The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-01-09

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ble."
Really, Uncle Walter, you could
have done something for the boy
without making me say l wanted
Iyou to. You're always helping
people in trouble"
And you think they are the
men we saw out on the Mojave by
the water-tank?"
"Oh, l know 1t! They remem-
J bered the rose. They spoke of it
right away. before l did"
Les, Louise. And you remem-
Der, too. that they were arrested
at Barstow for murder, the con-
ductor said?"
That's just 1t. The boy Collie
says the tramp Overland Red
didn't kill the man. He was trying
to save him and gave him water"
And so it happened that after
much banter on the part of her
uncle. Louise had her way.
They rode down the trail and
Walter Stone drew the story from
the boy tramp.
At the crossroads In the valley
stood the local Jail, or COOP" as
1t was more descriptively called.
The boy Collie, half-dreaming
in the suffocating heat Of the place
started to his feet as the door
swung open. He could hardly re-
allze that sunlight was swimming
through the close dusk of the
place. But the girl of Moonstone
Canyon, refining Boyar round, was
real, and she smiled and nodded a
greeting.
This is Mr.. Stone, my uncle"
she said. HE wants to talk with
you" And touching her pony she
was gone.
Walter Stone noted the lads
well-shaped head with It's tumble
of wavy black hair, and the lu-
minous dark eyes.
"She brung your" queried the
boy.
Eyes. have seen Tenlow, the
sheriff. He is willing to let you
go at my request. What do you
intend doing. now that you are
free?"
II don't know. Find Red. I
guess"
Walter Stone nodded. what
has he done to get the police after
himf"
"Nothin'. It's the bunch"
"The bunch?"
"Uh-huh. Them guys out on the
Mojave. But say, are you workin'
me to get next to Red and get him
pinched AGAIN."
mo. I have heard all about the
Mo1ave affair the prospector
that died on the track-and the
arrest OF Overland Red at Bar
stow. You told my niece that this
Overland Red was square How
did you come to be mixed up in
it?"
II guess I'll have to tell you the
whole thing, straight. Red always
said that to tell the truth was just
as good as lynn, because nobody
would believe us. anyway"
Collie squatted in the meager
shade of the coop" Walter
Stone, dropping the pony's reins,
came and sat beside the lad.
The boy began hesitatingly.
my dad was q drinkin' man. Ma
died, and he got worse at it. One
day pa come home with a time
table. He sat up most all night
readin' II.
I'm the mornin', when was
gettin' dressed, he come over and
says to take a needle he had and
stick II through the timetable
anywhere. Albuquerque was where
the needle went in.
Then he went out. When he
come back he showed me a whole
wad Of money.
THAT day we got a train. We
kept ridin' and ridin' in the same
car, and eatin' bananas and SAN
wiches and sleepin' settln' I'D at
nights. I was just about sick whom
we come to Albuquerque. You SEQ,
that was where the needle went
through the timetable. and dad
said we would get off there. lie
got awful drunk that night.
| Next day he said he was goin'
to quit liquor and make a fresh
start. knowed he wouldn't, cause
he always said that next mornin'.
"One night he didn't como back
to the room where we was stayin'
upstairs over the saloon. They
found him way down the tracks
next day, all cut to pieces by the
train"
The boy paused. Walter Stone
sat looking across the valley.
Il guess his money was ali
gone" resumed the boy. Anyhow,
bout year after, Overland Red
comes along. He comss to the
saloon where I was stsyln,-thsy
gives me job cieanin' out every
day--and he got to talkin' a lot
OF stuff about scenery and Twin
the simple life, The bartender got