The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-03-08

An old prospector had shown him once
how II 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 co.
Ward started. He did not know that
a mans voice could change so much in,
so short time He never would have
recognized the tones as coming from
Buck Olney's loose, complaeent lips.
Ward, III never-I'll leave the coun- I
try-Iu go to South America or Aus
tralia Or"
You'll go to a hotter climate. Buck"
Ward cut In inexorably. You've got |
your ticket"
I'm 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. III tell you who helped"
YOU'D better not advised Ward \
h lrshly, cor I'll make hanging relief
to you. l know pretty well right now
all you could tell And II / wanted to
send your pardners up wouldn't need
your help It's partly to give them
chance that I'm sending you out this
way myself. l don't call this murder,
Buck. I'm saving the state a lot of
time and trouble. that's all, and your
pardners the black eye they'd get for
throwing In with you. / 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 1t then hot from the
fires OF Wards wrath. A man does
not brood over treachery and wrong
and backened 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 a
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 II Ward had dashed him
! with rawhide instead OF with singing
, words. The muscles of his face witch
: ed spasmodically. His eyes were
, growing bloodshot.
Ward spilled two papers Of tobacco
I before he got cigarette rolled and
q lighted. He wondered a little at the
a physical reaction from his outburst, but
! he wondered more at Buck Olney sit
a ting alive and unhurt on the horse be-
fore him, Seabeck horse which Ward
I had seen Floyd Carson riding once or
a twice. He wondered what Floyd
= would do If he saw Buck now and the
r use to which the horse was being put.
h Ward finished the cigarette, rolled
# another and smoked that also before
n he could put his hand out before hin
X and hold 1t reasonably steady. WheI
n he felt fairly sure of himself again h
# lifted his hat to wipe OF the sweat o
his anger, gave big sigh and returned
. to the tying of the hangmans moose.
~ When he finally had it fixed the wa
:. he wanted it he went close and fun
y, the moose over Buck Olneys head. II
could not trust himself to speak Jus
then. He cast an inQuirlng glance VI
o ward, took Bucks horse by the bridl
and led him forward a few steps S
ia that Buck was directly under the over
20 hanging limb. Then, with the coil 0
y Bucks rope in his hand, he turned bacl
- and squirmed up the tree trunk unit
70 he had reached the limb. He crawlet
70 out until he was over Bucks bulle
punctured hat crown, sliced of wha
l. rope he did not need and flung it to tn,
= ground. He saw Buck vince as tn,
&c rope went past him. The pinto hors,
u SHE'D out of position.
- "Take the reins and bring him bacl
here" Ward called shortly, and gave |
twitch of the rope as hint
* Mechanically Buck obeyed. He dit
"a not know that the rope was not We
u tied to the-lmb.
I. Ward tied the rope securely, leaving
"a enough slack to keep Buck from chok
IS ing prematurely. He fused a minut
longer, with his lip curled into a gri
I'll of sardonic humor. Then he crawle
to back TO the trunk of the tree and sill
a. down carefully so that he would nc
e, frighten the pinto.
lg He went up and took the hobble o.
le Buck Olney's feet. felt In the seam G
ly his coat lapel and pulled out four PIN
n with which he fastened Bucks ped
lie gree" between Buck's shrinking shou
Sc derblades. Then he stood of and SUI
as veyed his work critically before h
1T went over to Rather, who stood dozin
In the sunshine.
ne