Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1909-08-26


The two who had seen him leave Col
ter's were in the crowd, which num-
bered rs at least. including the citi-
zens of Contention.
"'Tis a great honor. byes, that
you're bestowin," the Irishman said
pleasantly. MY oriental mandareen
is bringin' on tn drink an tn see-
gars; an whilst we're waitin' for tn
kittle Z bile, so Z speak. tell me
what's festerin' av your minds"
Were lookin' for Golfer, Danny
havin' news fur. him brought from
| Buckamuck," said Shorty Cable, who
was a shyster lawyer when drunk.
$50, an how long since they APP
pinted you polls messenger an perse
cutin' attorney, Mister Cable?"
"Oh, drop that. Dan. We want Col
ter" observed Corny Lusk, who was
fighter, but fair shade of white
mostly"
That's wan way t shpeak mes
sage the sheriff answered. you
want Golfer. You'll not git him from
, me. You have your answer, Corny."
You know where he is, bein' at his
house last night" put in shorty THE
lady must have told you, Danny, dur
ing your conversations
IF ] know. tits no sign We will-ye
runt NV polecat. i was on tn Mann
mon thrail last night an knocked at
Golfers dure in tn light av mornin!"
Shorty laughed derisively and made
remark to the man nearest. The
! little gray eyes of the sheriff turned
hard and sharp.
Il say. byes, tits time / wore read
in my evenin' paper. If there's
annythin' more t say, get rid av ut
through clane mouthpiece. | warn
ye I'll hear no more this day from
Shorty Cable!"
Look here, Dan," said Corny Lusk,
elbowing Shorty back, Eve hang in
Buckamuck for KILN behind. If
you know where Golfer is, it's up to
you to spit it out"
Magoon looked away over the cas-
tellated hills, sharply black against
the fiery sunset DISK. rubbed his hand
roughly across his face, then said in
an even tone:
TITS an Unhealthy life out here
on tn Mammon, lads. A man has t
be jerked up livery now an a little, an
BORN agin, as Dante says, t kape up
| tn standin' av norris in tn sittle-
mint. Last night rode down tn thrail
{ help Buckamuck hang Golfer, an
tn oil winch av a Mammon kapes say
in all tn way in tn moon an tn
dark. See tn rid-haired gurrl first,
DANNY Twas in the light av morn
! in, as / said befure, that / knocked
at her dure, God KNOWN tn thoughts
in tn head av me. 'Nettie,' l says.
did your man do tn knifin' on tn
rear av Vanreb's carcass?' No, she
says, do / LUX like tn wife of a cut
tin coward, Danny? You do not
says l. but are we happy, Nettie-is
Golfer good t We, gurrl?'"
she lukked at me wit shmile on
hit swate face av her; thin cast her
eyes down t. tn boondle in tn cruk
av her arm, an wit a laugh, she
says, Do what you can for him, Dan
ny. ] don't blame tn byes, for they
don't understand my man, that's all,
or they wudn't grieve me so. You
tell them, Danny che says, tell tn
byes that they're all right, an / be-
lave in thin, ony they're wrong this
time she says. Tell thin { bring
my man { me, Danny. for ! made him
sore, an tn little wan is chryin' for
him day and night.
The little sheriff spat meditatively
and then turned to Corny Lusk. The
boys were quiet.
Dye 'mimber, ould parrdner, whin
we bint our backs side-by-side on tn
lower Mammon; whin tn days wore
long an there was little shine av yell
low L pay for thin?
who was ut that fed an mended
us, byes. gave us grub free whin we
wore broker Who was mother an
sister an swatehearrt' t livery an
haste av us? Who held tn Mammon
canyon from bein' hell altogether in
thin airly days when ould Bucka
muck was new?"
Magoon halted, brushed the drops
of sweat from his face with his
sleeve, looked from face to face, then
suddenly jerked them all erect with
the Numbered question:
did tn red-haired gurrl liver lie
t. amy man av ye?"
The negative was murmured back
and he resumed sadly but without an
ger:
what has come over We, lads, t.
forget all these things-all tn ould
days? l know We all loved her-sayin'
me-who culdn't love woman"
The boys were laughing now and
the voice of the little sheriff trembled
for he saw that he had won.
AN / know twas crool hard { see
the stranger from the States snatch
her from your grasp-'twas that in.
dade, feel for we all, but did wom-
an or angil liver earn better tn right
{ fall into tn arms av tn man av her
choice? Larud, Larud, how she
earned ut. lads, An she niver lied
{ man av US"
The negative was roared to him
now. Although the men of Conten-