The Huttig news., 1909-11-06


 going to run 'em over to those cotton woods and drive the horses out from under em. Stand still, you toy beaded COW thiefi' he cried. slipbina the moose up tight on George See grGe < neck
 See here" returned Whispering Smith. showing some annoyance, you may be joking, but I am rot. Either do as l tell you or release those men. '
 Well, I gue ss we are not joking very much. You heard me, didn't you?" demanded Stormy. angrily. We are going to string these damned crit ters up right here ill the draw on the first tree"
 Whispering Smith drew pocket knife and walked to Flat Nose, slit the rope around his neck, pushed him out of the circle, and stood in front of him. You cant play horse with my pris- oners," he said, curily. Get over here, Karg. Come now, who is going to walk in first? You act like school boy, German
 Hard words and wrangle followed, but Smith did not change expression, and there was a back-down. Have you fellows let Du Sang get away while you were pli ying fool here?" he asked
 ''Du Sang's over the hill there on his horse, and full of fight yet" exclaimed one.
 Then we VIII look him up," sug- gested Smith. Come, Seagrue."
 Don't go over there. He'll get you if you do," cried German.
 Let us see about that. Seagrue, you and Karf walk ahead. Don't duck or run. ether of you. Go on"
 Just over the brow of the hill near which the fight had taken place. a man lay below a ledge of granite. The horse from which he had fallen was grazing close by, but the man had dragged himself out of the blinding sun to the shade of the sagebrush above the rock-the trail of it all lay very plain on the hard ground Watch ing him narrowly, Smith, with his prisoners ahead and the cowboys riding in a circle behind. approached
 "Du Sang?"
 The man in the sagebrush turned his head.
 Smith walked to him and bent down. Are you suffering much, Du Sang"
 The wounded man, sinking with shock and internal hemorrhage, ut. tered a string of oaths.
 Smith listened quietly till he had done then he knelt beside him and put his hand on Du Sang's hand Tell me where you are h.t, Du Sang Put vour hand to it. Is it the stomach ? Let me turn you on your side. Easy Does your belt hurt? Just a minute now; I can loosen that"
 "I know you" muttered Du Sang thickly. Then his eyes-terrible rolling, pink eyes-brightened and he swore violently.
 "Du Sang, you are not bleeding much. but I'm afraid you are badly hurt" said Whispering Smith. .1s there anything I can do for you?"
 Get me some water
 A creek flowed at no great distance below the hill, but the cowboys re fused to go for water Whispering Smith would have gone with Seagrue and Karg, but Du Sang begged him not to leave him alone lest German should kill him. Smith canvassed the situation a moment. 'I'll put you on my horse" said he at length, "and take you down to the creek"
 He turned to the cowboys and asked them to help. but they refused to touch Du Sang.
 Whispering Smith kept his patience. ''Karg, take that horses head" said he. Come here. Seagrue; help me lift Du Sang on the horse. The boys seem to be afraid of getting blood on their hands,
 With Whispering Smith and Sea grue supporting Du Sang in the saddle and Karg leading the horse, the caval cade moved slowly down to the creek where a tiny stream purled among the rocks. The water revived the in. jured man for a moment; he had even strength enough, with some help, to ride again; and. moving in the same halting order, they took him to Reb stocks cabin. Rebstock, at the door, refused to let the sinking man be brought into the house. He cursed Du Sang as the cause of all the trou ble. But Du Sang cursed him with usury, and, while Whispering Smith listened, told Rehstock with bitter oaths that If he had given the boy Barney anything but a scrub horse they never would have been traied. More than this concerning the affair Du Sang would not say, and never said. The procession turned from the door. Seagrue led the way to Reb- stocks stable, and they laid Du Sang on some hay.
 Afterward they got cot under him. With surprising vitality he talked long time to Whispering Smith, but at last fell into a stupor. At nine o'clock that night he sat up. Ed Banks and Kennedy were standing beside the cot. Du Sang became delirious, and in his delirium called the name of Whispering Smith; but Smith was at Baggs' cabin with Bill Dancing. In spasm of pain. Du Sang. opening his eyac cuddaprv thrcw hiuSolf hocfz