Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-27


him draw a gun an grabs him. JUS as you
fellers bust the door gun cracks. an don't
know whether Petri tried to plug me an got
Hanson, or Dick winged himself tryln to bore
hole in me-.
You wasn't to blame. Red Peloo said
the court trial. But here's Billy
Say. Peloo, we got to drop that name. -,
i" Here's the wilder got all the worst of it. She's
broke-that snipe sponged all her wages-an
she won't want to live unprotected in the hotel.
me bein bachelor. There's fellers jus mean
enough to talk: you know that. Red
We got to stake her somehow" Meekins de-
clared after little pause Billy mean the
widder-is JUS the squareSt. ceanest feller-l
mean widder-that ! ever come acrost.
We jus got to do it. Red" Peloo agreed.
DANCED if l know how I'm goin' to run the
Trout House without Billy"
Say, Peloo-" Red hesitated and looked
at Trout
What is it," the latter asked carelessly.
"P'raps it don't sound in keepin' with the
surroundins s; but there's only me an you here.
Peloo. an somethin's got to be did. Red
hesitated again and Peloo once more affirmed.
Yes. got to jus put things right for the
widder."
couldn't it sorter be arranged Why don't
you marry the widder, Peloo3' Red fairly
bruited this out as though half afraid of his own
utterance. Then he added f1ounderingly. 1T
would make the hotel respectable to have
missus hangin' about"
Il amt never thought of gettin married"
Peloo answered.; besides. as you say. it's
kinder soon. I'll own up to it that | think
about as much of the wilder as you do. Red.
an somethins got to be did. but it's kinder
soon-too soon. We best have the fun raj
fu'st.
Yes. guess we best give the little woman
hint not to worry about money, an bury that
skate that's brought all this trouble to Silver
City
THE death of Hanson was the first that had
occurred in Silver City. and no plot of
ground had been set aside burial place.
This contingency had been entirely overlooked:
now it was thrust prominently before the notice
of the citizens. There was gathering OF this
body to discuss the matter. 1t was Red Meek
ms who originated the plan that was finally
adopted.
Peloo had stated an anticipated trouble in
the future over such cases. If we jus bury
Hanson promiscuous like some feller's sure to
come along an jump the claim. S'posin'
Teller finds mineral close by he'll want to stake
an go mimi an the town'll have to dig Han
son up an plant him some other place.
There amt nobody found mineral up on
Boulder Hill yet" Red offered. though more'n
a dozen fellers has prospected it. We best
stake claim of twenty acres an jus assign it
nobody can Jump it. How's that. mem"
Whose name'll you stake it in?" the con-
stable asked. You got to have permit.
Red scratched his head refectively. That
was a puzzler 1t was simply impossible to get.
at present. the names of those who were going
to die in the future Why can't we stake it in
Dick Hanson's name? He's the first he
queried.
That can't be did legally Peloo declared
judicially. You can't stake in the name of
man that's dead. know"
Il got permit for forty acres left" Red de-
clared presently. IN stake twenty acres on
that an transfer it to Billy mean the
wdder.'
"That'n do fu'st rate Peloo replied. She
can hold it in trust so to speak. Then she'll
know that nobody can never jump the claim
an make the town dig up her husband"
The difficult matter thus adjusted satisfied
everyone present: in fact, Meekins con-
gratula ted upon the brilliance of his idea.
ORDINARILY funeral is unpicturesque in
~ it's dark solemnity, but the cortege that
wound its slow way from the Trout House up
Boulder Hill was strkingly out of the ordinary.
There was not single horse in Silver City. not
a conveyance to be drawn by horse if there
had been one: SO the body was placed a
rough prospector's toboggan. drawn by six
train dogs. The ground being bare progress
was more than conventionally slow Every
body in Silver City followed this unusual
hearse: everybody except Meekins and Slack
who were up in the newly staked cemetery dig
ging long narrow chamber to receive the body
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