Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1910-01-27
CHAPTER xxxii.
The Call.

|
nedy and Banks, who in the interval
rode into town and rode out again on
| their separate and silent ways, Whis-
pering Smith for two days seemed to
do nothing. Yet instinct keener than
silence kept the people of Medicine
Bend on edge during those two days,
and when President Bucks car came
in on the evening of the second day,
the town knew from current rumors
that Banks had gone to the French
man ranch with a warrant on seri-
Gus charge for Sinclair. In the presi-
dents car Bucks and McCloud, after
late dinner, were joined by Whisper
ing Smith. and the president heard
the first connected story of the events
of the fortnight that had passed.
| Bucks made no comment until he had
heard everything. And they rode
| Sinclairs horses" he said in con-
| clusion.
"Sinclairs horses" returned Wits
pering Smith, land they are all ac-
| counted for. One horse supplied by
Rebstock was shot where they crossed
Stampede creek 1t had given out and
| they had fresh horse in the willows,
for they shot the scrub half a mile up
| one OF the lyons near the crossing.
The maep,es attracted my attention
to it. A piece of skin a foot square
had Jeen cut out of the flank"
You got there before the birds"
/ 1T was about an even thing" said
| Smith. Anyway, we we're there in
| time to see the horse
And Sinclair was away from the
ranch from Saturday noon till Sunday
| night?"
"A rancher living over on Siam
| pede creek saw the five men when
| they crossed Saturday afternoon. The
fellow was scared and lied to me
about it, but he told Wickwire who
| they WERE"
Now, who is Wickwire?" asked
Bucks.
| you ought to remember Wickwire
George" remarked Whispering Smith
turning to McCloud. You haven't
forgotten the Smoky creek wreck
DO you remember the tramp who had
his legs crushed and lay in the sun all
morning? You put him in your car
and sent him down here to the rail.
road hospital and Barnhardt took care
of him. That was Wickwire. Not a
bad fellow, either; he can talk pretty
straight. and shoot pretty straight
| How do ! know? Because he has told
me the story and I've seen him shoot.
| There, you see, Is one friend that you
never reckoned on. He used to be a
| cowboy, and | got him a job working
| for Sinclair on the Frenchman; he
has worked at Cummings and other
places on the Crawling Stone. He
hates Sinclair with deadly hatred
| for some reason. Just lately Wick
wire set up for himself on Little
| Crawling Stone"
remarked McCloud.
II couldn't leave him at Sinclair's,' y
continued Whispering Smith. frankly
The fellow was on my mind all the
time. felt certain he would kill Sin.
clair or get killed IL he stayed there.
| And then, when took him away they
| sprang Tower w on me! That is the
price. not of having conscience,
for l haven't any. but of listening to
| the voice that echoes where my con.
| science used to be-" said the railroad
man, moving uneasily in his chair.
| Bucks broke the ash from his cigar
into the tray on the table, "You are
| 20
like you. either"
| 1T is in the air. There has been
a dead calm for two days. Something
is due to happen tonight. | wish ]
could hear from Banks; he started
with the papers for Sinclair's yester
day while went to Oroville to sweat
Karg. Blood-poisoning has set in and
it is rather important to us to get a
confession. There's a horse!" He
stepped to the window. Coming fast
too. Now, / wonder-no, he's gone
| by"
Five minutes later a messenger
came to the car from the Wickiup with
word that Kennedy was looking for
Whispering Smith. Bucks, McCloud
and Smith left the car together and
walked up to McCloud's Office
| Kennedy, sitting on the edge OF the
table. was tapping his leg nervously
with ruler. bad news, Gordon"
| mot from Ed Banks?"
Sinclair got him this morning"
Whispering Smith sat down. go
/ on"
i
Banks and l picked up Wickwire
on the Crawling Stone early, and we
rode over to the Frenchman. Wick
wire said Sinclair had been up at
Williams Cache the day before, and
he didn't think he was home OF
course l knew the Cache was watched
and he wouldn't be there long, SO Ed
asked me to stay in the cottonwoods
and watch the creek for him. He and
Wickwire couldn't find anybody home
when they got to the ranchhouse and
they rode down the corral together to
look over the horses"
Whispering Smiths hand fell help.