Eastern Colorado times., 1913-07-25

amt got no call to quarrel 80 fur as
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?"
mot unless it's LIE Fevre, an his
outfit"
Then l reckon you did the shoot.
ing out there bit ago?"
The man shuffled uneasily, but the
sergeant's right hand came to level.
did you?"
Il s'pose thar ain't 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. didn't! The DANCED snow
was SO thick I 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"
Yes, 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. l 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 1t my way then; answer
straight what ask you. Who are
you? What are you doing here?"
kin l sit down."
Yes: make it short now; all
want is facts"
wal, my name is Hughes-Jed
Hughes; uster hang out around San
Antoine, an hev been mostly In the
COW business. The last five years LIE
Fevre an l hev been grain cattle in
between yere an Buffalo Creek"
"Partners?"
Wal. by God! l thought SO, till just
lately" his voice rising. Anyhow.
he'd bunch O money in on the deal,
though I'll be darned if l 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 a week maybe.
the squaw, an the Injuns was all
huntin down in the Wichitas. But
as l was sayin, Gene caught on to
this yere Injun war last spring.
reckon OIL Koleta, his Injun father-in-
law, likely told him what wus brewin'
he's sorter a war-chief Anyhow he
knew thet 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 WIS in a
hurry, an they wus scattered some
cause Of a hard winter. So l come
back yere to round up the rest O.
ther bunch"
And brand a few outsiders"
He grinned.
Maybe l wasn't over-particular,
but anyhow l got a 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 1njuns; headed ,by
that ornery Koleta, and every horn of
'em drove of. Thar want no fight;
the damn bucks just laughed at us, an
left US sittin' thar out on the prairie.
They hogged hosses an all"
He wiped his face, and spat into
the fire, while Hamlin sat silent, gun
in hand
81 reckon now as how LIE Fevre put
OIL Koleta wise to that game, but
was plum innocent then" he went on
regretfully. "Wall, we,-thar wus
four O. us, ,-hoofed 1t east till we
struck some ranchers on Cow Crick,
and got the loan O. some ponies. Then
| struck out to locate the main herd.
1t didn't take me long, stranger, to
discover thar want no herd to locate.
But l struck their trail, whar lie