New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-09-06


DUPRE sat staring moody into the fire as Somers
- boiled a fierce decoction of tea in the copper
kettle and when k1nna1rd hlllng pipe, tossed MN
the plug of tobacco saying CURLY. " Have smoke
the breed worded the thoughts he had been turning
over and over III his mind.
By Gar! amt you tell tax me fort
Nelson Dat Niche won't come for max charge;
| don do not ing" His tone changed to wheed-
ling whine Il got seeck little boy. me SpOse you
let me go on my shack l don mind give you fifty
dollars. me-
You hound!" the Sergeant exclaimed Do
you think we're breeds to take a br1be
Dupre's sallow face grew black in his disappointed
anger and he babbled in foolish sneerlng, Dat
all got me-spose faint 'nough, You max big
mans yousef tax one mans Pris, ner Why, you
don catch de whisky jacks, Ell! Dey got plenty
money-dats why, eh?
You're a liar, pinto mani" kinnaird retorted
Oats de trut. Why, don Constable o9 So @1F
tell de p'ce bout de whisky runners at Stand OFT,
eh7 Cause de head mans, Mayo, he got tam hne
girl Chris An Somers he's max de good WIT
dat Chris girl-dat's why
With cry of rage the constable sprang to ms
feet; but Kinnairds strong arm, thrust across his
chest, barred him from the insulting breed
Let me gol" the boy pleaded IN kill the vile
Leave it to me-" the Sergeant answered a
snothered quiet in his tones He reached down
beside his saddle and picked up a CURT saying
sternly Get to your feet, Dupre By Heavens!
men can't stand too much, even II they are police
men. I'm going to teach you to keep your dirty
tongue between your teeth where white women are
concerned"
The breed crouched like sulen dog till the whip
sang through the air and stung his back with a
curse he sprang his feet. Again 1t Kissed snake
like Dupre threw up his arm, and the diverted
lash bit into his cheek drawing tribute OF red blood
Kinnaird threw the quirt down IN disgust, saying
YEARLY. There lost my temper! But what IS one
to do?'
Encouraged by the cessation of hostilities, Dupre
vented his anger in threats. IN max report to
de Major dat you strike de pris ner You get broke
M'sieu Sargen! Dem stripe will be strip from
YOU sleeVe!"
Kinnaird laughed and turning to Somers said
That's why l stopped you. though 1t had
to be done
PRESENTLY Dupre was handcuffed by his right
wrist the left wrist of Somers. and side by side
they Law down the constabe's gray blanket
while Kinnaird stretched himself a few feet away
on the other side OF the prisoner.
For long time the Sergeant lay staring up into
the night sky jeweled with millions and millions OF
b1ue-Whte diamonds He could hear the steady
sl,1nber breath of the boyish constable, and the
cultural suck of the breeds,-even IN sleep he was
like animal
Strangely the malicious words of Dupre about
the girl at Stand Off fingered distastefully in his
mind They were in a land barren of women and
Somers but boy. What If there was really
some cause? Scandal swept the praries with the
same curious eaping of distances did the Indians
knowledge of far away events What If there
something something kinnaird slept not the
deep sleep of a toiler, but the police sleep of the
plains which is shattered TO wakefulneSS by the fall
of a leaf or the soft slip of a foot.
Slowly a pair of lids lifted from the black snake
eyes of the breed; his sucking breath st1lled The
Sergeant's broad chest and fell IN the light of
the Pickering fire with steady rhythm that told he
was asleep
Then the breeds moccasned foot slipped along
the grass and gently, gently, rolled toward his free
hand faggot of willow. His nervous fingers cutched
it, and with the gentle pass of Juggler he swept
the sleeper on his right and through the loop
of a leather pistol belt. With the noiseless stealth
of a LYNX creeping slowly inch by inch he carried
he belt tn ba4I ole.