The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1914-07-25

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-I'n quit If you
will That's fair, amt 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 little fun? Drinking don't
make any difference, as long as We
stick together. What's 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 a drunk with him in or
der to get his goat! But will you
stick? That's the pointI"
Bud glanced at him and srunted, and
for long time he rode on in silence.
Before them lay a 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.
stood the knifelike edges of the For
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 1t
away in his mind in case he should
come back on the run some night
1t was not a 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 If
he ever made a dash for the line. But
all the time his pardner was talking OF
friendship and of the necessity Of their
sticking together.
iii 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 l
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
| JoYe, they're a tickle lot, and nothing
! pleases 'em more than setting man
against man, one pardner against an
! other"
I'VE never had any trouble yet" OBJ
/ served Bud sententiously-
NO, but we're likely to-" protested
De Lancey. These Indian women up
| 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
EN- all, for all of me-"
Sure. that's what you say, but wait
till you see them! Oh, Ia, Ia, la''-he
kissed his fingers ecstatically-'I'H be
I 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
rudeIy 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
showed it inside his overalls.
"All right, pardner," he continued
with a hooking smile, anything you
saw. 1 never use oaths myself much
but anything to oblige."
! .sNo but 1 mean it, Bud!" cried De
Tancey. Here's the proposition now.
| Whatever happens, We stay with each
other till this deal is finished; on al
/ scratch cases we match money to see
who's it; and If we tangle over some
Girl the best man wins and the other
one STAYS away. We leave it to the
girl which one wins Will you shake
/ hands on that?"
Don't need to-" responded Bud;
aI'n do it anyway.
well. shake on 1t, then!" insisted
De Iancey, holding out his hand
"Oh, Sa1lyI" burst out Bud, hanging
his head in embarrassment, whats
the use Of getting mushy?"
But a moment later he leaned ovel
in his saddle and locked hands with {
viselike grip
My old man told me not to make
no such promises" he muttered, "bu
I'll do it, beings it's you"
CTO BE CONTINUED)
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