The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1920-02-05
500 Bushels
BIG BOIL
COTTON SEED
So. so Per Blu.
w. D. CRAIG

getaway?" Mac asked.
Davis nodded. "SlIde out through
the kitchen, cut into the alley, and
across lots to the corral. Wen lock
the door and I'll hold them here long
as ! can"
Good boy. Stats. Ii there's a neck
tie party you'll get the first bid"
Curly grinned.
Stats looked at him, cold and steady.
Palmer than words he was telling his
FORMER friend that he would not Joke
with horse thief. For the sake Of old
times he would save him II he could,
but he would call any bluffs about the
whole thing being n lark.
Curly's eyes fell away. 1t came to
him for the first time that he was no
longer an honest man. Up till this
escapade he had been only wild, but
now he had crossed the line that sep
arates decent folks from outlaws.
Not another word was said while
they hurried into their clothes. But
as Curly passed out Of the door he
called back huskily. won't forget
what you done for us, Stats"
Again their eyes met. Davis did
not speak, but the chill look on his
face told Flandrau that he had lost
friend.
The two young men ran down the
back stairs. passed through the kitch-
en- where q Chinese cook was getting
breakfast, and out into the bright sun
light.
Wont do to be In any hurry. The
play is we're gentlemen of leisure, just
out for an amble to get the moning
air." Curly cautioned.
While they fed, watercd ana sad
died they swappcd gossip with the
wrangler. 1t would not do to leave
the boy with a story of two riders in
such hurry to hit the trail that they
could not wait to feed their bronchoS.
SO they stuck II out while the animals
ate. At that, they shaved 1t fine, for
as they rode away two men were
coming down the street.
kite Bonfils." Curly called to his
partner.
No explanation was needed. Bon
fills was the foreman of the Bar
Double NJ. He let out shout as he
caught sight of them and began to
FUN forward. simultaneously his gun
seemed to jump from it's holster.
Macs quirr sang and his pony
leaped to cpnter in two strides. A
bullet tipped between them. Another
struck the dust at their heels. Faint
ly there came to the fugltives the
sound Of the fOrcman's impOtent
curses. They had escaped for the
time.
Presently they passed the last barb
wire fence and open country lay be-
fore them. 1t did not greatly matter
which direction they followed, so long
as they headed into the desert.
Neither Of them had ever been in
serious trouble before and both re-
grctted the folly that had turned their
drunken spree into crime. They
were stretched In front of the fire that
evening trying to make a smoke serve
instead of supper. Mac broke a gloomy
silence to grunt out jerkily stua-
tion he could no longer keep to him
self.
Here's where I get my walking pa
pers. I reckon. No rustlers need ap-
ply"
Curly shot slant glance at him.
"Meaning-the girl?"
The red-headed puncher took from
his coat pocket photograph and
showed 1t to his friend. The sweet
clean face of a wholesome girl smiled
at Curly.
"Shes ce'tainly right nice young
lady. I'll bet she stands by you all
right Where's she live att"
"WaltS I'm restaurant ut Tomb
stone. We was going to be married
soon as we had saved five hundred dol
lars" Mac swallowed hard. "And
had to figure out this short cut to the
money whilst 7 was drunk. AS IL she'd
look at money made that way"
Curly tried to cheer him up, but did
not make much of Il job ut it. The in
diSputable facts were that Mac was
an outlaw and horse thief.
The rcdheadcd boy rolled another
cigarette deSpondcntly "Sho! I've
cooked my goose. She'll not look at me
even If they don't send me to the
pen. And she's the best ever. Her
names Myra Anderson"
They slept under a live oak with the
soundness of healthy youth. For the
time they forgot their troubles. Neither
Of them knew that as the hours slipped
away red tragedy was galloping closer
to them.
The sun was shining in his face
when Curly wakcned. He sat up and
! rubbed his eyes. Mac was nowhere in
sight Probably he had gone to get the
/ horses.
4 sound broke the stiffness Of the
/ desert. Flandrau leaped to his feet
and at the same instant Mac came
) running over the brow of the hill. A
: smoking revolver was in his hand.
! From behind the hill a gun craci &c
- then secondhand u third. Mac
stumbled over his feet and pitched
! forward full length on the ground. Hi,
| friend ran toward him, forgetting the
! revolver that lay in It's holster under