Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-12

II
Secondly. Jim had gone to heaps OF trou-
pie gathering all the breeding stock OF
1doiy cross. for party named Jabez Y
stone to steal them convenient. Jabez Y
mad once been a bartender in Ryan's hotel
| so that smelt of Ryan, too
thirdly. here was poor Balshannon being
neid with string round his leg at the
| gamblers in Arizona, the same being Low
| Lived Joe and Louisiana Pete Once Joe
being Jailed for killing Mexican. Ryan
had put up money for lawyer to get him
released. So If these two thugs were in
| structed to hold and skin the Dock, that
| likewise smeh strong of Ryan.
Fourthly, here was young Michael Ryan
| the rails to reach Grave City by 10 o'clock
this night The smell of Ryan surely tainted
| the whole landscape. Now just throw back
| to the words of Ryan's letter which four
| teen long years before he had nailed upon
| the door of Holy Cross:
The time will come when, driven from
| TINS your new home, without roof to cover
you or crust to eat. your wife and son
turned out to die in the desert you will
Ebeg for even SO much as a drink OF water,
and 1t will be thrown in your face. 1 shall
not Ole until l have seen the end of your
accursed house"
| So this Ryans plan-the work of
| fourteen years; Industrious a whole lot,
and plenty treacherous, but coming surely
| true He had waited until he knew the
lady was mostly dead, then turned her
out of Holy Cross to die in the desert Tho
cattle were stolen, Balsllannon was tied
down for slaughter. and Michael would
come to see the finish at 10 o'clock tonight.
1 began to reckon up Balshannon's friends
cowboys and robbers mostly, scattered any
way across the big range Of the desert
They would not hear me If I howled for
help
But Ryan was respectable He was chair.
man of the committee of public safety
which lynched bad men when they became
too prevalent with their guns Ryan was
our leading citizen, heaps rich, and vir-
tuous no end. The law would side with
him, and as to the officers of the law
judges and city marshal and the police
they'd got elected because he spoke for
them. He owned the city, could bring out
hundreds of men to take his side. What
could do against this Ryans friends?
1 knew that young Curly was hid In
Grave City somewheres, and after a search
found him. The boy was so disguised
he hardly knew himself.
"Chalkeye,' says he, you want a talk?'
He looked sort of scared and anxious.
81 do
IF Ryan's folk see you making talk with
me they'll think there's some new plot
against the white men. Just you watch
where l go, and follow casual"
He led me to a little room he rented over
a harber's shop, and looking from the win
dow l noticed that Ryan's hotel was just
across the street. Curly left the room dooc
open, because he didn't want any spy to
use the keyhole.
NOW, says ne, yO voice tame,
or We'll be overheard. Don't show yo'self
off at that window but keep your eyes
skinned thar, while l watch the stairs.
What is yo' trouble?'
wv har are yo' range wolves?'
They're a whole lot absent" says Curly.
"Cayn't you trust me?"
II amt trusting even myself" He looked
fearful worried.
You know that Ryan has seized Holy
CROSSE"
This mawning yes".
And that Ryan has stolen all their
breeding stock?"
Yesterday that was"
and that yo' father dressed himself up
as a preacher, and warned Jim?"
They met up five mile south Of Lords
burgh. Yessir."
And that Balshannon is tied up here?"
ITO be butchered this evening. Well?"
Curly, 1 want the range wolves to save
Balshannon.'
''The range wolves has another engage
ment, Seh."
you know all about this, Curly! Cayn't
you trust me to help?'
I'VE want no help, reckon"
I turned my tongue loose then, and surely
burned young Curly.
Don't talk so loud ole Chalkeye, but
say some more!" he laughed. Il could set
around to listen to you all day. Turn 70
wolf loose, for it's shorely yo' time TO
howl"
That dried me up cold and sudden, for
1 had been acting youthful, and Curly had
got responsible, maybe elderly with me.
the same being ridiculous seeing how small
the boy was.
"Yo're through with yo' prayers, Chalk
eye? Some comforted, Ell? You ole ring
tailed shorter, cayn't you understand? We
amt going to have you mixed up with US
range wolves, and branded for an outlaw.
We want you to keep good, and be whole
lot respectable right along. Then you can
stay around in this mans town, walk in
the open with proud tail, and show the
hot Dole ba friend
who amt no robber."
Then I understood.
Now" says Curly hear my III voice,
for I'm goin' to prophesy. You know that
Ryan reckons to have young Michael here
for Balshannon's funeral? Suppose this
Michael don't transpire tonight? Suppose
the train comes in with news of horrible
shocking outrage7 Suppose them mean.
Urinary robbers has stole millionaire?
Suppose-well, just you wait for Ryan's
yell when he hears what's done happened
to his petted offspring. He'll surely forget
there's any Balshannon to kill. Just you
wait peaceful, and when the town turns
out to rescue that poor stolen maverick You
want to ride in and collect Balshannon."
Opposite in the hotel piazza I watched
old Ryan and the city marshal having a
mint julep together at one of the tables.
You hear that hawss?" says Curly, and
far off L heard a horse come laundering.
Soon the rider swung into sight, pitching
the dust high, until he came abreast Of
my window, and saw the city marshal in
the piazza.
Marshal" I heard him calling, ''the
wire to Bisley has been cut"
us that SOP?
1.-THE city marshal at Bsley wants your
help"
Whats the trouble?"
you Ryan, your partner Jim Fiskin has
been held up on the Mule Pass by robbers.
Marshal, the message is for you to bring
a posse swift to the nigh end of the pass,
so as the Bisley people can drive the rob-
bers under your guns"
Good" says the marshal, betting up his
gun, "I'll be thar.
ut would be awful pity" says Curly
behind my shoulder, ''if our city marshal
and his posse of men got called away on 4
false scent, while the wicked robbers up
north were stealing a millionaire"
That youngster was wiser than me.
Cro be continued tomorrow