The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1914-12-24

What air h't'" she tensely demand.
ed. What air hit. Samson? What
fer hev We fetched yer "a ter the
held?"
The boy laughed. ooh, hit amt
nothin' perticler." he reassured. "Hit
hain't nothin' fer a gal ter fret herself
erbout, only kinder suspicious
strangers jest now"
Air the truce busted?" She put the
question In a tense, deep.breathed
whisper. and the boy replied casually,
almost indifferently.
NO. Sally, hit hain't Jest ter say
busted. but pears like hits right
smart cracked. ITeckon. though" he
added In half-disgust. 'nothin' won't
come OF hit"
Somewhat treasured, she bethought
herself again Of her mission.
This here furriper haln't got no
harm in him. Samson" she pleaded.
He pears ter be more like a gal than
n He's real puny. He's got
white skin and q bow of ribbon on
his neck-an' he paints %pictchers."
The boys face had been hardening
with contempt as the description ad.
yanced, but at The last words n glow
came to his eyes. and he demanded
almost breathlessly:
Paints p%ictchers? How do ye know
that?"
Il g EN-. lie was paln,in' one
when he fell often the rock and busted
his arm. It's shore es beautiful es-"
she broke of. then added with "A sud.
den peal OF la%ughter--"es er FLETCHER"
The young man slipped down from
the fence. and reached for the rifle.
The hoe he left where II stood.
IN git the nag" he announced
briefly, and swung OF without further
parley toward the curling spiral OF
smoke that marked a cabin n quarter
Of a mile below. Ten minutes later
his bare feet swung against the ribs
OF a gray mule and his rife lay bal.
anced GRO the u~nsaddled withers.
Sally sat mountain fashion behind
him. facing straight to the side.
SO they came along the creek bed
and into the sight OF the man who
still sat propped against the messy
rock. As Lescott looked up he closed
the case OF his watch and put II back
into his pocket with n smile.
"Snappy work, that" he called out.
Just thirty.three minutes. didn't
believe II could be done
Samson's face was masklike, but
as he surveyed the foreigner, only the
ingrained dictates OF the country's
hospitable code kept out OF his eyes
a CLEAN of scorn for this frail mem.
Der OF n sex which should be stalwart.
"Howdy?" he said. Then he added
suspiciously: What mout yer husi.
ness be In these parts. stranger"
Lescott gave the Odyssey OF his wan.
derings, since he had rented a mule
at Hixon and ridden through the coun.
try. sketching where the mood prompt.
ed and sleeping wherever he found a
hospitable roof at the coming OF the
evening.
"Ye come from over on Cripple
shin?" The boy flashed the question
with a sudden hardening OF the voice,
and. when he was afiirmatively ans.
swered. his eyes contracted and bored
se%archingly into the strangers face.
"Where'd ye put up last night?"
Red Bill Hollman's house, at the
mouth OF Meeting House fork: do you
know the placer"
Samson's reply was curt.
II knows hit all right"
There was a moments pause
rather an awkward pause. Lescott's
mind began piecing together frag.
ments of conversation he had heard,
until he had assembled a sor. OF men.
tai jigsaw puzzle.
The h.Hollman feud had been
mentioned by the more laxative OF
his informers. and carefully tabooed
by Understandable among them his
host OF last night. II now dawned on
him that he was crossing the boun.
Diary and coming as the late guest OF
a Holman to ask the hospitality OF a
South.
II didn't know whose house Il was"
he fastened to explain. until I WIS
b~enighted and asked for lodging. They
were very kind to me I'd never seen
them before. I'm a stranger here
aDOutS.
Samson only nodded. II the e~xplana.
ton failed to satisfy him, II at least
seemed TO do so,
II reckon ye'd better let me holp
We up on thet old mule" he said:
hits a.comin' on ter be night"
With the mountaineer's aid, Lescott
clambered astride the mount, then he
turned obviously.
I'm sorry to trouble YOU" he ven.
tured, but | have n paint box and
some materials up there. II your
bring them down here, III show you
how 10 pack the easel. aud. ~ the
way" he a%nX!ously added, please
to handle that fresh canyas carefully
by the cdge-It's not dry yet.
He had anticipated impatient on.
tempt for his artists impedimenta.
but TO his surprise the mountain boy
climbed the rock and halted before