The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-01-01

was never unarmeQ
Don't, Jebi" she screamed in a
transport of alarm. as she braced her
self and summoned strength to seize
the hand that held the weapon.
Jeb shook her roughly on and
wheeled again to face the visitor with
the precautiOn of a sidewise leap. He
had expected that the other boy would
use that moment of interference to
draw his own weapon, but the young
McBriar was standing in the same at
titude, holding his hat in one hand
while he treasured the girl
Don't fret, Dawn; thar hafn't moth
in ter worry about" he said; then.
facing the brother, he went on in a
voice of cold and almost scornfuI COM
posture:
Tibet hain't Their first time we've seed
me acrost the sights of a gun. is it.
Jeb?"
What does We mean?" The other
boys face went brick-red and he low
! cred his muzzle with sense Of sudden
shame
'-Oh. heered about how old Bob
McGreegor told ye a passed. of lies
about me. an how We come acrost Their
ridge one day. l reckon / kin guess
the rest"
We'll, what of hit?" Jeb stood with
his pistol now hanging at his side.
but in his eyes still glowed the fire of
| hatred.
Jest this" young McBriar went on:
81 amt got no gun on me. amt even
got a jackknife- ] lowed that ye
mought be right smart incensed at
my comm hyar an come without no
| weapon on purpose. Eff ye hain't
skeered Of me when I'm unarmed. l
reckon We kin put your own gun back
| in ther holster"
Jeb McNash slo1 ly followed the
suggestion. and then coming forward
until the two boys stood eye to eye.
he said in deliberate accents: Il reck-
on We don't low I'm skeered of ye."
81 reckon not" Young Milt's tone
was almost cheerful. Il reckon We air
jest about as much skeered of me es
I am of you-an' that amt none"
What does We want hyar?" persist
ed Jeb
81 wants first to tell ye-an' | hafn't
never lied ter no Teller yit-thet /
don't know nothin' more about who
kilt F1etch than you does If did.
so help me God Almighty. I'd tell ye
l hain't tryin' ter shield no murder
ers.''
There was a ring of sincerity in the
lads voice that carried weight even
into the bitter skepticism of Jeb's
heart-a skepticism which had refused
IN hO1iovn hof fr11fh
east of the ridge.
Il reckon. eff that's true" sneered
the older boy, ''thar's them in yore
house tibet does know"
At that insult it was Young Milt
| whose face went first red and then
very white.
Tibet calls fer a fight, Jeb." he said
with forced calm. 81 can't harken ter
things like tibet But first 1 wants ter
say this: I come over hyar ter tell We
tibet 1 knowed how ye felt, an thet
didn't see no reason why you an me
had ter quarrel / come over hyar ter
see Dawn, because / promised
wouldn't try ter see her whilst she
stayed down at the scholar be-
cause l wants ter see her-an' lows
ter do hit. Now will ye lay aside yore
gun an go out thar in Their road whar
hit hain't on yore own ground. an let
me tell We tibet ye lied when We slurred
my folks?"
The two boys stripped OF their
/ coats in guaranty that neither had
hidden a weapon Then, while the girl,
who was really no longer a girl, turned
| back into the irelit cabin and threw
herself face downward on her feather
bed, they silently crossed the stile into
the road and Milt turned to repeat:
"Jeb, tibet war q lie We spoke, an
wants ye ter fight me far, fist an
skull, an when We gifts through. eff We
feels like hit. well shake hands. You
an me amt got no cause ter quarrel"
And so the boy in each of them.
which was the manlier part of each.
came to the surface, and into a bitter
and long-fought battle of fists and
wrestling, in which both of them rolled
in the dust. and each of them obst1-
nately refused to say enough" they
submitted their long-fostered hostility
| to one fierce debate At last. as the
two lay painting and bloodied there in
| the road, it was Jeb who rose and held
| out his hand.
so fur es the two of US goes. AIilt. -
| he said, unless Their war busts loose
ergin, 1 reckon we kin be friendly"
Together they rose and recrossed
the stile and washed their grimed
faces. Dawn looked from one to the
other, and Jeb said: "Milt. set yore-
self cheer. reckon ye'd better stay
all night. It's most too fur ter ride
| back"
And SO. though they did not realize
! it, the two youths who were to stand
some day near the heads of the two
factions, had set new precedent and
/ had fought without guns. as men had
! fought before the feud began
| Jeb kicked of his shoes and lay
down, and before the flaming logs sat
the Havey girl and the McBriar boy
| talking.
CHAPTER XVIII.
When winter has come and settled
/ = L.