Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-12


same band of federal scouts sent to "cean up the
cattlemen of the Black Buttes advancing to the
aid of the terrorized Musselshell, she went quietly
about her work, specializing little to how far Clay
Buchanan was responsible tor her own temporary I'M
munty from attack.
She unable to get any light upon the subject
until the evening of his return. She was locking early
for the night when shout from Partner brought her
running the back door. Holding high her lamp to
illuminate the dusk, she made out two struggling
figures close to the stoopthe tall powerful frame of
Buchanan straning desperately in the grip of smaller,
wirer man. whom she quickly identified as Buck Rad-
ford, though his back toward her 1t was evident
that the superior strength of the big man. hampered
bv helpless left arm match for the agility of the
lighter antagonist
Handing the lamp to the boy, she snatched pine
cudgel from the woodbox and brought it down upon
the head of the enemy, who crunped his tracks.
CASPING, Buchanan slowly staggered to his feet.
scores in your favor Get up This to the recum
bent figure, who stirred slightly.
Miss Altering FASTENED for dipper of water
"He's all rght-no hurting hunk of leather and
rock. Get up you sneaking skunk, and be off! I'll
fill your hide with buckshot if catch you skulkng
around this place again with wad of guncotton!'
You're BANKED traitor. snarled the man gut
turally finding his feet with difficulty: I'll get
goat yet, Doc Buchanan And he shu1ed off instead
lily in the darkness; while Buchanan rescued his gun,
wrenched from him early in the fight
Trembling little, Sue Altering drew him into the
house and locked the door your arms in bad shape
Sit down. and I'll fix you up"
At the end OF the painful process he burst out wlt
"You must get out of here tonight can't hold those
fellows back any longer They re giving all squaters
twentyfour hours to get out and out on raid to-
night, by way of enforcing their warning AS some of
EN- are drunk there's telling what they won't do.
There's time to be lost. Llsten I'll buy the place
your terms,not that you have right to sell,
but just to get you out safely.
Miss Altering considered I'm willing to go tenn
porarly if the danger PRESSING but shall come back
And won't sell. The scouts may come any moment"
"The federal scouts! In the Musselshell, seventy
ta1ou nff1Nn
and give up the homestead? No" They had both
risen facing each other breathlessly Il have right
to stay And if this business of grabbing about thou
sand times much entitled to hadn't squeezed
of the manhood out of you, you'd recognize my
claim and defend it, purely as matter of Justice!
ster without human feeingo With fierce, restrained
gesture, he step closer. when man home
is broken up by poverty as mine was and he has to
leave his wife and baby because he can't support them,
and then gets his feet too late what is there left in
life for him but money getting!
There was a railroad wreck They died afterward
in the hospital had to learn it from strangers year
or so later after got back from Nome. had nothing
left but my babys picture.
Slowly as if mpelled by irresistible craving for
sympathy, he drew from his breast pocket a shabby
leather case, from which he extracted small cameo
locket and extended to her open She gazed at it pet
rified turning it twice like one IN supor
"What did you call him.!
HE named for me-John Clay Buchanan
How old he when he died?'
Three or four, think
"And your wife's maiden name?
"Bess-Elizabeth brennan
SHE left him aghast and disappeared into the adoln-
- ing bedroom, returning, before he could recover,
with small well photograph and locket much
like his own both of which she put into his hands.
"The baby And Bess! How did you get them
"Her father died six months after she went to him,
leaving her little money that she had to support her
self knew her under the of Mrs. brennan,
which she assumed in her resentment at being deserted
first knew the bare details of her story,-she