Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1913-04-03

held himself firm, and laughed.
81 reckon there isn't any one by
that name a friend O. mine." he said
ccclly. $50 you're free to relieve
your feelings as far as I'm concerned
Were you expecting that gent along
this trail?"
ives, was, an 'twa'n't no pleas
ant little reception / lowed to give
him neither. Say! Wouldn't, yer just
as soon lower tibet shootin' iron? We
amt got no call to quarrel so fur as
1 kin see."
Maybe not, stranger" and Ham
lin leaned back against the table, low
ering his weapon slightly, as he
glanced watchfully about the room.
"but I'll keep the gun handy just the
same until we understand each other.
Anybody else in this neighborhood?
"Not unless it's LIE Fevre, an his
outfit"
"Then / reckon you did the shoot
ing out there a bit ago."
The man shuffled uneasily, but the
sergeant's right hand came to level.
Did you?"
'I s'pose thar amt no use o. deny
in it." reluctantly, cycling the gun in
the corner, but l didn't mean to
shoot up no outfit but LIE Fevre's. So
help me, 1 didn't! The DANCED snow
was so thick couldn't see nohow, but
l never s'posed any one was on the
trail 'cept him. Thar amt been no
white man long yere in three months.
Didn't hit none of yer, did II"
eyes, you did, returned Hamlin
slowly, striving to hold himself in
check. "You killed one of the best
fellows that ever rode these plains,
you sneaking coward, you. Shot him
dead. with his back to you. Now, see
here, it's a throw of the dice with
me whether l fill you full Of lead, or
let you go. came in here intending
to kill you, if you were the cur who
shot us up. But I'm willing to listen
to what you have got to say. I'm some
on the fight, but plain murder don't
appeal to me. How is it? Are you
ready to talk? Spit it out, mani"
"I'll tell yer jest how it was"
"Do it my way then; answer
straight what l ask you. Who are
you? What are you doing here?"
kin 1 sit DOWN."
yes; make it short now; all
want is facts"
oval, my name is Hughes-Jed
Hughes; l ulster hang out around San
Antoine, an hev been mostly in the
COW business. The last five years LIE
Fevre an / hev been grain cattle in
between yere an Buffalo Creek"
"Partners?"
oval, by God! l thought so. till just
lately" his voice rising. Anyhow. 1
he'd bunch o. money in on the deal,
though I'll be darned If / know just
what's become o. it. Yer see. stranger,
Gene he'd the inside O. this Injun
business, bein' as he's sorter a sQuaw
man"
What" interrupted the other
sharply. do you mean he married
| into one of the tribes?"
"Sorter left-handed-yep; a Chey-
enne woman. Little thing like that
didn't faze Gene none, If he did have
white wife-a blamed good-looker
she was too. She was out here onc't,
| three years ago, bout week maybe.
Course she didn't know nothin' bout
the squaw, an the Injuns was all
huntin' down in the Wichitas. But
as 1 was sayin', Gene caught on 70
this yere Injun war last spring.
reckon OF Koleta. his Injun father-in-
| law, likely told him what WIS brewin'
he's sorter war-chief Anyhow he
knew tibet hell was to pay, an so we
materially gathered up our long-horns
an drove 'em east whar they wouldn't
be raided We didn't git all the crit
ers rounded up, as we wus in a
hurry, an they wus scattered some
cause of hard winter So | come
back yere to round up the rest O
| Their bunch"
And brand a few outsiders"
/ He grinned.
Maybe l wasn't over-particular
but anyhow / got thousand head
together by the last O. June, an hit
the trail with 'em. Then hell sure
| broke loose Fore we'd got that
bunch o. cattle twenty mile down
the Cimarron we wus rounded up by
gang o. Cheyenne Injuns, headed by
that ornery Koleta, and every horn OF
'em drove off. Thar want no fight;
the damn bucks just laughed at us an
left us sittin' thar out on the prairie
They hogged bosses an all"
He wiped his face, and spat int
the fire, while Hamlin sat silent, gur
in hand.
II reckon now as how LIE Fevre pu
81 Koleta wise to that game. but
was plum innocent then" he went OF
regretfully. Wall, we,-thar wul
four o. us,-hoofed it east till W.
struck some ranchers on Cow Crick
and got the loan o. some ponies. Ther
I struck out to locate the main herd
1t didn't take me long, stranger, tt
discover thar want no herd to locate
But l struck their trail, Whar l.,