Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1908-04-30
AT BENNY PACKERS.
BY holmes Conrad.

Wed been sittin' o Benny's
stingy stove and keepin' awake. fearin'
to sleep lest we'd slip off to be meat
for the spring crop o. worms. when The
door opened and the wind come rushin'
in. We looked round all to once and
seen a great big man flllin' the frame.
His cheeks were Whtte-plum frOZe.
Move in and close the door, Benny
cried, an the stranger stepped forward
and pushed 1t to. but didn't take his
eye off the six o. US.
That made us shine right on to all
o. his curves, and we seen right away
he spelled bad. We didn't none o. US
was too froze to knuckle a gun.
"Wanter thaw out?" asked Benny,
an we o along to make room.
Never seen you before, but you got
something important on han when you
move u in this kind o. weather." says
Benny.
II amt a-tellin' all the secrets O. a
busy life," says h big Teller. IAN IL
you'll jist let me thaw out an liquor
up I amt goin' to bother you none," he
says, lind o. shortlike.
"Whatll o have, boys?" says
Benny. an we all lined up.
While we was havin' our five fingers,
Willie Wickers nudged me an he whis-
pers, II got him spotted. He amt no.
OOOy III DIX OIl w IihlIiS, Sl uC .
meaner'n err WOLF" he says. Come a
few minutes an We'll see another
stranger right on his TRAIL"
The big Teller was a%-huggin' the stove
like 1T was a gal.
Big Jim Wilkins" says Willie.
wilkins that killed the rich tender
foot in the Aces Up at Cairo. Ever
.hittin' his trail an meetin' up with
him, too, but amt ever gunned him
cause"
Cause why?" 1 asked suspicious.
cause he's " 9srned perlite." says
Willie.
. Right there the door opened ag,in an
there comes in a trim little feller-a
regular beeswaxed Jim dandy. He
don't see nobody, but the big Teller at
tn stove an them two watched each
other careful. We all got hold to vault
behind the bar. out we seen there's
goin' to be nothin' doin' soon.
Sure enough" avs Willie. Whisper
tie sheriff from Cairo an he's too
burned p%erlite."
Mighty cold travelin'," says the lit
tie sheriff from Cairo, an he walks
right up to tn stove an the big man
makes DON
II just dropped In, JIM" the sheriff
says casual like. ito ask If it amt
about time you was acceptin' my com
pany back to Cairo"
II amt acceptin' favors just now"
says Jim, openin' and shuttin' his fists.
Well" says the little Teller. I'm
forced to press the invitation this
time" an all tn time he was just
Jim to err party.
Then why don't you pull yer from"
says the big man sudden. an he leaned
over the stove an put his ACE SO close
to the little sheriff of Cairo tibet we
thought he was goin' to chaw him.
You know" says the little sheriff.
tibet I Amt killed er man afore
he'd pulled his gun first"
Quicker'n creased lightnin' III comes
he big un's gun. Els he backs away I
seen h flash. just before the sherin's
CUR spit.
Lordy: but we all did chill an sweat.
The big Teller fell right back and nit
tn floor like a house fallin'.
The sheriff went down on his knees
am felt for the floor. like he was fndiu'
a soft spot to lay down an die on.
We got to 'em quick. jim Wilkins
was dead. The sherif had a terri
BILE hole in his right shoulder. an, wa,
bleedin' awful.
Willie took his boss an went nyin' Oft
for Doc Payne. out at the Narcissua
claim.
I'm bleedin' fast" says the little
sheriff. I'm a cashtn' in, boys, an I
only got a white chip. Sometimes got
to be did"
There sure ISL says Benny. but
what 'tis?"
Take me out the door," says the lit
tie sheriff very feebly.
What" we all cries. IAN see you
freezec"
Take me out" he says: who's dy-
We o him out an put him on the
steps. We stood over him an we all
sweat fearful, an 1t was twenty de-
grees below zero.
Then we started to chill an shake.
an one by n we went In an left him
there sorry as we could be.
Benny he watched him out OF the
windy. Then one by one wa joined
lookin' out. We seen the sheriff didn't
seem to be bleedin' like he was.
well, I'll be D." cries Benny.
an then we all see.
Who eve hearn!" says Larry shy
der.
'Ill be b~ar-clutched and wolf clawed
an. snake bitten" Bobby Coffey says.
Just then the Doc comes riding along
an we carries the little sheriY from
Cairo inside.
why you've froze UP the hole.
cried Doc. 'you'd sure died from bleed
in. but now I guess you'll die from,
cold.
Don't you worry about me-" says
h little sheriff from Cairo, II amt
goin' to die at ALL" he, says. SCOT like.
'cause"-
You're to darned perlite." says VIII
lie Wickers.
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