The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12
CHAPTER xxxlv.
WickWjre.

+ CHAPTER xxxIv.
Wickwire.
McCloud and Dicksie met them at
the porch door. Marion, unnerved,
went directly to her room. Whisper
ing Smith stopped to speak to Dicksie
and McCloud interposed. Bob Scott
telephoned the Office just now he had
a man f;pm Oroville who wanted to
see you right away, Gordon" said he.
Il told him to send him over here. 1t
is Wickwire."
"Wickwire," repeated Whispering
Smith. 'Wickwire has no business
here that know of; no doubt it is
something l ought to know Of And,
by the way, you ought to see this
man." he said, turning again to Dick
sic. IF McCloud tells the story right,
Wickwire is a sort of protege of yours,
Miss Dicksie, though neither of you
seems to have known it. He is the
tramp cowboy who was smashed up in
the wreck at Smoky creek. He is not
a bad man, but whisky, you know,
beats ~some decent men," A footstep
fell on the porch. There he comes
now, reckon. Shall l let him in
minute?"
ooh, should like to see him! He
has been at the ranch at different
times, you know
Smith opened the door and stepping
out on the porch talked with the new
conner. In moment he brought him
in. Dicksie had seated herself on the
sofa, McCloud stood in the doorway of
the dining room, and Whispering
Smith laid one arm on the table as he
sat down beside it with his face above
the dark shade of the lamp. Before
him stood Wickwire. The half-light
threw him up tall and dark, but it
showed the heavy shock of black hair
falling over his forehead, and the
broad, thin face of mountain man.
HE has just been telling me that
Seagrue is loose" Whispering Smith
explained, pleasantly. who turned
the trick, Wickwire?"
Sheriff Coon and a deputy jailer
started with Seagrue for Medicine
Bend this morning. Coming through
Horse Eye canyon. Murray Sinclair and
Barney Rebstock got clean drop on
them, took Seagrue, and they all rode
off together. They didn't make any
bones about it, either. Their gang
has got lots of friends over there, you
know. They rode into Atlantic City
and stayed over an hour. Coon tracked
them there and got UP a posse of six
men. The three were standing in
front Of the bank when the sheriff
rode into town. Sinclair and Seagrue
got on their horses and started of.
Rebstock went back to get another
drink. When he came out of the sa-
loon he gave the posse gun-fight all
by himself, and wounded two men and
made his getaway"
Whispering Smith shook his head,
and his hand fell on the table with
a tired laugh. Barney Rebstock," he
murmured, "of all men! Coward,
skate. filler-in! Barney Rebstock-
stale-beer man, sneak, barnyard thief!
Hit two men!" He turned to McCloud.
What kind of a wizard is Murray Sin
clair? What sort of red-blood toxin
does he throw into his gang to draw
out spirit like that? Murray Sin
clair belongs to the race of empire
builders. By heavens. it is pitiful a
man like that should be out of a Job!
England, McCloud, needs him. And
here he is holding up trains on the
mountain diyision!"
"They are all up at Oroville with
the Williams Cache gang, celebrating"
continued Wickwire.
Whispering Smith looked at the
cowboy. "Wickwire, you made good
ride and I thank you. You are all
right. This is the young lady and
this is the man who had you sent to
the hospital from Smoky creek" he
added, rising. "You can thank them
for picking you up. When you leave
here tell Bob Scott to meet me at the
Wickiup with the horses at IL o'clock,
will you?" He turned to Dicksie in q
gentle aside. Il am riding north to-
night wish you were going part
way"
Dicksie looked at him intently. "You
are worried over something" she MUIR
INJURED; Il can see it in your face
Nothing more than usual. thrive.
you know, on trouble-and I'm. sorry
to say goodnight SO early, but have
a long ride ahead" He stepped
quietly past McCloud and out of the
door.
Wickwire was thanking Dicksfe
when unwillingly she let Whispering
Smiths hand slip out Of her own. II
shore wouldn't have been here to.
night If you two hadn't picked me up
laughed Wickwire, speaking softly to
Dicksie when she turned to him. '1've
knowed my friends a long time, but
reckon they all didn't know me-"
i've known you longer than you
think" returned Dicksie with smile.
eve seen you at the ranchhouse. But
now that we really do know each
other, please remember you are al.
ways sure Of home at the ranch