The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-12-11

nodded by the Havey chief.
The water-miIl of old Bob McGreegor
was the nearest spot to the dwelling OF
Bad Anse Havey where grist could be
ground to meal, and sometimes when
Jeb came over to the brick house he
would volunteer to throw upon his
shoulders the sack of corn and plod
with it up across the ridges He would
sit there in the dusty old mill while
the slow wheel groaned and creaked
and the cumbersome millstones did
their slow stint of work.
So one day, toward the end Of Au-
gust, Juanita, who had climbed up the
path to the poplar to look over her
battlefield and renew her vows, saw
Jeb sturdiIy plodding his way in long,
resolute strides through the woods
toward the mill, heavy sack upon his
shoulders and a rife swinging at his
side.
That day chance had it that no one
else had come to mill and Bob Nc
Greegor had persuaded the boy to
drink from the '1eetle blue kag" until
his mind was ripe for mischief. While
the mill slowly ground out his meal
in the gloomy shack, nursing his
knees in interlocked fingers Old Bob
drank and stormed and cursed the in
ertia OF the present generation The
lads lean fingers tautened and gripped
themselves more tenseIy and his eyes
began to smOlder and blaze with
wicked light as he listened.
Eye looks like right stand-up sort
of a boy, Jeb." growled the old fire
eater who had set more than a few
couples at each others threats. "An'
1 reckon hits all right, too, fer fell
Ter ter bide his time, but hit pears ter
me like Their men of these days don't
do nothin' but bide thar time"
81 won't bide mine no longer than
what I has ter" snapped the boy
"Anse lows ter tell me when he finds
out who hit war tibet got my pap
Thet's all needs ter know"
Old Bob shook his head knowingly
and laughed in his tangled beard.
81 reckon Anse Havey'1 take his lei
sure. He's got other fish to fry. He's
a-thinkin' bout bigger things than yore
grievance, son.
The boy rose, and his voice came
very quietly and ominously from sud
denly whitened lips. What does ye
mean by thet, Uncle Bob?"
"Mebby 1 don't mean nothin' much.
Then ergin mebby l could give ye a
pretty good idee who kilt yOre pap.
Mebby 1 could tell We bout Teller
a Teller tibet hain't fur removed from
Old Milt hisself-thet went snoopin'
crost Their ridge Their same day yore
pap died with a rif1e-gun 'crost his
elbow and his pockets strutty with
cartridges"
who war he?" came the tense de-
mand with the sudden snap Of rifle
| fire. who war thet feller?"
Old Bob filed and lighted his pipe
with fingers that had grown unsteady
from the ministration of the '1eetle
blue kag" He laughed again in a
drunken fashion.
EFF Bad Anse Havey don't low ter
tell ye. son. he artfully demurred. 81
reckon hit wouldn't hardly be becomin'
fer me ter name his name"
The boy picked up his battered hat
"Give ne my grist," he said shortly.
He stood by, breathing heavily but
| silently while the sack was being tied.
then, putting it down by the door, he
wheeled and faced the older man.
Now ye're a-goin' ter tell me what
I needs ter know" he said quietly, cor
I'm a-goin' ter kill ye whar We stands.
Uncle Bob laughed. He had meant
all the while to impart that succulent
bit of information, which was no infor-
nation at all, but misunderstanding sus-
picion. He had held of only to infu.
rate and envenom the boy with the
| cumulative force Of climax
Hit warn't nobody but After q
pause he went on, but old Milt Nc
Briar's own son, Young Milt"
"Thet's all,' said Jeb soberly; I'm
obleeged ter ye."
He went out with the sack on his
| shoulders and the rife under his arm
but when he had reached a place IL
the woods where blind trail STRUCK
back he deposited his sack carefully
under ledge of overhanging rock, fol
the clouds were mounting and banking
now in threat OF rain and it was no
his own meal, so he must be careful
of its safety.
Then he crossed the ridge until h,
came to a point where the thicke
grew down close and tangled to tn,
road He had seen Young MiIt coins
west along that road this morning ant
: by nightfall he would be riding back
The gods of chance were playing int
his hands.
So he lay down, closely hugging tn
earth, and cooked his rife. For hour
he crouched there with unspeakabI
patience, while his muscles crampe,
, and his feet and hands grew cold VI
I der the pelting of a rain which wa
strangely raw and chilling for the sea
son. The sun sank in an angry BAN
Of thunder-heads and the west grey
: lurid. The drenching downpour blind
| ed him and trickled down his spine III
/ der his clothes, but at last he saw tn
: figure he awaited riding a horse b
t knew 1t was the same roam mare tina
: Bad Anse had restored to Milt MC
: Briar.
, TVbao vo1Tno AFiIt rode eIo-vlx, =,