The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-12-27

boys IS within to rifle him. That's
why ! come over to Dry Bottom TO
get man.
You've got one said Ferguson.
Stafford drew out roll OF bills
and pressed them into the others
hand. I'm goin back to the Two
Diamond now" he said You'd bet
ter wait day or two. SOS no one will
get wise Come right to me. like you
was wantin' a job
I'm be there day after tomorrow"
stated Ferguson. He turned and
strobe into the saloon. while Stafford
mounted his pony and rode rapidly
up Three Mile Slope.
Five hours out of Dry Bottom Fer.
gnson struck the Ute trail and was
Looping his pony through a cottonwood
clump that skirted the river. For five
hours his mind had dwelt soberly on
the circumstance that was sending
him to the Two Diamond ranch to ac-
cept position as gunfighter. He had
sought work earnestly, sought for
honest work from the Mexican border
to the Canadian, and had found none.
1t was useless to think of the past;
his mind must be on the future. AS
he rode steadily through the cotton
wood certain thoughts moved his lips
into ironic curves.
I'm gunfighter now" he said; "a
simonpure gunfighter. ! wonder what
I the boys back at the FLYNN l. would
! think il they knowed?" His face grew
serious. 81 reckon they'll never know.
| | amt goin' to advertise"
II was not the pony's fault Neither
was 1t Ferguson's. The pony was ex-
perienced; behind Its slant eyes was
stored world of horse-wisdon that
had pulled him and his rider through
many tight places. And Ferguson had
! ridden horses until he wonld not have
/ known what to do without one. But
the pony stumbled. The cause was a
prairie-dog hole concealed under a
clump If matted mesquite. Ferguson
pitched Lead foremost out OF the sad
die, turning completely over and
alighting on his feet. He won't down
Immediately, and when he tried to
rise a twinge Of pain in his right
ankle brought grimace of pain to
his face He hoped over to flat
rock, near where the pony now stood
grazing as though nothing had hap
pened.
Withdrawing his boot. Ferguson
made rapid examination OF the
ankle 1t was red and infamed, bu'
not broken. He believed he could SEE
it swelling. He rubbed it, hoping tt
assuage the pain. The wooden socl
interfered with this and he drew /
off also.
The pony had moved off; 1t wa
grazing at little distance from tn,
rock upon which he was sitting H,
rose, hobbling on one foot toward
the animal, the discarded boot in hi
hand. He thought of riding with tn
| foot bare. At the Two Diamond h
! might find some sort of lininaH
which. with the help Of bandage
would materially"
He was passing filmy mesquit
clump-the bare foot swinging wide
There was warning rattle, shar
thrust of fiat, brown head.
Fergusons face went white. h
stared duly and uncomprehendingl
at q sinuous body that was slippin
! noiselessly away through the matte
grass.
Somehow, he had never thought Q
being bitten by RATHER. He had see
so many of them that he had come
look on them only as targets at whic
re might shoot when he thought b
needed practice. The unreality Of
. surprised him. He looked around q
the silent hills, at the great. vast arc
of sky that yawned above him. Hill
and sky seemed also unreal In thei
silence.
, Then he looked down at his foo
: A livid, pin-point wound showed |
the flesh beside the arch. A littl
stream Of blood was oozing from ]
He forgot the pain of the spraine
ankle and stood upon both feet, hi
! body rigid, his face red with SUI
: den. consuming anger, shaking
tense fist at the disappearing rattle
> You damned sneak" he shoute
shrilly. In the same instant he ha
drawn one of the heavy guns an
4 swung it over his head. Its crashin
report brought sudden swishin
! from beneath the grass, and
! hoped over closer and sent thre
. more bullets into the threshing brow
: body He stood over 1t for momen
his teeth showing in savage snal
= "You won't bite anyone else, dam
you!" he shouted.
e The impotence of this condu
[ struck him Immediately He fush'
e and dropped his head, grim smi
slowly wearing down his expressit
n OF panic. The swiftness of the r;
' tiers attack. the surprise when
had not been thinking of such thin
, the fact tha. his life was in DANCE
;. all had damaging effect upon hi
= And yet the smile showed that
/ was still master of himself
3 Very deliberately he returned to t
4 rock upon which he had been sittir
ripping off his coat and tearing aw
}. the sleeve of his wooden shirt. Twi
d ing the sleeve into the form of ru
rope, he tied it loosely around his le
d Just above the ankle. Then he thru
/ his knife between the improvised TO
|. and the leg forming crude tour
aret He twisted the knife until tea
o Of pain formed in his eyes. Then
n fastened it by tuclsing the haft Of t
Il knife under the rope. His movement
< bad been deliberate but swift. and
a "A vory faw yr,oyy1 ants he hohbIed To