Williams news., 1914-09-10

ever Dreak loose Ike that-we might get planted with the rest!"
 By love, old top," exclaimed De Lancey, laughing teasingly, you've certainly got the blues today. Here, take something out of this bottle and see if it won't help."
 He brought out a quart bottle from his saddle-bags and Bud drank, and shuddered at the bite of 1t. "Au right" he said. as he passed 1t back, "and while we're talking, what's the matter with cutting it out on booze for this trip?"
 What are you going to drink. then?" cried Dc Lancey in feigned alarm. "water?"
 Well. something like that" admit tod Bud. Come on-what do you 1 say? We might get lit up and tell something"
 Now lookee here. Bud" clamored Phil, who had had a few drinks al- ready, you don't mean to insinuate. | do you? Next thing know you'll be asking me to cut it out on the hay might talk in my sleep. you know. and give the whole snap away!" 'No you're a good boy when you're asleep. Phil," responded Bud. but when you get about half shot it's diff ferent. Come on. now-In quit if you will. That's fair, ain't it?" What? No little toots around town? No serenading the senoritas and giving the rurales the hotfoot? WelL what's the use of living, Bud. if you can't have a little fun? Drinking don't make any difference, as long as we stick together. Whats the use of swearing of going on record in ad- vance? We may find some fellow that we can't work any other way-we may have to go on drunk with him in or der to get his goat! But will you stick? That's the point!" | Bud glanced at him and grunted, and for long time he rode on In silence. Before them lay rolling plain, dip ping by broad gulches and dwindling ridges to the lower levels of Old Mex leo, and on the skyline, thin and blue. tunas miles away.
 With desert-trained eyes he noted the landmarks, San Juan mountain to the right, Old Niggerhead to the left, and the feather-edge of mountains far below; and as he looked he stored it away in his mind in case he should come back on the run some night
 It was not foreboding, but the training of his kind, to note the lay of the ground, and he planned just where he would ride to keep under cover ii he ever made dash for the line. But all the time his pardner was talking ot friendship and of the necessity of their sticking together.
 I'll tell you, Bud," he said at last his voice trembling with sentiment whether we win or lose. won't have a single regret as long as know we've been true to one another. You may know Texas and Arizona, Bud. but know Old Mexico, the land of manana and broken promises. know the coun- try, Bud-and the climate-and the women!
 They play the devil with the best of us, Bud, these dark-eyed senoritas! That's what makes all the trouble down here between man and man. it's these women and their ways. They're not satisfied to win a mans heart they want him to kill somebody to show that he really loves, them. By love, they're fickle lot. and nothing pleases lem more than setting man against man. one pardner against an other"
 We never had any trouble yet" ob served Bud sententiously.
 No, but we're likely to- protested De Lancey. These Indian women uI in the Sierras wouldn't turn anybody's head, but we're going down into the hot country now, where the girls are pretty, tara, tara, and we talk through the windows at midnight"
 Well, if you'll cut out the booze,' said Hooker shortly, you can have 'em all, for all of me"
 Sure, that's what you say. but wait till you see them! Oh, la, la, la"-he kissed his fingers ecstatically-'' b< glad to see 'em myself! But listen Bud, here's the proposition, let's take an oath right now, while we're start ing out, that whatever comes up well always be true to each other. If one of us is wounded, the other stays with him; if he's in prison, he gets him out; if he's killed, he avenges his
 Say" broke in Bud, jostling him rudely as he reached into the saddle bags, let me carry that bottle for while."
 He took a big drink out of it to pre- vent De Lancey from getting it all and | ,hovad # incidp his OyerallS
 "All right. pardner." he continued with a mocking smile, anything you cav I never use oaths myself much but anything to oblige.
 No but I mean it. Bud!" cried De Lancey. Here's the proposition now Whatever happens, we stay with each other till this deal is finished; on all scratch cases we match money to see who's it; and if we tangle over some | sjrl tho hest man wins and the other