Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-11-24
J1M'S
FETCHING
WAY

UNI ONE Of the gun sooners ever go
N the drop on Nat Aiken when Ma
BOUNDED the day marshal's beat in Du
range, COL, and Aiken held down thu
billet. at that, when an ombrey's life II
Durango wasn't held to be worth much
more than a buzzard tamale or pan Of
frijoles," said the tousle-haired man
with the desert-bleached mustach, q,
one OF those hotels on the lower avenue
where summer night Conversations are
held out in front with all hands In tip
tilted chairs and their feet against tree
boxes.
"Aiken monsooned into Durango about
six months after the boom began, and
he succeeded Tim Naylor as day marshal
Of the camp-Tim had been so minced
up In a knife fight with two half-breed
gila-eaters that he had to be liked up
to Colorado Springs to win back his
strength.
MAT was a taciturn, unassuming
sawed-off. He had cowlicky auburn hair
and pair of topaz eyes, like mountain
cats, that seemed to grow darker and to
spit sparks when he was getting busy
"T reckon hain't a-goin' t. git shot
up none whilst dom this yere camp
work Nat had remarked in accepting
the day marshal's job sure can't see
no fun in this thing O. layin abed with
q hull lot o. zig-zag holes in y'r system,
I sure can't, That's why l amt a-goin
T. let no gun-fannin' ombrey in this camp
stick me up an poke lead into my
frame. just nachully like t be swing
in along on tn soles O. my boots, an |
don't see this yere game O. layin back on
q bunk, while tn holes are healin', an
countin' centipedes workin' their way
In through tn ceilin' an sides O. tn
idobe-they hain't 'nough action in that
kind O. work
"The Durangoites who heard Nat thus
express his natural objection to being
lead-plugged hoped that he would get
away with his determination, but none
Of us had much Of an idea that he would
be able to make that determination stick
for very long. Aiken had never shown
the camp anything In the line of strategy. |
and SO, Of course, we had no way Of fig- |
uring that he possessed any Of that kind |
~ stun.
well, just two days after Nat had
got his badge on burly, green-eyed
chap named Bill McShane, who had
'drifted up to Durango from the Santa
Anita mountains, where he had grown
Asulky after years Of unsuccessful pros
pecting, knocked of work at noon, alb
sorbed about half gallon Of the Jolly
5uniper Juice into his system, and ther
aportively shot the right ear from the
head Of q Chink keeper Of feed shack.
After doing this Bill strolled out into
the middle Of the street-Durango then
being a one-street camp--and announced
that he couldn't abide any kind Of a grub
Joint that didn't provide its patrons
with stewed puf-adders, fricasseed ira
Antulas and scorpions a Ia Sonora, add
ing that the same was the only kind Of
food that he cared to eat when he felt
real good, as he happened to be feeling at
that moment. II
Which, II any red.headed runts
that thinks they're some few on gun.
breeEin' wants t dispute, Mr.. Nc.
Shane wound up, obviously referring
10 Day Marshal Nat Aiken, we're I'm
A-perchin,, and he left the middle of
The road, leaned up In front Of This Is |
II honkatonk, and. with his thumbs
tucked into his gun belt, bllnked booz. {
ny in the sunshine. Il
Presently a dray, hauled by flea I
Sltten and lonesome.looking mule. and I
iriven by a greaser smoking a corn. q
'huek cigarette, pulled alongside the Z
plank sidewalk In front Of the honka,
onk against which Mcshane was lean.
ng and glooming. A large square pine
1ox. Of the sort that blankets for
western shipment used to packed in, :
E1s the dray's load. In
"McShane gaSed idly at the mule q
md the dray and the box. He did not o
'bserve that the top Of the box was Il
But when the blue steel mug. .
les Of two forty-hves. held BY q pair a
Z freckled. hairy hands. appeared over q
rs - Of the box. and q red head. 4
10 = RI BY 49, hat. followed the b
Ea4 5ssoing W iumplngjssk.Eiss =