Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1909-03-24

as the KILN Nv 'Ole Man Terrlll.
got a witness to prove | wuzn't in
twenty miles Nv the place."
"Who's your witness?" asked Slim
in his most judicial tones.
bud Lane. Me an him rode over to
the weddin' together from the Lazy
X, an I wuz put out as not httln' to
be there, an by that very man there
that did the killin'."
The punchers had to grin in spite OF
the seriousness Of the occasion. Buck
appeared to be deeply hurt at the I'M
ceremonious way he had been left out
at the feast.
"What makes you point to me as the
man?' asked Jack quietly.
"You wuz late gettin' to yer own
weddin'."
Fresno could not repress his feelings
any longer. He started angrlly to-
ward Mckee, but Jack and Sagebrush
held him back. The others were about
to follow his lead when Slim motioned
them back with the caution, keep out
of this, boysw
81 was late" explained Jack, "but
told you I rode around to the station
to get wedding present I ordered for
my wife,
Jim interrupted him to substantiate
| the statement. Pointing to desk, he
said: Chats so. There it is, too-that
| there desk"
The Sweetwater outfit nodded in ac
| quiescence, but the others looked in
credulous
| Buck sneered at the defense which
Jack made. Nobody saw you over
that way, did they?"
81 saw Terrill. 1t must have been
| just before he was killed. l didn't
meet anybody else" Jack showed no
trace of temper under the inquisition.
"Of course you saw him before he
| wuz killed-about a minute. Mebbe
you didn't plug him the next minute
with 44?'
The charge reused Sagebrush's fight
ing blood. Drawing his gun, he at
tempted to get a fair shot at the ac-
cuser Fresno and Show Low grabbed
him by the arms, holding him back.
| The foreman shouted, '"There'H be
some one plugged right now if you
all make another break like thatp'
Slim waved his hands over his head
driving the men backward, as if he
were shooing away a flock Of chick
ans.
easy, now-easy," he drawled
"There amt a-goin' to be nothin' doin
here 'cept law an justice"
, Buck laughed sneeringly at thu
wavering of his men. He would have
. | to do something to put more hear
into them and regain the ground b.
had lost by his single handed conduct
Of the case.
, "There hain't, eh?' he asked con
temptuously. "Well, it's lucky
brought some Nv my own outfit will
, me-"
'Mebbe you'll need them If you ge
, too careless with your talk" answered
, the unruff1ed sheriff.
+ Turning to Jack, Slim said, 'Thi
fool thing can be settled with on
word from you"
The young ranchman listened to tn
sheriff earnestly. He wished to clea
himself forever of all suspicious. FL
did not want Echo ever to hear tina
: there was a false impression abroa
=. that she was the wife of slayer
- "'What is 2" he asked simply.
"Why, you paid off a mortgage @
=, an even three thousan' dollars las
week, didn't you?"
= Eyes. What has that to do wit
= it?' he asked.
Buck broke in at this point. Her
was the strongest card that he had i
- his hand, and the sheriff had playe
:, it to McKee's advantage.
= "Plentyv-Buck shouted. "Old TIE
rill wuz shot an killed an robbe'
% an the man who did it got just thre
# thousan' dollars"
g can you mean to say that the hos
g here began Sagebrush, in his angt
~ making rush at Mckee. He we
a held back, but the disturbance attrac
If ed Echo and Mrs. Allen from tt
"a kitchen. Echo hurried to her hu
bands side. He slipped his arm abo1
r, her waist, and together they faced b
PC accuSer.
~ Gall you got to say Is whar did "
,b get that money! cried Buck, who hs
ri seen Dick Lane pay it to Payson al
ne conjectured that Payson did not da
to reveal the fact of this paymer
.+ with all the disclosure it implied.
ho "Why, it was paid to me BY TIL
10 Jack stopped. He could not tell w
ns gave him the money without revealil
to Echo the return Of Dick. The who
,r miserable lie would then come OF
=, Echo noticed Jacks hesitancy.
"What Is it? What's the matter
IN she asked in frightened tones.
'o+ Nothing, nothing" he answer
- lightly to lessen her terror. .
40 'Hats off, everybodyw command
- Slim in Difference to the presence
60 Echo.
,ct "Who are these men? Wha
NO wrong?'' pleaded Echo.
ps, Buck bowed to the trembling y
as man, who had thrown her arms abe