men with one accord yelled ont,