Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1917-08-09
CHAPTER xxi-continued.

CSAp EN- -NoUSt !
~
Ball lifted his weak and watery
<syes- His whisky-seamed face bright
-ened into the ghost of IL smile. what
E'sn going to ask you to do" continued
ale Spain, 'is u mans job. You can
yet into the gap without trouble. You
sare the only man l can put my hand
ssn lust now that can. l want you to
eide over this morning and hang out
around Duke Morgan's place till you
criu get a chance to see Miss Nah"
At the mention of her name Bull
shook his head a moment in aitirma-
etve approval. "She's a queen!' he
exclaimed with admiring but pungent
.exptetives. "A queen y
II think 50, Bull. But she Is In
troublesome circumstances. You know,
Nan aud T.
Bull winked In many ways.
sAnd her Uncle Duke is making us
erouble. Bull. I want you to find her,
sneak with her, and bring word to me
ess to what the situation is. That
doesn't mean you're to get drunk over
xhere--in fact. I don't think anybody
aver there would give you u drink
"rhsn't believe they would
And you are to ride back here with
,.rhet sou can find out just as quick,
sstcr you get into the clear. as d horse
witt bring you"
Bal. passed his hand over his mouth
with a show of resolution. 1t ind
Gated that he was pulling himself to-
getl1er. Within half nm hour he was,
ga his way to the gap.
For DE Spain hours never dragged
as did the hours between Bulls start
Tug aud the setting Of the sun that
night without his return. And the sun
.sef tnAind Music mountain In n drift
at heavy clouds that brought rain. All
evening It fell steadily. At eleven
o'ciock De Spain had given up hope
.af seeing his emissnry before morn
ting and was sitting alone before TN
steve In the Office when he heard thu
-s,n.d Of hoofs. In another momen'
BuH Page stood ut the door.
He was d sorry sight. Soaked u
the skin by the steady downpour
rain dripping internationally from hi
,frayed hat, his ragged beard and tn
tered coat; shaking with the cold a
yf gripped by an ague, Bull, ptckln
hts staggering steps to the fire. an
shaking In a heap into n chair. syn
J,ss;xed the uttermost tribute Of mar
hood to the ravases Of whisky. II
usas not drunk. He had not even bee
drinking: but his vitality was son
He tried to speak. 1t was impo
.ssble. His tongue would not fran
words. nor his. thfont utter them. i
rs,u,d only look helplessiy at L
.ssnain as De Spain hastily made hi
stand up on his shaking knees, thre
bic blanket around him. sat hi
down., kicked open the stove drafl
and called to McAlpin for more wh'
XIV to steady the wreck Of 1t crouc
Dag over the Ere.
McAiptn. after considerable anu
ructant search, produced a bottle, q
unwilling, for more reasons than OF
90 trust 1t to Butts uncertain poss'
1.iou. brought q dipper. Bull held I
.s1ipper while De Spain poured. bic'
Dln. behind the stove. hoped first
tnne foot and then on the other as
tSpain recklessly continued to 20
,Wt,eu the liquor half hlled the G
xJcAlpin put out unmistakabie
srcss signals. but Bull. watching
Srown stream, bis eyes galvanized
" che sight, held fast to the handle {
assde no sign to stop. "Bull" IN
.s,ercsi the barn boss with an einphi
,xord. ssThat "A ElpnsO's bottle. w
src YOU dreaming Of. manf Mr..
Xuain, you1l Kill him. Don't ye
M can't tell ye to stopf"
y3uii. With the last pickering ~
~ vitality still left within him, loo
-1bsaAliy up and winkcd at Dc Sp
NcAIpln. outraged, stamped out
the room. Steadying the dippef
~ sskla hands. Dull with nn c6oft pa!
80 hand II the 6nal momsnt pfel
aaaejsy over liis mouth, and. ~
- howl, cmptied II. The poison I
1rlaed MIN into uttersnce. y 4
nee.w he declared, hcldlng ~
gvsli Aewu ~ a. an apsak1nS
nasaoasbly peeG6 thfoaG
~OooN. uutlyr
4 @FnSTyG 81 Shiass - % ies
- ~ ~ gSpoke slewty
esSnnlo. n asyse " insl6s
~ saftse suppesu Toward
Rsv6aios ut % ~ .
SHSSns; ~ ~ eitehso AZ:
49, Z eo6ss-nsa