The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1915-12-31
hadn't IL been for ole Bob Crook you'd
"a hOth hnen killed.

hadn't IA been for Die Bob Crook you'd
"a both been killed."
"Uld Bob Crook. What did he do:"
Il dunno, but unless my mind mis-
gives me, he saved both O. yo' lives"
"You puzzle me, Mr.. Slocum. l can't
realize how Crook saved our lives"
You hearn that shootin' an yellin'
an t'arin' round out thar in the bush
that tuck them fellers erway from you
an Billy, didn't you:"
Yes"
"Waal, unless I'm clean way off in
my guess, that thar was ole Bob ado
in all that. l know he's been a-spi-
cionin' ole Jake Martin war up to some
devilment, an he's beer a-sneakin'
round after him, sorter keepin' a eye
on the ole cuss.
But, why in the world was he max
ing all that noise out there in the
woods!"
"Why, blame it, can't you see? He
was dom that to draw them fellers off
so you an Billy would have a chance
to git erway. Land, that's shorely
plain enough for anybody to see"
We'll, I'll be switched! Why, who
would have ever thought of such a
trick as that"
Lord, that's no trick for ole Bob to
think of. He kin think up SIGH things
as that faster IAN you kin say scat.
You may not "a noticed it, but ole Bob's
got a powerful long head on i'm, an
it's chuck brim full O. good hard boss
sense. Yes. stree, ole Bob's pow'ful
smart. an he ort to be governor or
somethin'. He's been road overseer."
He's a very able man, l presume
Ross answered, with a queer smile.
land if it was he hat saved Billy
and me l am certainly very much in.
debted to him and hope some day to
be able to show my appreciation of his
goodness. But just now time is val.
liable to me, for l should be getting
out of this section as rapidly as pos,
sible."
do you think 500" Slocum asked
slowly after a moment Of thought.
"Certainly. Don't you:"
"Waal. l can't jest say that I do. !
been a-thinkin' the matter all over
some since Billy come, an 1 got it
tiggered out that it wouldn't be best
for you to go way"
"Why"
"Waal, for two or three reasons"
"What are they?"
"Hain't time to tell you now all the
particulars, but n reason is you'd
stand a better show o gittin' killed il
you tried to git erway from yere than
you would if you stayed, am another
reason is somethin' is goin' to happen
to ole Jake an that gang afore long
that they hain't a-thinkin' bout. That's
all kin tell you now"
"Then you think l would better moi
go?'
"That's my candid opinion"
eff don't go what am l to do? II
wouldn't be wise to stay here. for
more than likely those men will be
, here after me inside of an hour"
: The wise thing for you to do is tc
lie out in the bresh a day or two an
} wait to see what happens. Right owe
back o my field is Il place whar the
bresh is so thick a rabbit can't much
more'n cit through, an it's clean erway
from any road. You could stay thar a
month an nobody d never know it. 81
I'll jest take a blanket an some grub
along an so with you over thar an
show you whar to stop"
Ross offered nc objection, for he had
implicit confidence in Slocum and was
perfectly willing to defer to his opin.
ion. Then, too. he remembered Miner
va. and perhaps that made him all the
more ready to accede to Slocum's
wishes. There are men who would
risk their lives to be near the ones
they love. Probably Ross might not
hay, gone that far, but he was capa
bic of doing some very foolish things
ITO be continued
He Got Them Mixed,