Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-01-11


Duane replied, and the other man
returned the greeting with interest.
"Jim, my boss s done up. I want
to hide him from any chance tourists
as might happen to ride up curious
| like"
"Haw! haw! haw"
Duane gathered encouragement
from that chorus of coarse laughter.
oval, If them tourists amt too
burned smoky the boss II be safe
in the 'dObe shack back of Bits here.
Feed thar, too, but you'll hev to rus
tie water"
Duane led Bullet to the place indi-
Gated, had care of his welfare, and
left him there. Upon returning to
the tavern porch Duane saw the group
of men had been added to by others,
some of whom he had seen before.
Without comment Duane walked
along the edge of the road, and wher-
ever one of the tracks of his horse
showed he carefully Obliterated it,
This procedure was attentively
watched by Fletcher and his COM
panions.
oval, Dodge" remarked Fletcher,
as Duane returned, 'thet's safer n
prayin' fer rain"
Duane's reply was a remark as
10quaciOus as Fletcher's to the effect
that a long, slow, monotonous ride
was conducive to thirst They all
Joined him, Enthusiastically friendly.
But Knell was not there, and most
assuredly not Poggin. Fletcher was
no common outlaw, but whatever his
ability, it probably lay in execution
of orders. Apparently at that time
these men had nothing to do but
drink and lounge around the tavern.
Duane set out to make himself agree
able and succeeded. All morning men
came and went, until, all told Duane
calculated he had seen at least fifty
Toward the middle of the afternoon
a young fellow burst into the saloon
and yelled one word:
"POsSe 7"
From the scramble to get outdoors
Duane judged that word and the en-
suing action was rare in Ord.
whats all thfs?" muttered Fetch
er, as he gazed down the road at
dark, compact bunch of horses and
riders. 'Fust time / ever seen thet
in Ord Wish Phil was here or Peggy.
Now all you gents keep quiet. Til do
the tolkin'"
The posse entered the town. trotted
up on the dusty horses, and halted
in a bunch before the tavern. The
party consisted about twenty men, all
heavily armed, and evidently in
charge of a clean-cut, Iean-limbed
cowboy. Duane experienced consider
able satisfaction at the absence Of the
sheriff who he had understood was
to lead the posse. Perhaps he was
out in another direction with a differ
ent force.
Hello, Jim Fletcher" called the
cowboy.
''Howdy," replied Fletcher.
At this short, dry response and the
way he strobe leisurely out before the
posse Duane found himself modifying
his contempt for Fletcher. The out
law was different now.
fFIetcher, we've tracked man to
ell but three miles of this place.
Tracks as plain as the nose on your
face. Found his camp. Then he hit
into the brush, an we lost the trait.
Didn't have no tracker with US. Think
he went into the mountains. But
we took a chance an rid over the rest
Of the way, SEEM Ord was so close |
Anybody come in here late last night
or early this mOrnin'?"
''N0pe," replied Fletcher.
His response was what Duane had |
expected from his manner, and evil |
IDENTIFY the cowboy took it as a matter
of course. He turned to the others
Of the posse, entering into a low con- |
suItatiOn. Evidently there was differ |
ence of opinion, if not real dissension, |
In that posse.
Didn't I tell We this was q wild |
goose chase, comm way out here?" /
protested an old h;tWk-faced rancher. |
''Them boss tracks we follored amt |
like any of them we seen at the |
water-tank where the ain was held |
up"
I'm not sure OF that" replied the !
leader.
oval, Guthrie, I've follored tracks |
all my life"
'But you couldn't keep to the trail /
this Teller made in the brush"
"Gimme time. an I could. Tibet /
takes time. An heah you go hell-bent !
for election! But it's a wrong lead +
out this way. If you're right, this |
road-agent, after he killed his pals, |
would hev rid back right through town. !
An with them mailbags! SuppOsfn' /
they was greasers? Some grcasers
has sense, an when it comes to thiey-
in they're shore cute"
"But we amt got any reason to be-
Iieve this robber who murdered the /
greasers is q greaser himself l tell .
you it was a slick job, done by no /
ordinary sneak. Didn't you hear the .
facts? One greaser hoped the engine /
an covered the engineer an fireman. I
Another greaser kept fashin' his gun /
outside the train. The big man who .
showed back the car door an did the
----i- -za&@a