Mexico Missouri message., 1914-12-03

ed. What air hit. Samson? What
fer hey we fetched yer gun ter the
field7"
The boy laughed. "oh, hit amt
nothin' pertlcler." he treasured. "Hit
haint nothin' fer gal ter fret herself
erbout. only kinder suspicious
strangers Jest now"
Air the truce busted?' She put the
question In 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. reckon. though" he
added IN half-disgust. "nothin' won't
come OF hit"
Somewhat treasured, she bethought
herself again Of her mission.
This here furriner haint got no
harm in him, Samson" she pleaded.
HE pears ter be more like a gal than
a man. He's real puny. He's got
white skin and bow of ribbon on
his neck-an' he paints pictchers."
The boys face had been hardening
with contempt as the description ad-
vanced, but at the last words glow
came to his eyes, and he demanded
almost breathlessly:
Paints pictchers? How do ye know
that?"
Il seen 'em. He was paintin' 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 laughter-"es er FLETCHER"
The young man slipped down from
the fence. and reached for the rife.
The hoe he left where 1t stood.
I'm git the nag" he announced
briefly, and swung off without further
parley toward the curling spiral OF
smoke that marked a cabin a quarter
Of a mile below. Ten minutes later
his bare feet swung against the ribs
anced across the unsaddled 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 smile.
"Snappy work, that!" he called out.
Just thirty-three minutes. didn't
believe it 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 sex which should be stalwart.
"Howdy?" he said. Then he added
suspiciously: What mout yer bust
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 affirmatively ans.
swered, his eyes contracted and bored
searchingly 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.
Il knows hit all right"
There was moments pause
rather an awkward pause. Lescotts
mind began piecing together frag.
ments of conversation he had heard,
until he had assembled a sort of men,
tai jigsaw puzzle.
The South-Hollman feud had been
mentioned by the more talkative OF
his informers, and carefully tabooed
by others-notable among them his
host of last night. 1t now dawned on
him that he was crossing the boun.
Diary and coming as the late guest OF
Holman to ask the hospitality of a
South.
81 didn't know whose house II was,
he fastened to explain, until | was
benighted and asked for lodging. They
were very kind to me. I'd never seen
them before, Pm a stranger here
abouts."
Samson only nodded. If the explana
ton failed to satisfy him. 1t at least
seemed to do so.
81 reckon ye'd better let me holI
We up on tibet old mule" he said
hits a-comin' on ter be night"
With the mountaineer's aid, Lescoti
clambered astride the mount, then he
, turned obviously.
I'm sorry to trouble you" he ven
|, tured, but l have a paint box and
|, some materials up there. II you'll
, bring them down here, I'll show you
; how to pack the easel, and, by the
, way" he anxiously added. please
to handle that fresh canvas carefully
, by the edge--it's not dry yet.
| He had anticipated impatient con
, tempt for his artists impedimenta
/ but to his surprise the mountain boy
climbed the rock and halted before