Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-04-04
''DoC!''
BY
BY HAROLD TITUS.
Author Of ITO the Victor"
Copyright
The Frank A. Munsey Company
CHAPTER |.
The Stranger.

Chef Dyke was cutting loose In XII
heka. and kiheka, though it kept out
OF his range and raised neither band
nor voice in remonstrance, was decid
eddy concerned
Ordinarily, Chester was in The mid
die OF horse from sunup TO dusk, the
leg of discarded boot filled with sta.
pies dangling from his saddchorn.
and claw.hammer thrust into his
chap-belt, riding part of the fence
that the Maxwell Cattle Company
had strung around twenty odd thou
sand acres Of good Usage grazing
land.
But at infreQuent intervals Mr..
Dyke felt it incumbent upon himself
to change his blue flannel shirt for a
pink silk one, black his boots with the
pains that would have shamed many
artists, and ride into Kiheka where,
under the very nose of the agency, he
could for the sum of half dozen dol
lars purchase a quart Of contraband
fluid which, though suspicious in taste
and odOr, brought about the desired
effect with an alacrity that was indeed
amazing
This was one OF the times.
He had stabbed his horse and made
straight vay down the hollow Of Mud
Creek, where bootlesger lurkcd in
1i- fru,' ittnpnl rntpout. t,-anty min
utes later Chef returned with an un.
wieldy step and face set in a fixed
grin of dissatisfaction ---for al the
world was his stage, and he had
bl0omed into star comedian.
Ordinarily. big Bob Mitchell would
have dropped his chair TO all tours at
the first crack of Dykes gun, walked
out into the street, laid hand on the
shoulder of the dsturber, and with a
casual determination that was good
to show when wearing the gold star
OF United States deputy marshal
marched the protesting offender to a
quiet place where he could recover
from the reaction produced upon his
playful spirit by the connection the
boot-legger haG called Bourbon.
But the deputy marshal was on
more serious business
A week before he, with two com.
psnions, had ridden around a sharp
bend in road west OF town to look
into the arbitrary muzzles Of three
guns, held by none other than Bart
Sears, Sam Davort, and third indl.
ydual called Texas" long.ridins
gentleman whose names were conspic.
uous on half dozen posters, offer.
ing rewards for capture and issued by
express and railroad companies.
Under the conditions there was lit.
tie for even a deputy marshal to do
but get of his horse. give up his gun,
and allow Sears and his followers TO
change saddles. for the outlaws had
ridden hard and needed fresh mounts.
That, indirectly was why Chef Dyke
went his own sweet way. because Bob
Mitchell had ridden day and night
since that tme-that is, had not been
in his Office nor in town--and it was
reasonable to believe that one who
served in his capacity would be rid.
ing.
There was none other TO volunteer
TO thwart the voluble celebrater, even
though his bent were humorous and
his nature OF the best, for he waved
his revolver like Roman candle and
had lost all sense of prophecies.
The situation was rough on Xxi.
heka's nerves. In the first place. the
known presence on the reservation Of
Bart Sears and his followers did not
tend to create an atmosphere of bull.
warked, assured peace. The record
Of that trio was long and horrible;
they might strike this agency town
next. and such happening was un.
pleasant to think OF.
Secondly, It soothes no community
TO suffer shouting, reeling. though
contentedly smiling, young man TO
walk its main thoroughfare and pune.
tuate his utterances with shots from
a .3S on a As frame.
This condition might have prevailed
indefinitely had Chester not made the
faux pas OF taking three deliberate
shots at a yelping hounddog.
The owner Of this dog passed by
the unlovely name of John Stink; he
was Usage. living luxuriously on the
income from the oil and gas and
grazing possessions OF his tribe. and
lavlshing his wealth solely on wide.
~ diversified family OF mongrels.
And this hound happened 10 be