The Delta independent., 1915-05-28
way they filled with apprehension

to hate for Samson, should he have
proved recreant to the mission of re
prisal in which he was biding his time
yet the coming of the day when the
truce must end haunted her thoughts
She came close, and her voice sanl
with her sinking heart.
What air hit ?" she tensely demand
ed What air hit, Samson? What
fer hev ye fotched yer gun ter the
field?"
The boy laughed. "Oh. hit aint
nothin' pertic'ler," he reassured. Hit
hain't nothin' fer gal ter fret herself
erbout, only kinder suspicious
strangers jest now"
Air the truce busted?" She put the
question in tense. deep-breathed
whisper, and the boy replied casually
almost indifferently.
mo, Sally, hit hain't jest ter say
busted. but pears like hits right
smart cracked. l reckon. though" he
added in half-disgust, "nothin' won't
come of hit"
Somewhat reassured, she bethought
herself again of her mission.
This here furriner hain't got nc
harm in him, Samson she pleaded
He pears ter be more like gal than
man. He's real puny. He's got
white skin and a bow of ribbon on
his neck-an' he paints pictchers."
The boys face had been hardening
with contempt as the description ad-
vanced, but at the last words glow
came to his eyes. and he demanded
almost breathlessly:
Paints pictchers? How do ye know
that?"
II seen 'em. He was paintin' one
when he fey offen the rock and busted
his arm It's shore es beautiful es-"
den peal OF laughter-"es er pictcher."
The young man slipped down from
the fence, and reached for the rife.
The hoe he left where it stood.
'I'll git the nag" he announced
briefly, and swung off without further
parley toward the curling spiral OF
smoke that marked a cabin a quarter
of a mile below. Ten minutes later
his bare feet swung against the ribs
of a gray mule and his rife lay bal.
anced across the unsaddled withers.
Sally sat mountain fashion behind
him, facing straight to the side.
So they came along the creek bed
and into the sight of the man who
rock. AS Lescott looked up he closed
the case of his watch and put it back
into his pocket with a smile.
"Snappy work. that!" he called out.
Just thirty-three minutes. / didn't
believe 1t could be done
Samson's face was masklike. but
as he surveyed the foreigner. only the
ingrained dictates of the country's
hospitable code kept out Of his eyes
CLEAN of scorn for this frail men,
ber of a sex which should be stalwart.
"Howdy?" he said. Then he added
suspiciously: What mout yer bust
ness be in these parts, stranger?"
Lescott gave the Odyssey of his wan
derings. since he had rented a mule
at Hixon and ridden through the coun-
try, sketching where the mood prompt
ed and sleeping wherever he found
hospitable roof at the coming OF the
| evening.
''Ye come from over on Cripple
shin?" The boy flashed the question
with a sudden hardening OF the voice.
and. when he was affirmatively ans
swered, his eyes contracted and bored
searchingly into the strangers face.
"Whered ye put up last night?'
Red Bill Hollman's house. at the
mouth of Meeting House fork; do you
know the placer"
Samson's reply was curt.
Il knows hit all right"
There was a moments pause
rather an awkward pause. Lescott'e
mind began piecing together frag
ments OF conversation he had heard,
until he had assembled a sort OF men
tai jigsaw puzzle.
The South HOLMAN feud had been
| mentioned by the more talkative OF
| his informers. and carefully tabooed
by Understandable among them his
host OF last night. 1t now dawned on
him that he was crossing the boun-
dairy and coming as the late guest of
a HOLMAN to ask the hospitality Of a
South
II didn't know whose house II was"
benighted and asked for lodging. They
we're very kind to me. I'd never seen
them before. I'm stranger here
| abouts."
Samson only nodded. II the explana.
ton failed to satisfy him. It at least
seemed to do so.
II reckon ye'd better let me holp
ye up on thet old mule" he said;
hits a-comin' on ter be night"
With the mountaineer's aid, Lescott
clambered astride the mount then he
turned dubiously.
I'm sorry to trouble you" he ven
tured. but ! have a paint box and
! ammo rnataria1a I'M tharo vouvl