Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1909-08-26
copyright, by j. b. Lippincott Coz


a little restaurant and a good-looking
girl therein. This was Nettie, the red
haired angel of Buckamuck, which set
Element was among the rawest of the
gold" towns on the AIammon.
Trouble was plain in Netties eyes.
Hello, Danny" she said shyly,
come on back here TO the kitchen.
I'm just about through"
The two sat down in the little shiny
clean kitchen. Magoon's face was
wrinkled with emotion as he said
huskily:
j. I'VE toll me { come this night, Net
tie. Will We marry me, CURL? Mind,
I'll set Scotty on We. if We don't"
II did ask you to come tonight,
she forced herself to say, land I've
got to give you the worst of it. It's
hard to have to say No to you,
Danny"
The little Irishman rubbed. his
hard hand across his mouth and left
thin, game smile there.
"Ah, WELL" he said, almost steadily,
"'tis your swate self that knows best,
deere"
The girl rose impulsively. BE
lieve me, Danny, / would help it IL l
could, but Golfer has won out. / know
the boys hate and misunderstood him,
but he's a man for that, and l told
him to-day that / was his for life;
and all the time | knew that ! was
turning down man who would make
Iiffln hnaUnn for a here on
the Mammon-for a woman that was
square-and I'm meaning you, Dan
NY"
1t was the ancient story of the
woman who loves, talking to the man
she likes.
"'Tis no manner av blame for We,
Nettie," Magoon declared, IAN for all
j know Golfer is a better man thin |
am, which is rubin glory in tn face
av him, sure"
Then Magoon held out his hand.
Goodbye, Nettie, deere" he said.
IAN don't We be afther feelin' bad for
me. l have weddin prisint for We,
an a wurrud or a blow or dollar. or
all three, amy time We made thin. "
And so the little Irishman left her
with the deepest hurt of his life. The
next morning he turned over his
claim, through a third party, to the
authenticated girl. And there were
few better claims on the Mammon
than the Belle Mare" diggings. Then
with mount and two pack-ponies
and the mournful Scotty at his left
stirrup, Magoon rode north along the
shrunken river-bed of the Mammon
to the town of Contention, making 80
miles from Buckamuck before sun
down.
He was needed at Contention and
remained to shoot his way into promi.
nence and respect. He was feared
and admired as lucky and effective
men are. He bought new claim on
the Mammon and made it pay. He
took his drink and sat in poker
game on occasion AS a deputy under
Sheriff Stockton he went to the Gap
a rendezvous of smutted characters
winged Big" Fellows there and
Then Stockton, the Sheriff, under
took to clean out the Gap, times be
ing dull in Contention. He rode over
with seven deputies and was shot
from his horse as he hove in sight oil
the stronghold. Only life enough re
manned in him after he fell to turn
over his command to Magoon, who
carried out the job, but brought back
besides Stockton and his prisoners
three of his own seven on pack-ponies
made fast with the diamond hitch. BY
acclaim on his return Danny wa:
hoisted into Stockton's place.
nagoon had been at Contention two
years when the mail carrier, whose
peregrinations wired the Mammor
towns together, brought word to Con
tention that there had been a murder
down in Buckamuck. 1t appears tha
the unhallowed life of "Ocre" Van
reb had escaped through knife
wound in the back. The fact tha
wildly stirred Buckamuck was that {
knife, the weapon of an unclean man
had been used. The volume of suspi
cion pointed toward Mrs. Golfers hus
band, upon whom the late Vanrei
had directed his last assaults of abus
i've humor. On the same night, latel
and alone, Vanreb had died
Now Buckamuck had never relisheC
the presence of Golfer. He was NJ
mixer and bore upon his person ear
marks of the despised east. His edu
cation would not have initiated
strongly against him had he showI
an inclination to become one of tn,
boys. However, Golfers winning o
Buckamuck's red.haired girl wa
the head. and front or his offending
"Ocre" Vanreb was not great,
missed, bat he had gone out hog-fash
ion, evidence of guilt pointing to tn.
man whom the whole town itched {,
macerate. The result was that Collie
would shortly swallow the hemp.
The news bore down upon Magoon
stirred into disorder all the sorrow
and passion of his life, ignited tn
eager fuel of hope.
The night was thick and hot AM