Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-09-14
The Story Vrllrr.
BY Roland Ashford Phillips.
p A I D !

BY Roland Ashford Phillips.
Through the dusk of the early
evening. allowing his pony to walk.
Bucky Smith rode off the main trail
toward the low-roofed cabin that jut-
ted out from the mountain shoulder
In the low door of the cabin Kings
land came to his feet with n sharp
oath. fumbling at his gun. Bucky
slipped from his saddle. The other
walked down to meet him.
What madness brings you here,
Bucky?" he said.
"I've been riding hard for three
days I'm hungry and dog tired.
You and me amt the best of friends,
| reckon. but YOU won't deny me a
drink and n bit of bacon?"
81 guess you have to have EN-.
Kingsland. answered. but his lips set
themselves i'm n straight line. and a
storm came into his hard eyes.
you're doing n fool thing. Bucky,"
he added after a pause, coming
around these parts, when-when-"
Bucky lifted his head. "You-all
heard about it?"
Heard? How could we all help
it?" Kingsland opened and shut his
big coarse, brown hands. Every sa-
loon wall in the district has got your
face pasted on it, offering a thousand
dollars reward"
Bucky laughed. absently passing a
hand across his lips.
Reckon I was never worth so much
before. eh? Never knew a sheep man
ever got so valuable" And then
Cant I eat-nOw?"
Kingsland led the way through the
door and pulled out a chair. Bucky
| followed and sank YEARLY, thank
fully, into it, watching the other cut
the bacon and toss 1t into the pan on
the warm stove. The very smell sent
his pulses leaping.
When it was done, Kingsland
dumped the dozen thick slices into n
tin platter, set out a pan of cold bis
cults. and poured a dipper of muddy
coffee. After that he sat opposite him
at the table.
II guess you know that hate every
hair in your head, Bucky." he broke
out finally. but I can't see you starve.
I'D have thought you'd turned in
most anywhere-'cept here" he add
ed suggestively. Did you know Of
| the-reward ?"
IT sort of guessed it." Buckley
paused from his eating. 'I killed old
Samson because he deserved it. l gave
him time to draw. but he was too
slow. OF course. you cowmen won't
believe that. Wasn't another man in
the world I hated like him-unless it's
you, King"
Kingsland frowned. "where you
| headed fOr?"
"NOt particular. I'm worth too
much to hang around here for long"
He finished the bacon and swallowed
the remainder of the warm coffee at
n gulp. After that he sat back in his
chair, wiping at his lips with his fin
gers.
king" he said presently, breaking
the hush that lasted between them.
I'm going to get back home-back
East. I'm tired of this hell out here.
I tried my best to play the game
square, but you and old Samson
wouldn't let me. / reckon you and
him did me all the dirt you could.
You killed off my sheep-every head.
And one day found my boy, my own
kid. lying dead with a bunch of them.
I knew what it meant, but I didn't
say anything at the time-eXcept to
God. And then the fever came, and
poor Molly died. She wasn't used to
the west and its ways. She was one
wife in a million, and she died out
here with only me a-holding her hot
little hands. Only God knows how
I've been able to keep up. Guess it's
just thinking of how I'd pay you fell
lows back.
Last month your company got my
land. Old Samson was at the head of
that. He came into the house and
told the men to throw me out-throw
me out Of my own house-just cause
7 was helpless and you fellows want
ed some more grazing land. Every
thing came back to me then; I re-
membered my sheep. my poor, help
less murdered boy. and-Molly. Do
you wonder it sent me wild? And
then. when Samson came out. 1 met
him face to face; told him I was 60
ing to kill him. and we both drawed.
God made my arm the quicker. 1
reckon part of my debt is wiped out"
"YOu-you're using hard words,
Bucky." came the cowmans answer.
You'd better go slow. You know
how matters stand. You amt out of
the country yet by whole lot"
The gloom increased, and the gold
en- horizon went grey. Kingsland
arose presently. found some candles,
lighted them. and put them on the ta-
BILE. after which he opened n can of
tobacco and pushed across few pa
pers. Both men rolled their cigarettes
in silence.
"The moon ought to be up by mid
night" Bucky began evenly. II reck-
on I'll 'ait till then to ride on"
Kingslund drew in n full breath of
smoke and allowed it to trickle
through his nostrils
you'll excuse me n moment"
Kingsland spoke up finally. coming
erect. i've got some business to at
tend to down at the corral I'll be
right back"
Bucky's eyes widened, but through
the smoke the speaker did not see nor
understand. and went out Of the door
Presently Buckley walked to the door
and squatted on the step. Abruptly