The Lamar register., 1917-12-26


spreading on the army blanket which
he took from the saddle on Rather
He swept the floor as neatly as any
woman could have done 1t ana lhiu
two wolf skins down in their places
where they did duty as rugs. lie
washed and wiped his few dishes
keeping Bucks knife always withh
reach and sending an inquiring glance
toward Buck whenever that unhappy
man made the slightest movement.
though. truth to tell. Buck did not
make many. He brought two pals OF
water and set them on the bench IN
side, and in the meantime he had COOK
ed a mess of prunes and set them III
bowl on the window sill beside his
bunk. where the air was coolest. He
stropped his razor painstakingly ana
shaved himself in leisurely fashion and
sent an occasional glance toward his
prisoner from the looking glass, which
made Buck swallow hard at his Ad-
ANS apple.
And Buck during all this time never
once opened his lips. except to lick his
tongue across them. and never once
took his eyes OF Ward.
I've sure put the fear of the Lord
into you, haven't ]. BuckT' Ward OBJ
served maliciously. wiping a blob OF
hairy lather upon a page torn from an
old mail-order catalogue. II was
kind a hoping you had more nerve. 1
wanted to get a whack at you just to
prove I'm not Joshing."
Buck swallowed again. but he made
no reply.
Ward washed his face In a basin OF
steaming water, got a can Of talcum
out of the dish cupboard and took the
soap shine OF his cheeks and chin. He
combed his hair before the little mir
ror, trying unavailingly to take the
wave out OF IL with water and leaving
1t more crinkly over his temples than
It had been in the first place. and re-
tied the four-in-hand under the soft
collar Of his shirt
81 wish you'd talk. Buck" he said.
turning toward the other. He looked
very boyish and almost handsome. ex-
cept for the expression OF his eyes,
which gave Buck the shiyers, and the
set of his lips. which was cruel I've
read how the Chinks hand out what
they call the eath-of a -thousand-cuts.
I was thinking I'd like to try 1t out on
you. Butch, well, this is Friday. II
may as well go as a hanging" He
made a poor job of his calm irony. but
Buck was not In the mental condition
to be critical
The main facts were sufficiently
ominous to Offset Wards attempt at
facetiousness. Indeed. the very weak
ness of the attempt was In itself omi-
nous Ward might try tC be coldly
malevoIent. but the light that burned
In his eyes and the rage that tightened
his lips gave the lie to his forced COM
posure.
He went out and led up the horses
to the door He came back and started
to unite Buck Olney's feet. then be-
thought him of the statement he mad
promised to write. He got a magazine
and tore out the frontispiece-which.
oddly enough, was a somber picture OF
Death lowering with outstretched
wings over battlefield-and wrote
several lines in pencil on the back OF 1t,
where the paper was smooth and
white.
"How's that?" he asked. holding up
the paper so that Buck could read
what he had written. Il amt In the
mood to sit down and write a whole
book. SO / had to boil down your pedi-
gree. But that will do the business all
right, don't you thinkT
Buck read with staring eyes, looked
into Wards face and opened his lips
for protest or pleading. Then he FOL
lowed Wards glance to the knife on
the table and shut his mouth with
snap. Ward laughed grimly,. picked
up the knife and ran his thumb lightly
over the edge to test its keenness.
put a fresh edge on 1t for me, huhr
he commented. well, we may as well
get started, 1 reckon. I'm getting al
mighty sick of seeing you around"
He loosened the rope that bound
Buck to the chair and stood scowling
down at him. drawing in a corner OF
his lip and biting 1t thoughtfully. Then
he took his revolver and held It In MS
left hand. while with his riGht he un-