The Lamar register., 1919-01-29

good girl. I'm not the man she thinks
[ am. am standing over volcano pit
every minute of the day. II II blows
up, I'm gone, obliterated. wiped out"
"Is 1t aiming to blow up?" asked
Starbuck sagely.
Il don't know any more about that
than you do. 1t is the kind that usual
ly does blow up sooner or later. I've
prepared for 1t as well as / can. What
Colonel Baldwin and the rest of you
needed was financial manager, and
Timanyoni High Line has Its fighting
chance-which was more than Timan-
yoni Ditch had when l took hold. If /
should drop out now, you and Maxwell
and the colonel and Kinzie could go on
and make the fight; but that doesn't
help out I'm this other matter
Starbuck smoked in silence for u
long minute or two before he said: SIS
there another woman In 1t. John?"
"Yes: but not in the way you
mean"
"Corry's a mighty fine little girl,
John" said Starbuck slowly. ANY
one of dozen fellows 1 could name
would give all their old shoes to swap
chances with you"
"That isn't exactly the kind of ad-
vice I'm needing" was the sober re-
ioInder.
No; but IL was the kind you were
wanting, when you tolled me Off up
here" laughed the ex-cowpuncher. Il
know the symptoms. Had 'em myself
for about two years so bad that could
wake up In the middle of the night and
taste 'em. Go In and win. Maybe the
great big stumbling block you're wor-
rying about wouldn't mean anything
at all to an open-mlnded young woman
like Corona; most likely It wouldn't"
"If she could know the whole truth
and believe It," said Smith musingly.
"YOu tell her the truth, and she'll
take care of the believing part of Ii,
all right You needn't lose any sleep
about that
Smith drew a long breath and re-
moved his pipe TO say: II haven't the
nerve. Billy. and that's the plain fact
have already told her little of It.
she knows that l."
Starbuck broke In with n laugh
''Yes; It's shouting pity about your
nerve! You've been putting up such II
blooming scary fight in this irrigation
business that we all know you haven't
any nerve. II had your job In that
I'd be going around here toting two
guns and wondering II | couldn't max,
ro..m in the holster for another"
Smith shook his head.
~ WIS safe enough 50 long as Stan.
ton thought | was the resident manii-
ger and promoter for II new bunch ui
/ big money in the background. But ht
| has had me Shadowed and tracked un-
III NOW ! guess he Is pretty well con
vinced that ] actually had the audacity
10 play II lone hand: and blufiini
hand. at that. That makes n differ
ence, OF course. Two days after | hud
climbed into the saddle here. he sent II
couple of his strikers after me. / don't
know just what their orders were hut
they seemed TO want to iight-nnd they
got II. II was In Blue Pete's doggery.
up at the camp"
''GunsT" querled Starbuck
Theirs: not mine because | didn't
have any. / managed to get the shoot
ng-irons away from them before we
had mixed very far"
you're just about the biggest. long
cared, stiff-backed. stubborn wild ass
Of the wallows that was ever let loose
In II half-reformed gun country -
grumbled the eS-cowInan. You're fix
ing TO get yourself all killed up. Smith.
Haven't you sense enough TO see that
these rustlers will rub you out la two
| witches OF dead lambs tail II they've
made up their minds that you are the
High Line main guy and the only OneT''
.'Of course" said the wild ass easily
III they could lay me up for month
or two
LAY up, nothing" retorted Star
buck. Lay you down, about six feet
underground. Is what meant"
'Pshawl' exclaimed the one whose
cars ran In II far different channel
rom any that could be dug 10y mere
nrporntion violence. This Is Amer
-. in the twentieth century. We don't
u our business competitors nova.
vs.
Don't wer" snorted Starbuck THAT
| n be all right. too. Wen suppose.
Il for the sake of argument. that my
snccted and respectable daddy-in-
=, or whatever other silk-hutted old
'ney-hags happens to he paying