The Washington herald., 1920-09-08
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before you ride back. JIM
Why, no, I reckon not; l must
get back to the store"
And you say"
Yes. Sam. Everybody seen EN-
drive away together in a buck
board. with a big bundle, like
clothes. tied up in the back Of it.
He was drivin' the team he
brought over with him from Mus
kOgee. They'll be hard to over
take right away"
And which"
Il was goin' on to tell you.
They left on the Guthrie road;
but there's no tellin' which forks
they'll take-yOu know that"
"All right. Jim. much obliged"
you're welcome. Sam"
simmons rolled cigarette and
stabbed his pony with both heels.
Twenty yards away he refined up
and called back:
You don't want no-assistance
as you might say"
Not any, thanks"
Il didn't think you would. Well,
so long"
Sam took out and opened
bOne-handled pocket knife and
sCraped a dried piece of mud from
his left boot. l thought at first
he was going TO swear a vendetta
on the blade of it, or recite The
Gipsy's Curse" The fe~ feuds
l had even seen or read about
usually opened that way. This
one seemed to be presented with
a new treatment. Thus offered
on the stage. it would have been
hissed off. and one of Belasco's
thrilling melodramas demanded
instead.
Il wonder" said Sam, with a
profoundly thoughtful expression,
IF the cook has any cold beans
left over"
He called Wash. the negro cook,
and finding that he had some, or
dered him to heat up the pot and
make some strong coffee. Then
We went into Sans private room.
where he slept. and kept his
favOrite mounts. He took three
or four SiX-shOOters out of a.
bookcase and began to look them
over. whistling The Cowboys
Lament" abstractedly. Afterward
he ordered the two best horses
on the ranch saddled and tied to
the hitChing post.
Now. in the fcud business. in
all sections of the country, l have
observed that in one particular
there is a delicate but strict eti-
quette belonging. You must not
mention the word or refer to the
subject in the presence of a feud-
list. 1t would be more repre-
hensible than commenting upon
the mole on the chin of your rich
aunt. ! found. later on. that there
is another unwritten rule. but |
think that belongs solely to the
West.
1t yet lacked two hours to sup
pertime; but in twenty minutes
Sam and were plunginG deep
into the reheated beans, hot cof-
fee, and cold beef.
Nothing like a good meal be-
fore long ride" said Sam. Eat
hearty"
l had a sudden suspicion.
why did you have two horses
saddIed?" ] asked.
"One, two-One, two" said Sam.
You can count, can't yOu?"
His mathematics carried with it
a momentary qualm and a les
son. The thought had not Oc-
CURED to him that the thought
could possibly occur to ME not to
ride at his side on that red road
to revenge and justice. 1t was the
higher calculus. l was booked for
the trail. l began to eat more
beans
In an hour we set forth at a
steady gallop eastward. Our
horses were Kentucky-br
strengthened by the mesquite
grass of the West. Ben Tatum's
steeds may have been swifter
and he had a good lead; but if he
had heard the punctual thuds of
the hoofs of those trailers of ours,
born in the heart of feudland, he
might hove felt that retribution
was creeping up on the hoof-
prints of his dapper nags
l knew that Ben Tatums card
to play was fiightAf1ight until he
came within the safer territory
of his own henchmen and sup
porters. He knew that the man
pursuing him would follow the