Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1898-01-13

| Of the real facts in regard to Nav
might occasion. He was now sitting
with one leg thrown over the horn of
His saddle. Suddenly his face lighted
| up with its old sickly smile. and in Il
] voice that trembled little in spite of
the bravado he tried to throw into it,
he began:
Say, Bill, that was the devil of Il lie
I told you about May just now. | saw
ner not over half an hour ago"
'You did, did you? When will she
be here?"
| "She won't be here at ALL"
Bills face grew stern and white.
| "Why won't she?' he demanded.
because directed her in the wrong
road. Jim tried to tell her right and
wouldn't let him. Amt that so, Jim;'
Jim nodded grmly. With faces that
now began to grow drawn and anxious.
the spectators glanced from one speak
or to the other in turn. Bits face was
fairly livid with rage, and his voice
trembled with the awfulness of re-
pressed fury as he asked the next
question:
what did you do 1t for?'
| The expectant silence that followed
was deathlke, but even then Joe's
voice was hardly audible as he an
swered with the same slckly smile
lowering about his white lips:
Because l useter court her myself
and you cut me Outv'
Before the words were fairly out of
his mouth Bill sprang at him with the
fury of wild beast. With all the force
of his mighty arm he struck and the
blow descended upon the arm-the Grip
pied, knotted arm-whch Joe had inter-
posed to ward it off Some say it de-
scended upon the very knot itself. lie
fell from his pony as if he had been
| shot. and lay for several moments on
| the turf where he had fallen.
(Which way did you send her:'
asked Bill, in the same awful tones he
| had used before.
Il won't tell" gasped Joe.
"Then get off that ground"
Joe meekly obeyed.
Get on your pony-no, see It's got
away from you. Then saddle up mine
yonder and go after May and bring her
| back at once. sir! Do you hear!''
Joe meekly took the huge Texas sad
die in his left hand and carried it to
where the pony was grazing, tied by a
| long rope to a tree. His right arm hung
| limp by his side. After some inetfect-
| ual efforts to throw on the saddle with
his left arm he gave up the attempt.
II can't get the thing on" he said.
use your right arm, sir!'' called his
brother.
II think you've broke his game ARM
Bill" said jim Smith.
Its lie!" shouted Joe, "that arm
as good as ever it was"
To prove the truth of this assertion
he made a mighty effort and managed
| to lift his arm to his shoulder, though
| the wrist still dangled loosely from his
| elbow. Even then he could not restrain
| his face from wincing and his teeth
| from clinching with the pain. Drop
| ping the saddle he turned abruptly and
| limped off into the woods without a
| word.
Jim Smith afterward said that only
| his solemn promise to Joe kept him
| from telling the whole truth at this
| juncture just as he knew it to be- and
that he had to grit his teeth hard and
say cuss words under his breath to do
| it then. AS to the rest of the crowd, it
must be remembered that they knew
| nothing but JOes own statement about
| the matter. and consequently they all
sympathized with Bill. After some
moments of coincidence and consulta-
ton with the crowd, Bill, with some
| four or five others, started out to find
Joe.
"Get that rope off your saddle there
and bring it along" he said to one of
the men.
You amt goin' to string him up are
YOU, Bill?" was the rather anxious re-
ply.
mo; just want to skeer him little.
Come on"
In a very short time they found the
man they were looking for.
"Are you ready to tell where May is,
or to go after herY Bill demanded.
"N-no" faltered Joe, with distrust-
full glance at the little group of attend
ants.
Again his brother sprang at him.
This time he threw him to the ground
! and held him there with his grasp firm
| upon his throat.
Don't, Bill, old fellow, for Gods
sake" gaspcd Joe, as his brother some
what relaxed the grip on his throat, Il
| didn't mean no harm by it-honest,
didn't. ! won't do it no more. What
are you going to do with that rope,
Bill? You're not going TO kill your poor,
nO-account brother, are you, old boy?"
Without word Bill and his attend
| ants continued wrapping the rope
| around Joe. Then they stood him up
a.