Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-04-27

"Gahle! What game" asked Bud.
bewildered.
"Why, you told me It yerself-to
marry Dicks girl an live on Dicks
hard earned money"
But Dick borrowed the three thou
sand of Jack" objected Bud.
"Well, the dollars he borrowed have
all gone, hain't they? And the money
he's sendin' back Dick dug out Nv the
ground by hard work, didn't heF
Leastaways. Payson hadn't ort to use
the money to rope in Dicks girl. 1t
ort to be KEEP from him, anyhow, till
Dick comes on the ground his own self.
That d hold up the wsddin'. all right,
II l know Josephine. 1t d be easy to
steer her into refusin' to let Echo 60
into a mortgiged home"
Simple minded Bud readily accepted
the willy half breeds explanations and
surmises and fell into the trap he was
preparing. This was to hold up the
express agent and rob him Of the mon.
ey Payson was expecting, on securing
which it was McKee's intention to Zee
the country before Dick Lane returned
to denounce him. To ascertain 5ust
when the money came into the agents
hands and to act a. cover In the rob
berry itself an accomplice was needed.
For this purpose no man IN oil the
Swestwater region was better adapted
than Bud Lane. Frank and friendly
with every one, he would be trusted
by the most suspicious and cautious
official in Pinal county. The fact that
he had chosen Buck Mckee as an as
sociate had already gone far to re-
habilitate this former bad man" In
the good graces Of the community.
Under cover of this friendship Mckee
hoped to escape suspicion Of any kind
In the homicide he contemplated.
For 1t was murder-foul, unprovOked
murder-that was In the black soul Of
the half breed. He intended to In
criminate BuE so deeply as to put 1t
beyond all thought that lie would con-
fesS.
Young Lane. passionately loyal to his
brother. was ready for anything that
would delay Payson's marriage to
Echo Allen. Together with the wild
JOY that sprang up In his heart at the
thought that his brother was alive
was intwined violent hatred against
his former employer. In the fierce tur-
bulence within his soul, generated by
the meeting Of these great emotions,
he was impelled to enter upon mad
lebauch, in which Mckee abetted and
Joined him.
Filling up on bad whisky. they rode
through the streets Of Florence yell.
ing and shooting their guns Ike
crazy men II was while they were
engaged In this spectacular exhibition
Of horsemanship. gun play and vocali-
zatiOn that Buds sweetheart rode Into
town to execute some commissions In
preparation for Echo Aliens wedding.
Already blue over the thought that
her own wedding was far In the dim
future. poor Folly was cast into the
depths Of despair and disgust by the
drunken riot In which her prospective
husband was indulging with her par
ticular aversion. the cruel. calf tortur-
Ing half breed. Mckee. Thoroughly
mortified. she slipped out Of town by
side street and uioodily rode back to
Allen Hacienda.
After the debauch was over and the
merry. mad devil Of nervous excite
ment was succeeded by the brooding
demon Of nervous depression Mckee
broached to Bud the idea Of robbing
the express agent Of the money COM
ing to Payson. This fell in readily
with the young mans revengefui
mood. and hs uursssyvsdly placed him