Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1918-02-01


An old prospeetor had shown him oaa,,t
how it was done
.s0f course a plain slipknos would do
the business all right" he said But
ri try and give you the genuine thie :,
same as you gave the other fellows
Ward. for God 5 sake. let me go.''
Ward started. He did not know that
mans voice could change so niue in
so short time. He never would have
recognized the tones as coming from
Buck Olney's loose, complacent lips.
Ward, III never III leave the eoun-
try-I'n so to South America or Aus
tralia Or
sYou'll so to 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. J'll tell you who helped"
You'd better not advised Ward
h4rshiy, 'or I'll make hanging relief
to you. / know pretty wen 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 a
chance that I'm sending you out this
way myself. / don't cali this raurder,
Buck. I'm saving the state lot Of
time and trouble. that's an, and your
partners the black eye they'd get for
throwing in with you. l heap sabe
who was the head push. You got them
in to take whatever dropped, so you
could get of 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 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 a
happy so 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 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
before he got a cigarette rolled and
l lighted. He wondered a little at the
| physical reaction from his outburst, but
he wondered more at Buck OIney sit.
ting alive and unhurt ON the horse be-
fore him, a Seabeck horse which Ward
had seen Floyd Carson riding once or
twice. He wondered what Floyd
would do IL he saw Buck now and the
use to which the horse was being put.
Ward finished the cigarette, rolled
another and smoked that also before
he could put his hand out before him
and hold 1t reasonably steady. When
he felt fairly sure of himself again he
lifted his hat to wipe of the sweat OF
his anger. gave big sigh and returned
to the tying Of the hangman's moose.
" ANAA AS5 2lt4e4fA} ttAtu IL iAEu AHt way
he wanted st he went close and flung
the moose over Buck Oiney's head. He
could not trust himself to speak just
then. He cast an inquiring glance up.
ward, took Bucks horse by the bride
and led him forward d few steps 50
that Buck was directly under the over.
hanging limb. Then, with the coil OF
Bucks rope in bis hand, he turned back
and squirmed up the tree trunk until
he had reached the limb. He crawled
out until he was over Bucks bullet
punctured hat crown, sliced off what
rope he did not need and flung 1t to the
ground. He saw Buck vince as the
rope went past him. The pinto horse
SHE'D out of position.
'4rake the reins and bring him back
here" Ward called shortly. and gave
twitch of the rope as a hint
Mechanically Buck obeyed. He did
not know that the rope was not yet
tied to the limb.
Ward tied the rope securely. leaving
enough slack to keep Buck from chok-
ing prematureiy. He fused minute
longer, with bis lip curled into a grin
Of sardonic humor Then he crawIed
back to the trunk of the tree and slid
down carefully so that he would not
brighten the pinto.
He went up and took the hobble off
Buck Olney's feet, felt in the seam OF
bis coat lapel and pulled outsfour pins,
with which he fastened Bucks ''pedi-
gree" between Bucks shrinking shout
derbIades. Then he stood of and sur
veyed his work critically before he
went oTer to Rather. who stood doing
in the sunshine.