The Ordway new era., 1908-06-05

0
he said.
Louise was looking white and mis-.
cradle.
iou are not contemplating running
away, are you?" asked Gordon. "This
IL unusual weather-really."
She looked at him with a pitiful
| smile.
should like to be strong and
DraVe and enduring and capable-like
mary. You don't believe II. do you?
its true, though. But | can't. I'm
weak ana homeslck and cold. ought
not 10 nave come. am not the kind.
ION said 1t. you know. am going
nome Just. as soon as this court is
over. | mean It,"
There was no mstaklng that. Cor.
don bowed his head. His face was
white. II had come sooner than he
had thought
All the records of the work ycster.
day had been burned. There was moth.
ing TO do but begin at the beginning
again. 1t WIS dlscouruging. uninter.
"Sting But 1t had to be done. Dale
'''"'' poSi'Nt4l " uuJOufn. Inc
lnrymen were all here So the little
frame church was bargalned for. II
the iir"bugs had thought to postpone
cvcnts-to gain timely last nights
work. they would nnd themselves very
greatly mistaken. The church was
long and narrow like n country school.
house, and rather roomy considering
tho size tho . h.I
winduws-alsO like country school
housr-tuur on the west side, through
which the fine snow WIS drifting. four
opposite, The storm kept few Mt
home with the exception of the people
from across the river. There were
enough staying in the town to I'LL the
room to its utmost limits. Standing
room was AT a premium. The entry
was crowded Men not able to get in
plOuGhed back through the cutting
wind and snow only to return present
ly to see If the situation had changed
any during their brief absence. So
oll the work of yesterday was gone
over again.
So close was the pack of people that
the fire roaring in the big stove in the
middle of the room WAS allowed to
sink in smouldcring quiet, The heavy
air had been unbcarable else. The
snow that had been brought in on
trampng feet lay In little melted
pools on the rough flooring. Men for
got to eat peanuts and women forgot
to chew their gum-cNcept one or two
extremely nervous ones whose jaws
moved the faster under the stimulus
of hysterIa. Jesse Black was telling
his story.
Along toward the lst of last July,
took a hike out into the Indian coun-
try to buy a few head o cattle.
trade considerable with the half
breeds around Grow creek and Lower
Brule. They're always for sellin' and
II 1t comes to n showdown never hag-
gle much about the lucre-it all goes
for snake Juice anyway. Well. | landed
at John Yellow VOLTS shanty along
about noon and found there was 9TH
ers ahead OF me. Yellow Wolf always
was popular cuss. There was Char
lie Nightbird. Pete Monroe. Jesse Big
Cloud and two or three others whose
mugs | did not happen TO be onto.
After our feed. we all strollcd out to
the corral Yellow Wolf said he had
bought a likely little bunch from some
English feller who was skipping the
country-starved out and homesick-
and hadn't put 'em on the range yet.
He said J r was the English feller's
brand. didn't suspicion no under
hand dealin's. Yellow VOLTS always
treated me white before. so l bar
gained for this here chap and three or
four others and then pulled out for
home driving the bunch. They fed at
home for a spell and then decided to
nut 'em on the range. On the way
fell in with Billy Brown here. He
was dead set on havin' the lot to fill in
the chinks of the two car loads he was
shippin', so | up and lets him have
'em. | showed him this here bill.o'-
sale from Yellow Wolf and made him
out one from me, and that was all
there was to it. He rode to Velpen
and turned on my trail"
(To Be Continued.)