Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-12-17

would take him between the shoESlers.
He would be shot in the back, anu they
would know it at home in the east.
All the blood of his forbears. heroes
Of Bunker Hill and Gettysburg. rose
and famed in his little gray green eyes.
With hoarse shout he swung his
pony about and faced the oncoming
men.
Blame it all--shoot IL you wanterr'
he yelled
The line riders pulled their dripping
animals to halt. and the tallest and
leanest Long jerks. drew a ragged
mustache between his fingers thought
fully. What s-say?" he drawled.
II say. shoot If you vanter. 1t won't
hit me in the back" The boys voice
shook with some sudden emotion as he
faced the three grim, saturnine faces.
For moment they stared back at
him; then they slipped from their sad
dies and rolled in the cracking sage
brush. Long jerks was the first TO
recover himself
The lad on the pony's back Redeemed
to his unkempt hair. ST heard your
talking last night-something about
me stealing a blue mustang. l don't
know anything about it. | never saw
a blue mustangw he muttered sui
lenly.
The three men rolled In the brush
once more while the tenderfoot stared
resentfully at them. He amt never
seen blue mustang" shrieked Beese,
pointing n finger at the lads mount.
The boy looked down and a strange
expression came into his homely face
When he raised his little eyes fame
fiickered in their green depths. The
pony which he had found ready bridled
In the gray dawn and which had borne
him so valiantly in his flight dropped
YEARLY under the fierce rays of the
sun. The wet coat showed q BLUSH
gray.
rs this the blue mustang?" asked
the boy in a husky voice.
They shrieked assent. ut was q
joke" they said gleefully.
"Git up there. you blamed cowards!'
cried the boy fiercely, and. strange to
relate, there was that In his voice that
brought the three TO their feet.
Look at that there foot" he COM
manded of Long jerks. and that gen.
tleman inspected the injured and swol-
len foot with some concern in his good
natured face.
1T sure must hurt some. sonny" he
said regretfulIy as he backed Off TO a
position beside his companions. lt
looked very much as If the tenderfoot
60 ho Iud itIru nd
toner also.
1--WE was only breaking you in," MUIR
INJURED Beese, uncomfortably. for they
could all see the boy was suffering and
dared not offer him any assistance in
his resentful mood. j
you've gone and broke M my
| plansr' he Jared suddenly. I've come
way out here into the God forsaken
country to look for somebody and you
! have gone and put me back weeks In
my search She'll only have TO worry
that much more SOS you folks could
have some fun. ibid like to smash
your faces!' !
81 reckon we deserve tive didn't
think of doing harm. Tell us who you
are looking for and mebbe we cam
help you. Sure. the three Of us as
knows the plains like an open book can
do more than one lone little chap like
you" When Long jerks smiled like
that he was irresistible, and the boys
somber face softened
.'It's my father I'm looking for He
and my mother disagreed about some
thing when | was little Teller. and
he went away aud left her. He sends
her money every month, but that isn't
the proper thing He's got to come
back and be the head of the family
and stand back Of her or I'll know the
reason why. | didn't know where he
was till lately. She knew he was in
the cattle country from the pOstmarksI
on his letters. aud I've come TO find
him. hut nobody seems TO know the
name of Pinney so far MS I've come
He looked discouraged,
Hen and Beese looked at Long jerks,
and Long jerks went white as paper
and stared Mt the homely face OF the
boy, now so like his own. even to the
grim mouth The boy gaZed back at
him long and earnestly. and something
flashed between them. and they both
knew.
You amt got TO look any further.
Irving; your fathers been waiting for
summons this fifteen years. lie
thought he wasn't wanted back there
and He stopped and drew brown
hand across his trembling lips.
"Oh. IL yon could only see her. you'd
know" cried the boy excitedIy.
1T won't be long before we both
see her." retorted Long Jerks mean
Ingly. He stepped forward ana lifted
the boy from the saddle. brushing his
cheek with his lips as lie did So and
both of them blushed.
gents" said Long jerks with be-
coming dignity. I'll have to ask yom
to render some first aid to the Injured
here. My son has hurt himself a.fight-
. Ing three grown nien all to once"
And bis name is Sandy Grit hare-
| oddad naa1a aniaunnIw