The Arizona copper camp., 1918-02-16
''Ward, for Gods sake, let me gow

d uIdu ) VOICE COulu CuduSS So muCu Al
SO short time. He never would have
recognized the tones as coming from
Buck Olney's loose, complacent lips.
"Ward, I'll never-I'll leave the coun-
try--I1 go to South America or Aus
tralia Or"
You'll go to hotter climate, Buck" F."
Ward cut in inexorabay. you've got
your ticket"
"TH own up to everything. I'll tell
you where some of the moneys cacked
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
hlrshly, cor I'll make hanging relief
to you. l know pretty well right now
all you could tell And if 1 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. 1 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. 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 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 1ashed him
with rawhide instead of with stinging
words. The muscles of his face twitch-
ed spasmodically. His eyes were
growing bloodshot.
Ward spilled two papers Of tobacco
before he got a cigarette rolled and
lighted. He wondered a little at the
physical reaction from his outburst, but
he wondered more at Buck Olney 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 if he saw Buck now and the
use to which the horse was being put.
Ward fnished the cigarette, rolled
another and smoked that also before
he could put his hand out before him
and hold it reasonably steady. When
he felt fairly sure of himself again he
lifted his hat to wipe off the sweat Of
his anger, gave big sigh and returned
to the tying of the hangman's moose.
When he finally had it fixed the way
he wanted it he went close and flung
the moose over Buck Olney'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 a few steps so
that Buck was directly under the over
hanging limb. Then, with the coil of
Bucks rope in his 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 it to the
ground. He saw Buck vince as the
rope went past him. The pinto horse
SHE'D out of position.
'4Take the reins and bring him back
here" Ward called shortly, and gave
twitch of the rope as 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 prematurely. He fused minute
longer, with his lip curled into grin
of ,sardonic humor. Then he crawled
back to the trunk of the tree and slid
down carefully so that he would not
frighten the pinto.
He went up and took the hobble off
Buck Olney's feet, felt in the seam Of
his coat lapel and pulled out four pins,
with which he fastened Bucks ''pedi-
gree" between Bucks shrinking shoul-
derblades. Then he stood off and sur
veyed his work critically before he
went over to Rather, who stood doing
in the sunshine.
"Sorry 1 can't stay to see you off,"
he told Buck maliciously. 'T've decfd-
ed to let you go alone and take your
own time about starting. AS long as
that cayuse stands where he is you're
safe as church. And you've got the
reins. You can kick off any time you
feel like it. Sabe?" He studied Bucks
horror marked face pitilessly.
you've got about one chance in a
million that you can make that pinto
stand there till some one comes along"
he pointed out impartially. I'm will
ing to give you that chance, such as it
is. And if you're lucky enough to win
out on it-,well, I'd advise you to do
some going. South America is about
as close as you'll be safe. Folks around
here are going to know all about you,
old timer, whether they get to read
what's on your back or not.
"And, OH the other hand, it's mil
lion to one shot you'll land where your
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