Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-08-08

Smith drew long breath and re-
moved his pipe TO say: IL haven't the
nerve, Billy, and that's the plain fact.
have already told her little of it.
She knows that L"
Starbuck broke in with laugh.
YES; it's a shouting pity about your
nerve! You've been putting up such
blooming scary fight in this irrigation
business that we all know you haven't
any nerve. If had your job in that,
I'd be going around here toting two
guns and wondering If l couldn't make
room in the holster for another"
Smith shook his head.
II was safe enough so long as Stan
ton thought l was the resident mana
ger and promoter for a new bunch of
big money in the background. But he
has had me shadowed and tracked UNI
ill now guess he is pretty well con-
WINGED that | actually had the audacity
to play a lone hand; and a blufiing
hand, at that. That makes a differ
ence, of course. Two days after had
climbed into the saddle here, he sent
couple of his strikers after me. don't
know just what their orders were, but
they seemed to want TO Highland they
got it. II was In Blue Pete's doggery,
up at the camp"
"Guns?' queried Starbuck.
| Theirs; not mine, because l didn't
have any. managed to get the shoot
( ina
had mixed very far"
You're just about the biggest. long
cared. stiff-backed, stubborn wild ass
Of the wallows that was ever let loose
in a half-reformed gun country ="
grumbled the ex-cowman. you're fix
ing to get yourself all killed up Smith.
/ Haven't you sense enough to see that
these rustlers will rub you out Ia two
/ witches of a dead lambs tail If they've
made up their minds that you are the
High Line main guy and the only oneY'
"Of course" said the wild ass easily.
eff they could lay me up for q month
| or two
Lay up, nothing" retorted Star
buck. Lay you down, about six feet
underground, is what meant"
| "Pshawl" exclaimed the one whose
fears ran in a far different channel
from any that could be dug by mere
/ corporation violence "Ihis is Amer
lea, in the twentieth century We don't
kill our business competitors nova
days"
Don't we?" snOrted Starbuck. THAT
will be all 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 Stanton's salary and commits
sion. wouldn't send out an order to
have you killed off. Maybe Stanton,
himself, wouldn't stand for it if you'd
put it that barefaced. But daddy-in-
| law, and Stanton, and all the others,
hire blacklegs and sharpers and gun
men and thugs. And every once in Il
while somebody takes a.Vink for a nod
and bang goes gum"
"Well. what's the answer" said
Pete Simms.'
Tote an arsenal, yourself, and be
ready to shoot first and ask questions
/ afterward. That's the only way you
can live peaceably with such men as
Jake Boogerfield and Lanterby and
| Simms.'
Smith got out of his chair and took
a turn up and down the length of the
room. When he came back to stand
before Starbuck. he said: IT did that,
Billy. I've been carrying gun for a
week and more; not for these ditch
pirates. but for somebody else. The
other night, when l was out at Hill
crest, Corona happened to see 1t. I'm
not going to tell you what she said,
but when came back to town the next
morning, / chucked the gun into a desk
drawer. And I hope I'm going to be
man enough not to wear it again."
Starbuck dropped the subject abb
ruptly and looked at his watch.
you liked to have done it, pulling
me off up here" he remarked. I'm due
to be at the train to meet Mrs Billy,
and I've got just about three minutes.
SO long"
Smith changed his street clothes
leisurely after Starbuck had gone. ana
when he went downstairs stopped at
the desk to toss his room key to the
| clerk.
The hotel register was lying open on
the counter, and from force of habit he
ran his eye down the list of late ar
rivals. At the end Of the list, in
sprawling characters upon which the
ink was yet fresh. he read his sen
tence. and for the first time in his life
knew the meaning of panic fear The
newest entry was:
Josiah Richlander and daughter.
! Chicago"
Smith was not misled by the place
name. There was only one Josiah
HIGHLANDER" In the world for him, and
he knew that the Lawrencevllle mag
nate, in registering from Chicago. was
only following the example of those
who for good reasons or no reason.
use the name Of their latest stopping
/ place for registry address.
CHAPTER XII.