Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-11-29

resolutely to the outer edge OF the
crowd. where, from his point of van
! tage he could easily overlook theii
heads. He was a quiet appearing
young fellow, rather neatly dressed
in the border costume, rode q cen
| tre-fire" or single-cinch saddle, and
wore no chaps. He was what Is
known as ''two-gun man; that IL
to say, he wore a heavy Colts re-
volver on either hip. The fact that
the lower ends of his holsters were
tied down in order to facilitate the
easy withdrawal of the revolvers
seemed to indicate that he expected
to use them. He had, furthermore
| q quiet gray eye with the hint OF
steel that bore out the inference OF
the tied holsters
He saw over tf. heads of the by-
ISLANDERS q tall, muscular wild-eyed
man. hatless, his hair rumrled into
staring confusion. his right sleeve
rolled to his shoulder. a wicked-look-
ling nine-inch knife In his hand and
a red bandanna handkerchief hang
| ing by one corner from his teeth
Whats biting the locoed STRANGER"
the young man inquired of his neigh
Dor.
The other frowned at him darkly
"Dares any one to take the other
end of that handkerchief in his teeth
and fight 1t out without letting go"
"Why don't you take him up?" in
auired the young man after a mo-
ment.
mot mel" negatived the other
vigorously. "Ill go your little old
gun fight to a finish, but ] don't
want any cold steel In mine. Uohi
It gives me the shivers. It's a regular
Mexican trick! With a gun it's down
and out: but this knife work is too
slow and searchin'."
The newcomer said nothing, but
fixed his eye again on the raging
man with the knife. Don't YOU
reckon he's blnfflng7" he inquired.
mot any" denied the other with
emphasis Hes lest drunk enough
70 he crazy mad and reckless"
The newcomer shrugged his Shout
ders and cast his glance searchingly
over the fringe of the crowd. It rest
ed on q Mexican.
"FIi, TONY! come here" he called.
| The Mexican approached. flashing
his white teeth.
"Eere." said the stranger, "lend me
vour fnife a minute"
He hung his coat on his saddle,
shouldered his wav through the
press. which parted for him readily.
and picked up the other corner of the
| handkerchief. "Now. you NANCY
son of gum" said he.
In.-The Agreement.
Jed Parker Strengthened his hack,
rolled up his bandanna handker-
chief and thrust it into his pocket,
hit fiat with his hand the tousled
mass of his hair, and thrust the long
| hunting knife into it's sheath. you're
| tho -ff1of1 T wa nj - lid he
Instantly the two-gun man had
| jerSed loose his weapons and was
covering the foreman.
"Am IT, he snarled.
Not just that way" explained
Parker. my gun Is on my boss. and
you can have this old toadsticker IL
you want 1t. I been looking for you
and took this way of finding you.
| Now let's go talk"
The stranger looked at him in the
eye for nearly q half minute with
out lowering his revolvers.
81 go you' said he briefly at last.
"I'm looking for a man with
nerve" explained Parker with equal
succinctness, You're the man"
"well?"
$40 you know the country south
Of here?"
The strangers eyes narrowed,
! Proceed said he.
I'm foreman of the Lazy Y OF
Soda Springs Valley range" ex-
planned Parker. I'm looking for a
the country enough to lead a posse
after cattle rustlers into the border
country.
81 live in this country" admitted
the stranger.
so do plenty of others. but their
eyes stick out like two raw oysters
when you mention the border coun-
try Will you tackle IT."
whats the propositionf"
"Come out and see the old man.
He'll put 1t to you" They mounted
their horses and rode the rest of the
day. The desert comprised them
about, marvelously changing shape
and color and every character with
all the noiselessness of phantasma
goria. At evening the desert stars
shone steadily and unwinking, like
the flames of candles. BY moonrise
they came to the home ranch. The
two men unsaddled their horses and
turned them loose in the wire-fenced
pasture" the necessary noises OF
their movements sounding sharp an6
clear against the velvet hush OF the
night. After moment they walked
sunny past the 5neuS ana COOi
shanty, passed the mems bunk house.
s and the tall windmill silhouettet
against the sky, to the main build.
ing of the home ranch under its cot,
tonwoods.
There a light still burned for thil
was the third day. and Buck John,
son awaited his foreman.
Jed Parker pushed in without cere
mony.
Here's your man. Buck" said he
The stranger had stepped ingid
and carefully closed the door behin'
y hirp. The lamplight threw into re