Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-01-29

the short rope in his hands and hobbIed
Bucks feet under the horse. srasped
the bride reins and mounted RATHER.
Without word he set off up the rough
trail toward Hardup. leading Bucks
horse behind him.
Before you go. Buck. | want to tell
you that you needn't jolly yourself into
thinking your death will be avenged.
1t won't You noticed what | wrote.
and there isn't scrap of my writing
anywhere in the country to catch me
up" Wards thoughts went to Billy
Louise, who had some very good SAM
Piles, and he stopped suddenly. He
was trying not to think of Billy Louise
today. Also when somebody happens
to ride this way and sees you l won't
be anywhere around"
This is the tree. he added. stopping
under cottonwood that flung a big
branch out over the narrow COW trail
they were travelling. THE chances are
friend Floyd will be ambling around
this way in a day or two" he said
hearteningly. "He can tend to the last
sad rites and take charge of your
horse He's liable to be sore when he
reads your pedigree. but / don't reckon
that will make great deal of differ
ence. You'll get buried. all right,
Buck"
Ward dismounted with a most BUSH
nesslike manner and united Buck Oh
ney's rope from the saddle Il can't
spare mine" he explained laconically
He had some trouble in fashioning a
hangnan's moose. He had not had
much practice, he remarked to Buck
after the first attempt
How do you do it, Buck? You know
more about these things than do" he
tainted. You've helped hang lots of
poor devils that will be glad to meet
yuh with the devil today"
Buck Olney moistened his dry lips.
Ward glanced at his face and looked
quickly away. Staring, abject terror
is not nice to look upon, even though
the man is your worst enemy and Is
suffering justly for his sins Wards
fingers fumbled the rope as though his
determination were weakening. Then
ne remembered some things, hunched
his shoulders, impatient of the merci-
full impulse. and began the knot again.
An old prospector had shown him once
how it was done.
''Of course plain slipknOt would do
the business all right" he said. But
I'll try and give you the genuine thing.
same as you gave the other fellows"
Ward, for Gods sake, let me go!''
Ward started. He did not know that
mans voice could change SO much in
so short time. He never would have
recognized the tones as coming from
Buck Olney's loose, complacent lips.
Ward, I'll never-I'H leave the coun-
try-In go to South America or Aus
tralia Or"
You'll go to hotter climate, Buck"
Ward cut in inexorably you've got
your ticket"
IN own up to everything. I'll tell
you where some of the moneys cached
we got in that Hardup deal, Ward.
There's enough to put you on Easy
street. I'll tell you who helped"
You'd better not" advised Ward
h 4rshly, cor I'll make hanging a relief
to you. know pretty well right now
all you could tell And if ] wanted to
send your pardners up | wouldn't need
your help. It's partly to give them a
chance that I'm sending you out this
way myself. l don't call this murder,
Buck. I'm saving the state lot of
time and trouble, that's all, and your
pardners the black eye they'd get for
throwing in with you. 1 heap sabe
who was the head push. You got them
in to take whatever dropped. so you
could get off slick and clean, just as
you've done before, you-you-''
Buck Olney got it then hot from the
fires of Wards wrath. man does
not brood over treachery and wrong
and blackened future for years with
out storing up good many things that
he means to say to the friend who has
played him false. Ward had been q
happy go lucky young fellow who had
faith In men and in himself and in his
future. He had lived through black
hopeless days and weeks and months
because of this man who tried now to
buy mercy with the faith of his part.
ners.
In the saddle Buck sat all hunched
together as If Ward had dashed him
with rawh1de instead of with stinging
words. The muscles of his face twitch-
ed spasmodically. His eyes were
growing bloodshot