The Irish standard., 1905-08-05
CHAPTER vi.
BARRELS FLIGHT.


War Eagle mine. pulled in his half,
broken bronco team at the rear of the
Hall Way house and rolled OFF the
seat of his mountain wagon.
when We take 'em off the pole,
Jimmie" said he to the hostler. don't
fool none with the harness. Them
'bronks kin kick more an faster than
ary other critters in these parts"
Jimmie grnnted and measured Gryce
sharply with his eyes.
Now" continued the old man, don't
turn your lamps on me like that Meb-
by did look through the bottoms oi
a few glasses before shackin' out Of
Anacondy. but IT wasn't enough to af-
feet my Judgement. Dynamite, thar ON
the off side, is the original inventor
of the bed-post buck, an he kin be
plum scand'lous when he takes a mo-
tion. AS fer Terror the nigh hoss
many time he's kinked himself inter
bow knot an laid out three punchers
in the untanglin'. So eff ye-"
Gryce was interrupted by one of the
cattlemen grouped in front of the ho-
tel, waiting for the Chinese cook to
sound the dinner gong. The under
foreman was well known and. in spite
of his many infirmities. universally
liked. BY way of greeting. the cattle
man pleasantly drew revolver and
cut the air with a bullet not half
dozen feet from the old mans ear
With a tipping hiss the missile
famed away into the void directly
over the rear of the mountain wagon
so close to a pile of cases roped to the
wagon box that Gryce gave vent to a
terrified yell
"Howdy, Uncle Ab?" called the cat
tlcman. THE sing of bullet has
mighty queer effect on ye, seems like
you. Ben" shouted Gryce, lyon
stop that. If the pint of that gun had
been an inch lower the hull passel of
us would have been wiped off the
map" The old man drew sleeve
across his forehead. GLORY, man.
I'm freightin 500 o. high explosive
along with caps an fuse, ter the War
Eagle"
The laughing crowd was instantly
sobered
"If the bronks are all you say, Uncl.
Alb, said Jimmie, they're altogether
too frisky for load like that"
I'm less afeared O. the team than
am Of some playful fool like Ben,
thai. Mind what | say about the crit
ters, Jimmie" and Gryce reached the
front of the tavern just as the gong
sounded. "Howdy. boys?" he asked
taking in his friends with compre-
hensive look. "How's things at Sandy
Bar, Cliff"
Couldn't be worse" answered Cliff
gloomly Jack sturgis got his ucke
across the divide last night"
Buy it himself?"
mot much! A gambler from Frisco
handed it out; a 45, and poor old Jack
never knew what struck him."
Gryce swore softly. "Took care q.
the gambler, didn't ye?" he asked. sig
nificantly.
intended to, much as could be-" an
swered Cliff, but while we were tals.
ing care of the marshal so he couldnH
interfere and making our plans tht
gambler got away"
"Did he have help?"
cts the general verdict that lie did
1T himself; pulled up board in th1
floor and dug down to drift that leo
out on the creek bank"
That's plagued rough" muttered
Gryce. You'll get i'm, though, won't
ye?"
az we can. Several parties are out
conlbng the hills and I'm expecting
some fellows this way be.r long
Murgatroyd has offered - -. TO thl
man who brings Darrei r.
"Darrel! I've heard O. him, but het
somethin' Of stranger on this part d
the range. Come in to the bar, Cliff
an we'll crook elbows to your success
in baggin' Darrell. Can't eat, anyhow
till put all edge on my appetite. Ana
the rest O you care ter j'ine u.s."
The invitation was eagerly accepted
During the meal that followed Gil.
aired the whole matter connected with
the killing of Sturgis in detail.
His recital was punctuated with
angry comments on the part of the lis
teners. Sturgis was known to be
gambler and hard citizen, but the
manner of his taking off, together with
the escape of Darrell. appealed strong
ly to the latent sympathies of lha
rough and ready frontiersmen.
ITO Be Cuntinuedl