Evening star., 1915-03-21
THE DARK MAN OF RED ANT
Continued from page 10

~ iLo lilcsSdSeO . SOOu CleeT seen O1le an II
Half beating it for the shack
aim glad ye all have told the truth as to
what the fortoon teller found in the stars as
pertaining to yer futur's,' sneered Uncle
Feeble from his corner. Dye know had
a dream last night that some generous
hearted, whole-souled feller in these yere
diggings had been grubstaking Splinter?'
THE silence what folered this careless re-
mark beat all the silences ever li#tered
to, Miss, and was present when Andy Nc
Nab pulled seven aces out o. Bandy Jim's
bosom. Then Sailor Dutch in timber
wolf voice explodes:
"What sort of gum game be ye up to,
Feebleo What dye mean by dreaming bout
me and my little business deal with Splinter!
"a horrid suspicion was now buzzing
round in my head, Miss, and | yelled for
time, and then warned, Fair notice to all
that I'm the only riginal, simon-pure grub
stalker o Splinter in this camp! If any O ye
have been honeying round to take advan-
tage o his good natur, yell have me to buck
ag'in'. I'm his only partner in all he finds
ga partner! bleats Mcpherson, denting
the bar with his fist. Be living in a nest
O vipers, or do my ears deceive me? Why,
ye insect, grubstaked the man, and I'm the
only biped in Red Ant what has the call on
his luck! We won't even discuss it.
"But Big Wechs jaws snapped like a fox
trap, and in his low, fghtin'e est voice he says,
Ma 'selle Fortoona wised me off to watch
for a dark man, who'd load me down with
gold. That was the warning of this yere
zodiac and I'm sailing accordin'ly. SO
hands off, or thcrell be a great run ON the
mourning color!
"For the first time in his life the Painkier
pushed his drink aside unconsumed, and in
a queer, tlutelke voice says, Something is
wrong in this deal There's too many extra
rorscoping, I'd like to observe that I've
come acrost to the tune o eight hundred
plunks, buying one-half of all good luck
what may come to the aforesaid Splinter
81 groaned most mcler like; for it didn't
take no mind reader to tell me I'd been
stung, Miss and announced I'd coughed up
two thousand.
"Copy cat!' sadly chirps Mcpherson,
breaking open his gun and examining the
tgger.'
az opine I'm the bell wether, chokes Big
Welch. Il listened to his siren song, and
went ye all five hundred better. Oh, if ved
only been truthful and conhded in mel
"And, Miss, when the roll was formally
called every man jack on us excepting Uncle
Feeble, had been stung for all he could spare.
Gents, Solemnly says Big WEIGH, our
worthy, tender-hearted and bone-headed
citizen, Mr.. Plunkett, interrupted one of our
pastimes short spell ago. We will now re-
sumo it with elab'rate trimmings. Will the
rope committee report for immediate duty?'
DUTCH and Lonesome gravcly went to
= the back O the shack and produced the
official rope-which, Miss, was only used in
assmilating sin with the forgiveness O the
grave. Then we marched to Splinter's
shack. We found him making dash for
covered country, and sprinted a mile afore
we could head him and induce him to return
to the homes he d destroyed. Then the rope
committee begun officiating round his neck.
Everything was moving along most har-
monious and dignitied like, when Nam 'selle
Fortoona's voice begun screaming, Stop!
Stop' And shortly thereafter she projected
into Our midst, fighting like wildcat to git
front seat
"'Better call time till the lady retires.
says Uncle Feeble in calm voice. catching
Ma 'selle, but holding her gentlesome.
"Whiie waiting we'll go through the cere-
mony O producing the evidence, says Nc
Pherson. Then no one can't say that Red
Ant don't observe the due process o law.
And he whips out a bit O paper, which
same was a duplicate O my map. Lighting
4 r