Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1913-07-17

as soon lower thet shootin' iron! We
amt got no call to quarrel so 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?"
Not unless it's LIE Fevre. an his
outfit"
I Then l reckon you did the shoot
Ing out there a bit ago?"
The man shuffled uneasily, but the
sorgeant's right hand came to level.
did your"
in It," reluctantly, syeing the gun in
the corner, but | didn't mean to
shoot up no outfit but LIE Fevre's. So
help me, didn't! The DANCED snow
was 80 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"
"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 | 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 1t? 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 l 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; ulster 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?"
oval, by God! thought so. till just
lately" his voice rising. Anyhow, |
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 lnjun
business, bein' as he's sorter 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 | 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'
hes 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
M fhnu cnaftorad
cause OF hard winter. So l come
back yere to round up the rest O.
Their bunch"
"And brand few outsiders"
He grinned.
Maybe 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
a 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 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 them" 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
It didn't take me long. stranger, to
discover thar want no herd to locate
But l struck their trail, whar LIE
Fevre had driven 'em up into Missouri
and cashed in fer pot o. money
Then the damn cuss just match ally
vanished. | plugged bout fer two Ell
three months hopin' ter ketch up with
him, but l never did. | heerd tell o
him onct or twice, an caught on he
was travelin' under 'nuther name
some -durn French contraction-but
thet'Ssas much as | ever did find out
Finally, up in Independence l wus sc
durn near broke reckoned I'd better
put what he'd left in a grub stake