The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1917-08-03

long minute or two before be said us
there another woman Ia 1t. IohaI"
Yes: but not In the way you
mean"
"Corry's a mighty fine little girl.
4 .'ohn." said Stnbuck slowly. "Any
one OF dozen fellows could name
would give all their old shoes TO swap
chances with you"
''That isn't exactly the kind OF ad.
vice I'm needing was the sober re-
I tcinder. ,
NO; but II was the kind you were
wanting, when you tolied me OF up
here" laughed the ex-cowpuncher. Il
1 know the symptoms. Had 'ern myself
for about two years so bad that could
wake up In the mlndie Of the night and
taste 'eTn. Go In and win: Maybe the.
great biz stnmhling-block you're wor-
rying about wouldn't mean anything
at all to an oren-minied young woman
! ike Corona most likely II wouldn't"
III she could know the whole truth
and believe It." said Smith musingly..
you tell her the truth, and she'll
| take care Of the believing part OF Il.
I'll right. You needn't lose any sleep
about that"
Smith drew q long breath and re-
moved his pipe to say; Il haven't the
nerve, Billy, aud that's the plain fact.
/ | haNe already toll her y little Of Il.
I She 'RnawS that T."
| Starbpck broke In with laugh.
1 "ies; It's II shouting pity about your
nerve You've been putting up ouch
blooming scary fight In this irrigation
business that we all know you haven't
any nerve. II had your Job In thar
/ IA be going around here tottng two
( guns aud wondering IL couldn't make
! room In the holster for another"
! Smith shook his head.
| Il was safe enough so long us Stan
ton thought | was the resident mana
ger and promoter for new bunch of
big money In the background But he
has had me Swallowed and tracked un.
I'll now guess he IL pretty well con.
WINGED that actually had the audacity
TO play lone hand; and Il blut'iug
| hand, at that. That makes differ
ence Of course. Two days after Bad
! climbed into the saddle here. lie sent q
couple Ok his strikers after me. don't
know just what their orders were, but
they seemed to want TO fig'lt--and they
got IT, II WINS In Blue Petes doggery,
up at the camp"
"Gunsy queried Starbuck.
Theirs; not mine, because I didn't
have any. managed to get the shoot.
Ing.lrons away from them before we
had mixed very far"
You're just about the biggest. long.
cared, s,iT-backed, stubborn wild ass
Of the wallows that was ever let loose
In aalfreformed gun country"
grumnled the ex.cowman. you're ~
Ing TO get yourself all killed up, Smith.
Haven't you sense enough to see that
these ristlers will rub you out In two
witches Of dead lambs tall II they've
made UP their minds that you are the
High Line main guy aud the only onef' !
"ot course" said the wild ass easily.
III they could lay me up for month
or two"
LAY NJ. nothing" retorted Star.
buck. LAY you down. about six feet
underground, Is what l mean"
"pshaw'" exclaimed the one whose
fears run. In. IL far different channel
! from any that could be- dug by, mere
corporation violence. This Is Amer
lea. In the twentieth century. We don't
Kill our business competitors nova
days"
Don't wef" suorted Starhuck. THAT
win be oil right, too. Wen suppose
just for the sake Of argument, that my
respected and respectable daddy-in.
law. or whatever other silk-hatted old
money bags happens to be paying
Crawford S,an.on's salary and commits
sion. wouldn't send out an ortier To
have you killed OF. Maybe Stanton,
himself. wouldn't stand for II L you'd
put II that haretaced. But daddy.iu
law. and Stanton, and all the others.
hire hlacklecs and sharpers and gun
men and thugs, And every once In a
white somebody takes wink fer nod
and bang goes cun."
Well what's the answer said
Pete Ssmms
Tote IN arsenal, yourself. and be
ready to shoot first and ash questions
afterwani. That's the only way You
can i've reaccahly with such men as
Jake Boogeraeld and Lanterhy end !
Sinms."
SmAh got out Of his chair ari took
turn up and down the length of the /
room Whea he came back 70 stand .
before Starhuck, he said' Il did that. /
billy. I'VE been carrying run tor q
week and more. net for these ditch |
pirates, hut for somebody else, The !
ether night. when was cut o. Hill
crest, Corona happened 10 see It. Tn Z
not going ~ tell you what she said, /
hut when came back TO town the next /
morning. chpcked the gun into desk
drawer. And lere I'm going 10 BE-
man enough not 10 wear II again"
Starhuck dropped the subject oh
ruqtly and looked eff bis watch,
Yea liked IL have doae IT, pulling /