The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1914-12-26

uu1I0I. ne spoke SO l1ldI MS VOICE
carried to the waiting group in the
road
''Ye're plumb welcome ter turn them
dawgs loose, an let 'em ramble,
stranger. Nobody hain't a-goin' ter
hurt 'em. sees some fellers out thar
with ye thet mustn't cross my fence.
Eff they does''-the voice rang men
acingly-''hit'n mean that they're
a-bustin' the truce-an' they won't
never go out ag'in. But you air safe
in hyar. I gives yer my hand on tibet.
Ye're welcome, an yore dawgs is vel
come. 1 hain't got nothin' 'gainst
dawgs thet comes on four legs, but 1
shore bars the two-legged kind"
There was a murmur Of astonish-
ment from the road. Disregarding it,
Spicer South turned his face toward
the house.
you boys kin come out" he shout
er, IAN leave yore guns inside"
The leashes we're slipped from the
dogs. They leaped forward, and made
directly for Samson, who sat as I'M
moving as 1ifeless image on the top
step of the stile. There was half-mo-
ment of terrific suspense, then the
beasts clambered by the seated figure,
passing on each side and circled aim
lessly about the yard-their quest IN
ended. They shifted indifferently about
the trouser legs of the men who saun-
tered indolently out of the door. They
trotted into the house and out again,
and mingled with the mongreI home
pack that snarled and growled hos
tility for this invasion. Then, they
- h.
climbed out, Samson South reached
up and strcked a tawny head, and the
bloodhound paused moment to wag
its tail in friendship, before it jumped
down to the road, and trotted gingerly
onward
I'm obliged to you, sir" said the
man from the Bluegrass, with voice
of immense relief.
The moment Of suspense seemed
past, and, In the relief of the averted
clash, the master of hounds forgot
that his dogs stood branded as false
trailers. But when he rejoined the
group in the road he found himself
looking into surIy visages, and the
features of Jim Holman in particular
were black in their scowl of smoIder-
ing wrath.
why didn't We ak him." growIed
the kinsman of the man who had been
shot, "whar the other feIler's at?''
What other fellow?" echoed the
| Lexington man.
Jim Hollman's voice rose trucu-
lently, and his words drifted, as he
meant them to, across to the ears of
the clansmen who stood in the yard
of Spicer South.
Them dawgs of youF'n come up
Misery a-hellin'. They hain't never
turned aside, an onless they're plumb
ornery, no-'count ours thet don't know
their business, they come for some
reason. They seemed mighty inter.
ested in gittin' hyar. AK them feIIers
in thar who's been hyar tibet hain't
hyar now? Who is Their teller tibet
got out afore we come hyar?"
At this yelled charge of deceit the
faces of the Souths again blackened
and the men near the door of the
house drifted in to drift presently out
again, swinging discarded Winches
tiers at their sides. It seemed that
after all, the incident was not closed
The man from Lexington, finding him
self face to face with a new difficulty
turned and argued in low voice with
the Holman leader. But Jim Holl
man, whose eyes were fixed on Sam
son, refused to talk in a modulateC
tone. and he shouted his reply:
"I hain't got nothin' ter whisper
about" he proclaimed. go ak EN-
who hit war thet got away from hyar.
Old Spieer South stood leaning OF
IL
stiffened. He started to speak, bu
Samson rose from the stile and said
in composed voice:
Let me talk to this Teller, Unc
Spicer." The old man nodded and
Samson beckoned to the owner of TIT
dogs.
1--WE hain't got nothin' ter say te
them fellers with ye," he announced
briefly I'VE hain't akin 'em no ques
tons, an we hein't answerin' none
Ye done come hyar with dawgs an
we hain't stopped ye. We've done an
swered all the questions them daWg
hes axed. We done treated you an
yore houn's plumb friendly. Els fe
them other men, we hain't got nothiI
ter say to 'em. They done come hya
because they hoped they could git N
in trouble They done failed. The
road belongs ter the county. The
got a license ter travel hit, but thi
strip right hyar hain't the healthies
section they kin find. I reckon ye'
better advise 'em ter move on"
The Lexington man went back. Fo
a minute or two Jim Holman So
scowling down in indecision from hi
saddle. Then he admitted to himse
that he had done all he could do viii
out becoming the aggressor. For tn
/ moment he was beaten. He looked U
/ and from the road one OF the hound
raised its voice and gave cry. Ths
. baying afforded an excuse for leaYin
and Jim Holman seized 1t.
60 on" he growled Let's sc
b what them ID ours hes ter sa
:, now"
Q Mounting, they kicked their mule
into a Jog. From the men inside th
g fence came no note OF derision, q
8 hint of triumph They stood lookin
8 out with expressionless, masklik
faces until their enemies had passe
r ont ~ sfChF oroxY1d tho SbouIdo- :