The Clio messenger., 1917-03-09

turned, and he perceived In the hard
ness of her voice how at bay she felt
In giving him the least bit of infOr-
nation, whether l ought to tell you
anything at all"
Il couldn't very decently take any
unfair advantage after what you've
done, could II"
"Then-you are In Morgan's gap"
she said, swiftly, as II she wanted it
off her mind.
There was no movement of surprise,
neither was there any answer. II
supposed, when 1 found you here, you
knew that" she added less resolutely f;
the darkness and silence were plainly
strain. "You are at the foot of Mu-
sic mountain, about a mile from where
1 live"
"You must have thought I meant to
raid your house. I didn't. i was hit.
I got mixed up In trying to get away.
You want me out of here?"
Every much"
"No more than / want to get out
Perhaps by tomorrow 1 could walk q
few miles. should have to assassi-
nate somebody to get some ammuni-
| tion."
"It wouldn't be hard for you to dc
that, / presume"
Her words and her tone revealed the
intensity of her dislike and the depth
of her distrust.
He was silent for moment Then
he said, without resentment, "You are
ashamed already of saying that, aren't
your
mo, 1 am not" she answered de
family.
''Yes, you are. You know it isn't
true. If you believed 1t, you never
would have brought food here to save
my life"
II brought it TO save some of my
own people from possible death al
your hands--to prevent another fight
to see If you hadn't manhood enough
after being helped, to go away, wher
you were able to move, peaceably. One
cartridge might mean one life, deal
to me-"
81 know whose life you mean."
"You know nothing about. what
mean."
Il know better than you know your
self. If l believed you, l shouldn't
respect you. Fear and mercy are two
different things. If 1 thought yoJ
were only afraid of me, 1 shouldn'
think much Of your aid. Listen
never took the life Of any man excep
to defend my own"
"NO murderer that ever took any
body's life In this country ever sait
anything but that"
Don't class me with murderers."
"You are known from one end of tn,
country to the other as gunman."
He answered impassively: "Dit
these men who call me a gunman eve
tell you why I'm one?" She seemed
In too hostile mood to answer. &c
guess not" he went on. Let me tel
you now. The next time you hear IN,
called ,gunman you can tell them.
II won't listen," she exclaimed, res
tive.
"Yes, you will listen," he said qui
city: you shall hear every word. nj,
father brought sheep into the Peac
river country. The cattlemen picke'
on him to make an example of. Ill
went out, unarmed, one night to tax,
care of the horses. My mother hear,
two shots. He didn't come back. Sh,
went to look for him. He was lyini
under the corral gate with hol
smashed through his jaw by a riff,
bullet that tore his head half off. ID,
Spain did not raise his voice, nor dit
he hasten his words. 'T was borI
one night six months after that" h
continued. my mother died tha
night. When neighbours wife tool
me from her arm and wrapped me in ,
blanket, she saw l carried the fac
of my father as my mother had seel
IL the night he was murdered. That,
he said, "is what made me sgunman
Not whisky-not women-not cards
just what you've heard. And I'll tel
you something else you may tell tn,
men that call me a gunman. The maj
that shot down my father at his CORA
gate 1 haven't found yet. 1 expect {,
find him. For ten years I've been get
ting ready to find him. He is here
In these mountains. / don't ever
know his name. But IL I live, I'll I'm,
him. And when ! do. I'll tear open hi