The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1920-10-14

sadie? Oh, the red-headed walt
ress at Timmons', you mean? Big
Tins girlr"
ayes. she was the one who saw Miss
Donovan forced into the wagon, and
driven Off"
"And they took the old Shoshone
trail. out past Hennessey's ranch?"
$50 she described 1t. Does that
mean anything?"
Brennan did not answer at once, sit
ting silent, his brows wrinkled, staring
stream. Finally he grinned into the
anxious face of the other.
DANCED If I know" he said drawl-
ingly. Maybe it does, and maybe
again 1t don't. / was sorter putin
this IN that together. / never got hold
ov any proof, but Lacy has shipped a
pile o cattle out o. villa Real, al
though why he should ever drive his
cows there across the desert instead
O. shippin' them here In Haskell or
TaylOrville, / never could understand.
That's the principal reason I've got for
illuhlh IN al AltuucL are Ill CdIOOIS,
an If they be, then the Mexican must
have some kind o. a camp out there
in the sand whar he hides between
raids though, damn If l know whar 1t
can be-" He paused reflectively. It'll
be like hunting a needle In the haystack,
Jim, but l reckon you an I'll have to
get out that way, an we might have
luck enough TO stumble onto the old
devil"
WestcOtt changed his position, in
advertently bringing his head above
the protection of the rock. Instantly
there was a sharp report, and a speed
ing bullet graZed his hair, ~1attening
out against the stone. The rapIdity
with which he ducked caused the mar
shall to laugh.
mot hurt, are you? No. That was
a rifle Mike isn't such a bad shot with
that weapon. He's over there behind
that tree-see the smoke? If the cuss
pokes his head out, I'll try the virtue
of this 40; it ought to carry that far.
Hah there he Is; / made the bark fly,
anyway"
The afternoon wore away slowly,
the two men realizing more and more
clearly the nature Of the siege. Their
only safety lay in the protection of
the rocks, as they were now entirely
surrounded, and fred upon from
either bank the moment either raised
n head. No attempt was made, how
ever, to assault their position, nor did
they often return the fire, desiring to
preserve for future use their small
supply Of ammunition. Brennan re-
NAMED watchful, but silent, brooding
over his plans for the night, but West
colt became overpowered by fatigue
and slept quietly for several hours.
The sun was already sinking behind
the range Of mountains when he finally
aroused himself, and sat up. Brennan
greeted him with a good-natured grin.
well, do you feel better, Jim?" he
asked pleasantly. Thought I'd let you
sleep as long as I could, for we've got
some job ahead of us. Sorry thar amt
no breakfast waitin', fer / wouldn't OBJ
ject ter a bit O. ham bone myself. /
reckon If Lacy coops me up much long
er he's liable ter win his bet; I'm
plumb near starved out already"
"Tm afraid they've got us, Dan"
"Oh, l don't know; leastwise l amt
put up no white flag yet. You're
game fer a try at gettin' out o. yere,
amt yer, old man? I've sorter been
reckonin' on yer"
"Tll take any chance there is re-
turned Westcott heartily, staring into
the others face. "Have you some
plan?"
Maybe faint that exactly, but I've
been doil' IL powerful lot O. thinkin'
since ycn las asleep, Jim, an l reckon
we mighr eat these fellers with a
fair show o. luck. This is how / figure
1t out. Thar won't be no attack;
that's a cinch. Lacy knows We can
shoot, an he also knows we're
marooned we're without food. The cas-
lest thing is ter starve us out"
But there are good men in this
camp, law.abiding men," interrupted
the miner. "Won't they take a handf"
maybe they might If I was free ter
get 'em together; but I amt. Most O.
'em are out in the mines, anyway;
they don't know which party is right
in this rumpus, an they amt got no
leader. Lacy runs the town, an he's
got a big gang o. toughs behind him.
There amt nobody wants to buck up
against his game. OF course the boys
might get mad after a while, but I
reckon we'd be starved plumb ter
death long afore that happened. An
that amt the worst Nv it, Jim--the
sheriff IS Lacy's man. wouldn't never
dare turn you over ter him-not by
n joyful"
'Then we are blocked at every
turn
"We sure are, unless we can dig out
ourselves" gravely. "My notion is to
get a fair start, drift u into Sho-
shone, whar We'll leave no trail, an'