The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1908-02-14
CHAPTER ~.
"Maouot,"

An hour prior to this little episode
Jim Munson had sauntered up to
the ticket window only to find that the
train from the east was 40 minutes
late. He turned away with a little
shrug Of relief 1t was foreign role
he was playing-this assumption OF
the duties of knight in dancing at
tendance on strange ladies. Secretly,
he chafed under it; outwardly, he was
III efficiently Indifferent. He had
reputation to sustain. reputation of
having yet to meet that which would
lower his proud boast that he was
afraid Of nothing under the sun, neith-
er man nor devil. But he doubted his
ability so to direct the point of view
of the Boss or the Scribe or the rest
of the boys of the Three Bars ranch,
who were on a still hunt for his spot
of vulnerability.
The waiting room was hot-unbear-
ably so to a man who practically lived
in the open. He strolled outside and
down the tracks. He found himself
wishing the train had been on time.
meeting-would now have been
thing Of the forgotten past. He must
needs fortify himself all over again.
But sauntering down the track toward
the stockyards he filled his cob pipe.
lighted it. and was comforted. He
had 45-minute reprieve.
The boys had tried most valiantly
to persuade him to fix up for this
event. He had scorned them indig-
nantly. If he was good enough as
he was-black woolen shirt. red neck
erchief and all-for men, just so was
he good enough for any female that
ever lived. So he assumed a little
swagger as he stepped over the ties.
and tried to make himself believe that
he was glad he had not allowed him
self to be corrupted by proffers of
blue shirts and white neckerchiefs.
- was approaching the stockyards.
There was movement there. Sounds
of1bmmands, blows. profane epithets,
and worried Rawlings changed the
placid evening calm into noisy strife.
1t is always 4 place interesting to
cowmen. Jim relegated thoughts of
the coming meeting to the back
ground while he leaned on the fence,
and. with Idle absorption. watched the
loading Of cattle into stock car. A
switch engine, steaming and splutter-
ing, stood ready to make way for an
other car As soon as the present one
should be laden. He was not the only
spectator. Others were before him.
Two men strolled up to the side op-
posite as he settled down to musing
interest.
"Gee!" he swore gently under his
breath, "ef that amt Bill Brown! Yep.
1t is for a fac. Wonder what he's
shippin' now for!" He scrambled
lightly over the high fence of the pen.
'Hullo. there, Bill Brown!" he yell
ed, genially. making his way as one
accustomed through the bunch Of re-
luctant, excited cattle.
'Hullo yourself, jim! What you
doin' in town." responded the man ad
dressed, pausing in his labor to wipe
the streaming moisture from his face.
he famed himself vigorously with his
dropping hat while he talked.
| Gal huntin'," answered Jim, sober
~ and despondently.
He'll" Brown surveyed him with
astonished but sympathetic approba-
tion. He'll" he repeated. You
cont mean it. do you. Jim. honest?
come, now. honest? So you've come
10 at last. have you? Well. WE'LL
WINS comm over the Three Bars?
"hatll the boys say?"
he came nearer and lowered his
voice to a confidential tone. Say,