The Holly chieftain., 1909-08-06
CHAPTER XVIII.

UUuNION IINp9 THE SINGING PEOPLE.
- 70 CREEK" LEE came into the
trading post on the following
N morning and found Gale at
tending store ~ II nothing
uausual had occurred.
Say! What's this about you and
0tarki hear you had horrible run
b an1 that you split him up the hack
liks quail"
I'VE had 4 row." admitted the trad.
9. ITS been 4 long time working
o0t and last night It came to head"
"Lofd-eei And to think Of Ben
otark bein' licked! Why. the whole
camps talkin' about 1t. They say he
smpt1ed two six shooters at you. but
you kept a-comin'. and when yoN did
get 70 him you just carved your ini.
t1als on him Hike he was Eastwood
tTee. Say. John. he's goner. sure"
do you mean he's-passing out r.
? ~0h, no. reckon he'll get well.
ffom what hear. though he won't let
nobody come near him except old Doc.
But he's lost battle, and that ends
him Don't you savvy? Whenever a
killer quits second best 1t breaks his
hoodoo. Why. there's been men layin'
fbe him these twenty years from here
TO the Rio Grande. and every feller be
ever bested win hear of this and begin
= grease his holster; then the first
shave tail desperate that meets him
WIN spit In his eye Just to make a
name for himself. No. sir! Hes q
spent shell. He's got to fight all his
battles over again. and this time the
ether feller win open the ball oh.
I've seen 1t happen before YoC killed
him last night. Just as sure as II you'd
hang mp his hide to dry. and be knows
~
TIN peaceable man." said Gale on
IT, defensive. II had to do It."
+ knowi knowl There was wit
nenss- This dressmaker at the fort
sssn It. 20 hear"
The other acquiesced silently.
We'll welll Ben Stark licked!
can't get over that 1t must "a been
somethin' powerful strong to make you
10 It. John" When the old man
vouchsafed no more than nod to
question the prospector inquired;
~Where's Poleonf I've got news for
him from the creek"
II don't know. WhyT
''His laymen have give up. They've
cfosscut his ground, and the pay amt
these. 70 they've quit work for good"
He drew a blank, ehY'
.Worse'n that--three of them. The
creek 10 spotteder than a leopard.
Runnion's men, for instance. are into
It bigger than house. while Poleon's
people can't raise color. l call It
tough luck-yes. worse'n tough It's
hard billed and picked. To them az
has shall II be given and to them as
hasn't shall be took even what they
amt got, a. the poet says Look at
Necial She'll be richer than a cream
pun Guess III step around and see
hse."
sshe's gone" said the trader wearily.
turning his haggard face from the
prospector.
-Gonel Whsre9'
'sUp river with Runnion. They got
her away from me last night"
"6u6erin' snakesF' calculated Lee.
80 that's whyr' Then be added sim
ply. Lets go and git her. John"
The trader looked at him queerly.
"Maybe / won't-on the first boat!
I'm eating my heart out hour by hour
waiting waiting waiting for some
Kind Of craft to come, and 50 is Bur-
rsll."
~Whats he got to do with 1T" said
the one eyed miner jealousy. Cant
you and me bring her backY
"He'll marry her! God won't there
never be boat7''
For the hundredth time that morn
ing he went to the door Of the post
and strained his eyes downstream
"Well, well! Them two goin' to be
married" said Lee. STARK licked, and
Necia goin' to be married-all at once.
] hate to zee 1t. John. He amt good
enough. She could a. done heap bet
tor There's lot of reg'lar men around
here. and she could a. had her pick. OF
course. always bein' broke like a dog
myself. amt kept up my personal ap-
pearance like ought. but I've got some
new clothes now, and you wouldn't
know me. bought 'em OF a tender
foot with cold feet, but they're the
goods, and you'd see q big improve
ment in me-"
Hes q good man." said Gale, ''bet-
ter than you or me, and he's all torn
M over this. l never saw man act
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