Gunnison news-champion., 1920-12-31

right tomorrow. reckon. fer Hitch
cocks OUTFITS cumln' In with bunch
. steers. WhatW yer drink
Pest yer'ye got. o course. That
looks a bit Ike old times. an tastes
Ike II. Take a snort with me, Moran
Where's Mac, an all the boys. any
howT'
"Ou, ter the funeral; that's what
the matter with this town. IN" whole
E'r ru' cahoodle gone ncfus- II"
creek TO heIp plant old Dad Cnlkins-
Won remember OlG DHdf"
NO. cnn't say do; wha, was he.
rnmNcrE'
Kind ~ n tia-horn sousod most o
rh,. rIut. hu' .tlll everybody liked him
r-r'rnt~i ter be blacksmith when
Pee. nr-r come. an put up shack down
there next the hotel. Never worked
MORN three days to my knowledge
sIrc,--Jus' naturally tumm"d round,
hut he was HI ~ good story-tell-
.r. an the boys co'runrd 20 him Sure,
yer must hay" Euuggrt him"
shelby shook his head what did
he d." frumf"
"ShOt himself. I reckon. lie was
picked up over back o. the dance hall,
with Il bullet In his nut an gun In
his hand The siri was huntin' for
him. cause he didn't come home. an
50 Dan he went along with her. The
two Of 'em found him ont there"
"what Elrli"
Daughter, | s'posc. She's been
L tr,f IlVfga EfrT,.
first knew the Cuss'
How old Is shof"
II amt no Jedge o females ages.
II yer ask me, but maybe sixteen or
seventeen. quite a wIsp of guri
first ! saw her. but she don't make
up with nobody; sorter sullen.llkc, an
Just stays ter home all the time"
"Where'd you say all this rumpus
was goin' onT'
"Over cross the creek, beyond that
/ bunch % willows. You know where
! the graveyard is. Coin ter he some
/ obsequIeS. you bet. Dan he went clear
, TO Buffalo Gap for ter git q preacher
ter do the thing up swell. What's the
matter with yer goIn' over there. Tom,
hli NNhlll lli' NiiH" lu9 t'tll ~ b'
be mighty pleased ter see yer horn in"
Shelby helped himself to another
drink and gazed dIscousolutely about
! the big. desolnted room. Il reckon
! I'll turn the broncs into Davis corral.
an then amble along" he said slowly.
Even funerals better than this
dump today"
He had wnded the shallow waters
| and reached the edge nf the willows
before his eyes distinguished the
crowd gathered in the open space be-
youd. II was surely some funeral I;
there was no doubt about that. A mass
| Of men stood there. barc-headcd In
the sunshine, and beyond them, on n
little knoll. small bunch OF women
were crowded together, girls from the
dance hall mostly, Judging from their
clothes and faces although one or two
Older women were at the farther end.
Shelby caught glipmse of the ex-
! preacher. elevated on box. and his
ears caught the sonorous words Of e1-
hortation with which he ended his ser
mon. There followed faint applause.
checked instantly by Mccarthy. who
politely requested the bunch to stop
| making d-d fools OF themselves,
and Immediately announced that the
Ponca male luartette would sipg "On-
ward. Christian Soldiers" after which
those who desired would be given the
opportunity to view for the last time
the features of the departed As the
last dulcet strains of the hymn rolled
away, Mccarthy. as though anxious
to preserve the lives Of the singers by
quick action. pushed his way once
again to the front.
Now, you bucks" he roared out
tersely. Zine up along them willows.
TIL 20 fffst with the daughter as chief
mourners, an then the females will
fall In behind. After that the rest of
yer can mosey along. We're goin' ter
do this up In some style, an 1t ain't
just goin' to be shown proper respect
fer the dead. but we're agoIn' ter re
member the orphaned and the father.
less. Thets the way Ponca does bust.
/ ness Now, chip in, gents; there's a
box there at the head Of the corpse
an after yer've had squint at or
Dad cough up something fer the guri."
Shelby dropped into place behind
the stage agent, who recognized the
newcomer with a hard handgrip and
grin Of welcome.
/ AUST blow int We're givin' Old
Calkins the time o his career: owed
me hundred. but what the HI dc
care! Know the ol' cuss1"
a. "NO: lust dropped around fer n
pass away the time. Some spoutez
that fat preacher"
i 'Ain't he. thoughi" admiringly. HE
sure shot Oh some language I never
did hear afore. Yer heard our quar-.
! tette, I ,reekonr'
| Heard I'll Not being altogether
deaf. ! did Halo. the procession is