The Elbert County tribune., 1914-02-20
CHAPTER VII.
The Roundup.


top OF the cliff, Mr.. Robber came to
find out from my wife why for
hadn't called to leave my card at the
South Cave. He's picturesque. says
she, hair like a ravens wing. eyes
steel-blue. scarf indigo striped with
orange, shirt black silk. woolly shaps
out of Wild West show. gold and
silver fxings, Cheyenne saddle. car.
bine of some foreign breed, or maybe
Krag, manners fit for a king. age
thirty-four, height six feet two inches,
chest only thirty-eight, and such sad
smile-all of this win be useful TO
the police.
He tried all he knew to get out Of
being photographed. which I wisht I'd
been there, for 1t must have been
plumb comic, but we all submits when
Kate gets after us. That reminds me
that IL he can't capture the camera
and plate, we're apt to be burnt out
by accident.
She led him on and made him talk.
If his boss knew how much Kate has
down in her notebook. this guy with
the sad eyes would get kicked all
round the pasture. When / axed II
the robber made love to her. my wife
just laughed. and turned away. telling
me not to be fool: but the blush
came around her neck
l dunno. Perhaps it's my liver, so
I'm taking the only medicine have,
liver. or am ! getting to dislike this
person?
So happens, while l was writing.
Billy O'Flynn comes along with the
pack outfit on his way to Skyline. He
wanted to know why made them fires,
SO l explained l was making a clearing
up thar for Kate's spring chrysanthe-
NUNS. (She spelt that word, which
had me begged down to the hocks.)
1t may be liver, or my squeam in
famed. but my mind amt easy. and
the Skyline folk may think I'm only
joshing with them fires.
can't leave Kate to ride for help.
can't shift her. can't send Billy to
the constable without breaking my
contract with the Skyline. and don't
divulge nothin' to William O.Flynn.
Esquire. who talks to the moon rather
than waste conversation. a
II l make letter for Dale. and slip
1t into the pouch, Billy won't know. or
gossip If he happens to meet in with
stray robbers. I'll get him up and
off by midnight to the Skyline, in
time for the supper pies, and the boys
will be surgtng down to the ferry be-
fore midnight Now ! must make up
some lies to hasten Billy's timid foot
steps along the path of duty.
III.
Billy hastened away at midnight to
tell Dale that pigeons milk is selling
at eighty-four and tnree-fourths. He
believes that Il he can get that secret
Intelligence to Iron In good time. he's
to share the profits. Fact is. that
Irons late wife made him the laugh
ing-stock of the plains over some joke
she put up on him connected with
pigeons milk, 80 that Billy's share OF
the profits will be delivered on the
toe of Dale's boot. He's breaking rec
ords to make the Skyline quick.
Nothing happened this morning. ex-
cept Bull Durham, calling himself
Brooke. He. the gent with the sad
eyes. who came to make love to my
wife. He paid me one hundred dol
lars for pasturage. Then | axed him
to stay to dinner. and Kate says she
never seen me SO talkative. Bull
found out which weeks the Caripoo
stage carries specie. and how many
fhnnGand dnl1a t.
comes down from the Skyline camp.
He even dragged out of me that old
Surly Brown. the miser, has fifteen
thousand dollars buried under the
dirt floor of his cabin--which reminds
me that If Browns home becomes the
scene of a mining stampede. I'll have
to keep shy of his rifle. Yes. Bull
showed a great gift of faith, and got
both his photo and the negative to
show there was no i'll feeling. I'm
pastoral. harmless. simple. raised for
a pet.
Leaving Kate hid in a ruined shack
halfway to the ferry, | was down by
eleven p. m. to the bank of the river
hailing old man Brown. So soon as
he'd brung me acrost, l sent him to
ride for all he was worth and collect
our constable, which cost me eighteen
dollars and horse. The money is
severe. but I'll get even on horse
trades.
From midnight to one a. m. | put
In the time cussing Dale; from then
till two a m. felt that nobody loved
me; from two a. m. to half past,
was scheming to take the robbers
single-handed. At two thirty-five Dale
rolled up with nine men from Skyline
mounted on Billy's ponies, besides
O'Flynn. and Ransome Pollock. who
may be good for burnt Offering but
isn't much use alive.
or course. having raised the coun
try. I'd got to make good, producing
a business proposition and rohhara tr