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

he showed symptoms of wanting to
| talk.
IF turn you loose, Buck, what will
you do?' he asked at last in a curious
! tone.
"If you Ward, I'll prove I'm a
friend to yuh in spite of the idea you've
got that l amt. 1 never done moth
! ing
mo, of course not" Wards lip curl
ed. THAT was my mistake, maybe
You always used to say you were my
| friend when"
And that's the Gods truth, Ward"
Bucks face was becoming flushed with
his eagerness. Il done everything |
could for you, Ward, but the way the
cards laid I couldn't"
"Get me hanged. l know; you sure
tried hard enough Ward pulled hard
at his cigarette, and the lips that held
it trembled little. Otherwise he seem
ed perfectly cool and calm.
Say, Ward. them lawyers lied to
you
| "Oh, cut it out, Buck I've seen you
wriggle through a snake hole before.
believe you're my friend just the way
you've always been"
That's right, Ward, and | can prove
! it,
| Ward snorted. You proved it. old
| timer, when you laid up there behind
/ rock with your sights on this shack,
ready to get me when l came out. /
sabe now how it happened Jim Nc
CURE was found face down in the
spring behind his shack with a bullet
hole in his back that time. You were
his friend tooI'
Ward, /"
Shut up! l just wanted to see If
| you'd changed any in the last seven
| years. You haven't, unless it's for the
worse. You've got to the end Of the
/ trail, old timer When you went lay
ing for me you fixed yourself a-plenty.
Do you want to know what I'm going
to do to you?"
Ward. you wouldn't dare shoot me!
With the record you've got you
wouldn't stand"
who gave it to me, huh: oh, I
heap sabe; you've left word with your
pardners that you were coming up here
to arrest me single handed They will
give the alarm If you don't show up.
and I'll go on the dodge and get caught
and" Ward threw away his ciga-
rette and took step toward his cap
tive, a step so ominous that Buck
squirmed in his bonds.
well, you can rest easy on one point.
I'm not going to shoot you" Ward
stood still and watched the light OF
hope flare in the eyes of his enemy.
I'm going to wash the dishes and take
shave, and then I'm going to take
you out somewhere and hang YOU"
my God, Ward! You-you-"
II told you seven years ago." went on
Ward steadily, that I'd see you hung
before was through with you. Re-
member? By rights you ought to hang
by the heels over a slow fire. You're
about as low specimen of humanity
as | ever saw or heard of. You know
what you did for me, Buck. And you
know what | told you would happen
Well, it's going to come of according
to the program.
81 did think of running you in and
giving you a taste of hell yourself.
But, as usual. you've gone and tangled
up a couple Of fellows that never did
me any particular harm and | don't
want to hand them anything If l can
help it. So I'll just string you up
after awhile, when ! get around to it
and leave a note saying who you are
and that you're the head push in this
rustling business and that you helped
spend the money that Hardup bank
lost awhile back and that you're one of
the gaZabos-"
You can't prove it! You"
II don't have to prove it. The au-
thorities viii do all that when they get
the tip III give them. And you, being
hung up on limb somewhere, can't
very well give your PARTNERS the dou-
BILE cross So they'll have lighting
chance to make their getaway.
Now, I'm through talking to you,
What say goes. You can talk If you
want TO. Buck, but I'm going to carve
a steak out of you every time you open
your mouth" He pulled Bucks own
knife out of its sheath and laid it con-
venient TO his hand, and he looked as
if he would do any cruel thing he
threatened.