Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1920-03-18

fast enough to suit you?"
Flandrau shrank from the cruel
words, as a schoolboy does from his
teacher when he jumps at him with a
cane.
1t was then that Maloney made q
friend of the young IA for life. He
let a hand drop carelessly on Curly's
shoulder and looked at him with a
friendly smile in his eyes, just as if
he knew that this was no wolf but a
poor dog up against it hard.
"DOc thinks he'll make it all right"
But there We're times when Curly
wondered whether it would make any
difference to him whether Cullison got
we'll or not. Something immediate was
in the air. Public opinion was Sitting
down to a decision. Most of these men
were up to the average for the milk
of human kindness. They were the
squarest citizens in Arizona. But Elan
drau knew they would snuff out his
life just the same if they decided it
was best. Afterward they might re-
greet it, but that would not help him.
DtiAlSSo NulllC, anu IliC ldllDS "clC
lit. Again Curly ate and smoked and
chatted q little With his captors. But
as he sat there hour after hour, feel
ing death creep closer every minute,
old shiverS, ran up and down his spine.
They began to question him, at first
casually and carelessly, so it seemed
to Curly. But presently he discerned
a drift in the talk. They were trying
to find out who had bee. his partners
in the rustling.
"And I reckon Soapy and Bad Bill
left YOU lads at Saguache to hold the
sack" Buck suggested sympathetically.
Curly grow wary. lie did not intend
to hetray his accomplices. "WronS
guess. Soapy and Bad BiI,wcreD't in
this dcal,' ne answered easily.
Tho foreman of Tho Bar Double NJ
interrupted impattcntly, tired ct toying
to pump out the Information w
finesse. 'You'ye got to speak, ilan-
drau. You've got 10 tell us who was
engineering This theft. UnderstanG?'
The youn& rustIer looked at the
grim ]frowning face and his heart sank.
"0ut With it," ordered Buck.
oh. I expect III keep that under
J my hat" Curly told lao'n lightly.
They were crowded about him in a
half circle, nearly !; score Of hard
loather-faced plainslnen. Some OF
them were riders Of the Circle C out
fit. Others had ridden oyer from
nei@hboring ranches. All of them
plainly meant business.
"Think again, Curly" advised Swee-
ney quietly. THE boys amt trifing
about this thing. They mean to find
u who was in the rustling of the Bar
Double NJ stock"
"Not through me, they won't"
Through you. And right now"
A dozen times during the evening
Curly had crushed down the desire to
beg for mercy, to cry out desperately
for them to let him off. He had kept
telling himself not to show yellow,
that it would not last long. Now the
fear Of breaking down sloughed from
his soul. He rose from the bed and
looked round at the brown faces cir
cled about him in the shine of the
lamps.
I'll not tell you a thing-not a
thing"
He stood there ch%alk-faced, his lips
so dry that he had to keep moistening
them with the tip Of his tongue.
Dutch had a new rope in his hand
with a loop at one end. He tossed it
over the boys head and drew it taut.
Two or three of the faces in the circle
were almost as bloodless as that Of
the prisoner, but they were set to see
the thing out.
twill you tell now?" Bonfils asked.
Curly met him eye to eye. "No."
"Come along, then"
One of the men caught his arm at
the place where he had been wounded.
The rustler f1inched.
Careful, Buck. Don't you see you're
hurting his bad arm?" Sweeney said
sharply.
81 didn't aim to hurt him. Buck de-
Tended himself.
Curly's senses had never been more
alert. tie nOClCeu IllaC BUCK naQ on a
red necktie that had got loose from his
shirt and climbed up his neck. 1t had
black polka dots and was badly frayed.
Sweeney was chewing tobacco. He
would have that chew in his mouth
after they had finished what they We're
going to do.
"Ain't he the gamest ever?" some
one whispered.
The rustler heard the words and
they braced him as a drink of whisky
does a man who has been on a bad
spree.
Better do it at the cottonwoods
down by the creek Buck told Bonfils
in a low voice.
The foreman of the Bar Double NJ
moved his head in assent. Cali right.
Let's get it over quick as VIZ can"
A sound of flying feet came from
outside. Some one smOthered an oath
of surprise: Kate Cullison stood in
the doorway. all out of breath and