Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-07-14

HNI trading post on the following
a morning and found Gale at
tending store as If nothing
unusual had occurred.
| Say! What's this about you and
Stark? hear you had a horrible run
in and that you split him up the back
like Il quail"
I'VE had row." admitted the trad
er. ITS been Il long time working
out. and last night it came to head"
"Lord-ee! And to think of Ben
Stark bein' licked. Why. the whole
camps tallsin' about it. They say he
| emptied two six shooters at you, but
you kept a-comin', and when you did
get to him you just carved your mi
tials on him like lie was Il Eastwood
tree. Say. John, he's goner. sure"
"Do you mean he's-passing out?"
"Oh 10. reckon he'll get well,
from what hear. though he won't let
nobody come near him except old Doc.
But he's lost a battle, and that ends
him. Don't you snvvy? Whenever
killer quits second best it breaks his
hoodoo. Why. there's been men layin'
/ 4oi min liSSC tnSitS SCuiS lGlG
to the Rio Grande. and every Teller he
ever bested will hear of this and begin
| to grease his holster: then the first
shave tail desperate that meets him
will spit in his eye just to make
name for himself. No. sir! He's
spent shell. Hes got to fight all his
battles over again. and this time the
other Teller will open the ball. Oh,
| I've seen it happen before. YOU killed
him last night, just as sure as If you'd
hung up his hide TO dry, and he knows
it,
I'm a peaceable man." said Gale on
the defensive. II had to do it."
81 know! know. There was wit
nesses. This drcssmaker at the fort
seen it. so hear
The other acquiesced silently.
| "Well, we'll! Ben Stark licked! l
can't get over that. 1t must "a been
somethin' powerful strong to make you
do it, john When the old man
vouchsufcd no more than nod to q
question the prospcctor inquired:
where's Poleon? I've got news for
him from the creek"
II don't know Why"
"IIis laymen have give up They've
crosscut his ground, and the pay amt
there. so they've quit work for good"
"IIe drew blank, CHI"
"Worse'n that--three of them. The
creek is spottedcr than leopard.
Runnion's men, for instance, are into
it bigger than II house, while Polcon's
people can't raise Il color. call it
tough iuck-yes worse'n tough. It's
hard billed and picked. To them as
has shall 1t be given and to them as
hasn't shall be took even what they
amt got. as the poet says. Look at
Necia. She'll be richer than cream
puff. Guess I'll step around and see
her."
She's gone" said the trader YEARLY,
turning his haggard face from the
prospector
"Gone! Where"
"Up river with Runnion. They got
her away from me last night"
"Sufferin' snakes" calculated Lee.
$50 that's why!" Then be added sim
ply, Lets so and git her, John"
The trader looked ut him queerly.
"AIaybe l won't-on the first boat!
Pm eating my heart out hour by hour
waiting aiting-w waiting for some
kind of craft to come, and so is Bur-
rell''
whats he got to do with it?" said
the one eyed miner jealousy. Cant
you and me bring her back?"
Hell marry her. God. won't there
never be Il boat?"
For the hundredth time that morn
ing he went to the door of the post
ausl "t9ainc1 his eyes downstream
We'll, well. TEEN two goin' to be
A&ritad,' said Lea stark licked ana
:. ~ !! in TO he n-lrlie1-all Mt once.