The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1895-06-22
Continued from u last issue.)

Don't happen to hev a lookin glass
about you, do you, stranger" he asked
when his toilet was complete.
II do just" | said, reaching in my
saddlebags for my travelling case, and
tho glow of satisfaction that shone in
his face at sight of his comical reflection
rewarded me for my philanthropic en-
deavors.
stranger" he said to me by and by,
as he beld my hand In his. lyon hev
been to me n frien in need with two in
the bush, that's what. Now, s'long tell
1 see you agin. You foller the leadin
or that thar trail though the under
brush, an fust news you know you'll see
the cabin in the ola'rin an mon likely
nam or milkin the COW. She's survigrous
lookin, nam is. but she's all right.
You jest tell her Thomas McTair sent
you. an your fort in's made with mann.
The jug sets benin the do, S'long; I'm
loaded now fur Nancy"
l watched him swing himself down
with quick, free strides, and by and by
turned my horses head up through the
III VI uon' II bun wins JuEb bluhlnK
to rest and hung like a red ball OF fire
beyond the murky mountains. I turned
for a last look at him to find myself
staring straight down the barrel of a
rifle.
Didn't calk' late on this jest, did ye,
Stranger asked the old man at the
end of the gun as he came out from the
underbush. He was a long, lean, lank,
tough old customer, with determine
tion writton in box car letters all over
his hard old face, and l began to feel q
little sbaky in my bones with that hun
gry looking rifle filling up the space be-
tween us.
Nv oil, | believe you are right, old
man. :" | began, circulating through all
the gray matter of my brain to produce
an appropriate answer.
II lowed not, ye dad blasted valley
man. ye, the old man interrupted me.
II could give We the same as ye sont,
mebbe. with ole meat in the pot here,
but shootin's too good fur ye. | guess
yell keep handy enough, SO yell COM
modate me by leadin the way up that
trail thar whilst me an ole meat in the
pot brings up the rear"
mo use talking over matters before
we get up. is there. old fellow?" / asked.
breathing easier at the chance of a res
pite. at least, and finding that the
trail was the nj pointed out by Thorn
as McTair. | put two and two together
and concluded that my oaptor was the
father of my whilom friend. and that
perhaps matters might not prove as dis
astrous AS they looked.
A half hours steady pull brought MS
to the clearing which Thomas MoTair
had described. and. sure enough, nam
was at the pen milking. The old man
directed my way up to the rickety rail
fence and called his wife to him, speak
ing to her In husky whispers which I
could not understand. By and by he
made me dismount and lead the way
into the cabin. "Onload, stranger, I"
he said, m~otioning me to a seat in the
chimney corner by the fire. | gave him
my pistol and empty eask. which were
all ] had transferred from my pockets
to Thomas MoTair's when we changed
clothes. Through the open window l
saw the old woman leading away my
tired nag, and I hoped she would give
him a good supper. Presently she came
in.
bets, " said the old man, giving her
the rifle. rye set thar by the table an
keep the gun p'inted plumb. Eff the
skunk winks his eye Unnecessary, why,
let her go. Gallagher. I'd like to keep
him till the boys kin see the fun, but
blaze away eff he shows his teeth. I'll
g'long down now"
Bets was a ''s~urvigrous" old woman,
as Thomas McTair had said, and she
gazed ut me with fire in her eye aud her
finger on the trigger. | calculated upon
the chances of Thomas MoTair's prob
able return to the parental roof and con
cluded that, for the sake of my health
and the welfare of humanity at large,
it would be unwise to put off eating
and drinking until that time. looked
the old lady straight in her fiery eye
and said with the deliberation of a seed
tick grabbing for keeps and in the sane
timonious tone of q newly appointed
circuit rider:
MADAM, if | should by chance die