Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-04-10
Two Make a
Quarrel
1t Just Escaped a Serious
Ending
BY D0R0THEA HALE

ranch We're herding Il bunch of cattle
among the Bow hills. which We're not
really hills ut Ill. but bits Of the prai-
RE lifted into little mounds of heritage.
Gabriel and Theron Crane had not spo-
ken for three weeks. The reason for
their sudden change from warm friend
illness to bitter enmity was a mystery
to their comrades and a matter for re-
great for the entire outfit.
Now they rode Il few hundred yards
apart, silent. taciturn and moody. 1t
was not for them with hatred in their
hearts to rejoice in the sweetness of
the spring morning or to feel the pulse
of the new season beating strong with
in them.
A very little matter p%recipitated the
smoldering passions that lay beneath
the calm exterior Of their sun Drowned
faces. Gabriel in passing his comrade.
who was smoking n Of his everlast-
ing cigarettes, felt the stinging burn Of
a flying ash against his cheek. Invol-
UNFAIRLY his hand sought his hip pock-
ct, but Crane had already drawn and
| was looking coolly at him from behind
his heavy weapon.
WE'LL" drawled Crane after a little
startled pause. did you reckon you
could do for me this way?"
you know better than that. You
needn't chuck your sparks in my face"
retorted Gabriel %furiously.
Crane smiled with a puzzled look be-
hind his honest eyes. whats eating
you. Gabe?" he demanded after a little
pause.
Whats eating you, you mean. You
been looking for trouble this here three
weeks. l heard all about what you
said down to the canyon" Gabriel
still sat half turned on his saddle. one
hand on his hip.
Looking for trouble!" repeated
Crane incredulously. why, l been
trying to keep outer trouble with you.
l reckoned you'd lay for me some
Lay for you!!" roared Gabriel. II
amt that kind. When l have a bone to
pick | amt a-going around thro wing
cigarette ashes in anybody's face. If
you got anything against me I'll meet
you down to Satan's gulch and We'll
fight it out"
There won't but one go home again."
said Crane angrily.
Sure
when will you be there?"
Tomorrow morning at half past f."
Without ,r~t1,or -r~r1 ~- 40
arated.
There vas a certain air of grim de-
termination in Gabriel's manner that
night which caused Harry Barry and
Tim Lewis to exchange uneasy glances
and later to meet at the gate of the
corral. Harry Barry was the first to
break the silence.
"Gabriel's cleaning his gun" he re-
marked with assumed lightness.
Sos Crane" said Tim significantly.
What do you think they're going to
do?" asked Harry uneasily.
Tim Lewis shook his head obviously.
NO telling"
Mary guess. They've never been the
same like brothers as they always was
since they anne home from that dona-
ton bee over to the Forks church."
Donation bee! / reckon you're
meaning the party they give the new
minister. where everybody took vic.
tuals and then stayed to eat up what
they brought
Harry Barry nodded his handsome
head. Il guess | was some mixed up
with the quilting bee l heard they was
giving to the widder who keeps house
for the minister. Whatever made
them two geeZers get mad at each
other? They didn't have anything to
drink except milk. They paid some
notice to the Wilder Padrose."
Tim Lewis shook his head obviously
And they was always the best OF
friends" mourned Harry Barry. per
haps a woman came between EN-" he
added hopefully as n who had dis
covered an elusive clew.
Don't blame everything on the vim
men," chided Tim. There isn't any
use us guessing. We better do whar
we car to help keep 'em from manu-
featuring ~sieves."
"You mean to draw the charges from
them guns" observed Harry Barry
But somehow l don't know as I lik'
the job Of taking Gabriels gun ava,
from him while he's sleeping innocent
like. Why, he'd go into the slew
business right away with me for
sample. Guess again..
My best guess is that I'll get VI
bright and early and trail EN- till Tn
satisfied they're o out for blood.
said Tim.
Long before Harry Barry had thrus
his head from beneath his blanke
Gabriel and Crane had arisen as b.
mutual accord and. dressing quietly
had gone down to the corral an
caught up their horses.
Out in the pale dawn of a new da,
rode the two men who had been clos
friends for years. They both knew tina
one would never come back and tn
other would be a fugitive from justice
Which one would be the fugitive an
which the other thing?