Gunnison news-champion., 1911-09-01
friel& o. 81 nosaiO
EasS5l-bl y 49, 8-s.z.ss Co,
conslnssa from Lass wess
~ a 0EuRU

&~3sE toMs saliif a nal atfistCf lcs<l )
Tor forty wears. ard triea b. Nater
tre. earth saa cycloncs. ~bon yea
can ao him a ht;ie faVoF you fsei nse
soins "a
(1tsMsezzie Cor him s7a.soD worth
- sscsrities." thos2hf the examiner }
We acre eo~soys togethor hoo
end l." eontinaed the major. spsakia-
SLOWLY and deliberately. and mssinS
~. as Il ms thoughts we're rather os
the past than the critical present
and ~ prospected together for gold
sne silver over Arizona. New Mexico
and good part Of California We
we're both IN the war Of sixty one. but
II different commands. Neve foaSht
Indians and horse thieves side b.
sias. we've starved cor weeks IN .
cabin In the Arizona mountains. buried
twenty feet deep In snow we've ria
zen herd together when the wind blew
- hard the lightning couldn't strike
= Well, Bob and I have been through
some rough spells since the first time
ve met In the branding camp of the
old Anchor bar ranch. And during
that time we've found n necessary
more than once to help each other
cat of tight places. In those days II
vss expected Of . msn to silica to bis
sr,end. and he aiAu't ASK any credit
Cor n. Probably next day you'd need
BIN to get ct ysur back and help
sand on hand Of Apaches, or put .
teurniaae, on your leg above q rattle
snake bite and ride for whisky. So.
after all. Il MAS give and take. and n
vOu didn't stand square with your
psrdner. why, you might be shy one
when you needed him. But Bob was
man who was willing to 90 furthes
than that. He never played a limit.
Twenty years ago was sheriff
sf this county. and ! made Bob nv
chief deputy. That WAS before the
boom in cattle, when We both made
our stake. | WAS sheriff and col
lector, and 1t was q big thing for me
then. ! WAS married and we had a
boy and a girl-a four and a six year
old. There was q comfortable house
next to the courthouse. furnished BY
the county. rent free. and was
saving some money. Bob did most of
the once work. Both of us had seen
rough times and plenty of rustlinG and
danger, and ] tell you 1t was great to
hear the rain dashing against the
windows OF nights. and be warm snA
oafe and comfortable, and know you
could Get up In the morning and he
shaved and have folks cell you 'mis-
tor. And then, ] had the finest wife
aRd kids that ever struck the rance
end my old friend with me enjoying
the first fruits of prosperity and white
shirts. and guess I was happy. Yes.
] was happy about that time"
The major sighed and glanced casu-
ely out of the window The bank
eaaminer changed his position. and
isaned his chin upon his other
hand
"One winter" continued the major.
the money for the county tazes came
pouring in 10 fast that ! didn't have
time to take the stun to the banh
for a week. ! just showed the chschs
erto q cigar box and the money into a
sack, and locked them In the big -,
that belonged in the sheriR's once
= Aal Sssa s~srvsrhed sAss vsss.
80 was about sick. anyway. ny
serves were out Of order and my slosp
q night didn't seem to rest me. TIE
Sector had some scientific nane for
and ! was taking medicine Ana ..
o1ded TO the rest. I vent to bed ct
plight with that money on my mind.
Not that there was much need Of BE-
~ worried. for the safe was q good
ens, and nobody but Bob and knew
the combination On Friday night
There was about Sc 500 In cash in the
bag. On Saturday morning l vent
10 the ofiice as usual The safe vas
locked and Bob was writing At his
desk. ] opened the safe and the
money was gone. I called Bob. and
reused everybody in the courthouse
10 announce the robbery II struck
me that Bob took II pretty quiet, con
sidering how much IT reflected upon
both him and me.
Tive days went by, and we newer
got a clew. II couldn't have been
burglars, for the safe had been opened
by the combination in the proper vav
a 'NAA' must hhNt trkun 10 talE. Tor
one afternoon in comes Alice-thaf's
my wife-and the boy and girl, ana
Alice stamps her foot. and her ewes
eash. and she cries out: The living
wretehes-Tom. Tomt' l catch her in
faint, and bring her round little by
lttle. and she lays her head down
and cries and cries for the first time
since she took Tom Kingman's name
and fortunes. And Jack and Ziua-
The youngsters-they were always
WIG as tiger cubs to rush al Bob and
climb all over him whenever they
were allowed to come TO the court
hoase-they stood and kicked their
little shoes. and herded together like
scared partridges- They were having
their first trip down into the shadows
a life Bob was working At his desk.
an0 he got up and went out without
. word The grand jury was In ses-
sion then, and the NEXT morning Bob
went before them and confessed tha,
he stole the money. He said be lost
n in a pnkeF Gams In 1f$>~r -=r~.