The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1920-02-19
CHAPTER v.
Bad Medicine.

1he house Mt the horse ranch was A
long, low L-shaped adobe Structure.
Two men were seated on the porch
playing seven up. One was Bad HHl.
the other Blackwell. At sight of Curly
they gave up their game
"IIcllo, kid! Where did you drop
fromi" CranSton asked
a muscle twitched in Flandrau's
cheek. "'rhcy got Mac. Ran us down
near the Circle c. Mac opened fire.
Th"y-killed him"
'Shot him, orr" Curly was left to
guess the other half of the question.
"Shot him and took me prisoner"
"rhcy couldn't prove n thing, could
thcy?"
"Thcy could prove l wounded Culi.
son. That was enough for them. They
set out to hang me. Later they
changed their minds"
GLOW come you here? Did you es-
capc?"
Mop Friends dug up bail. Say,
Soapy has been telling me that the Gull
lison kid Is UP here. reckon we bet
ter not say anything about my m!Xup
with his folks. I'm not looking for any
trouble with him."
"All right, Curly"
Curly sat down on the porch and
told an edited story of his adventures
To them. Before he had finished
young fellow rode up and dismoHnted.
After he had unsaddlcd and turned his
pony into corral he Joined the others
on the porch.
Young Cullison had seated himself In
the chair next to F'landrau. He had,
so Curly thought, a strong family re-
Scmblancc to his father and sister.
Still IL boy in his ways, he might any
form him into man.
Curly studied the characters of
those present. Bill he knew already
fairly well as a tough nut to crack,
game to the core, and Staunch to his
friends. Blackwell was bad lot,
treacherous. vindictivc, slippery as an
eel. Even his confcdcrutcS did not
trust him greatly. But 1t was Soapy
and young Cullison that interested
Flandrau most. Sam was at an i'm
pressiOnablc age, inclined To be led by
any man whom he admired. Curly
knew that he could gain no influence
over him by preaching. lie had to live
the rough-and-tumble life Of these men
who dwelt beyond the pale of the law,
to excel them at the very things of
which they bOastcd. But I'm one re-
spcCt he held himself apart. While he
was at the horse ranch he did not
touch Il drop of liquor.
Laura LOndOn'S letter was not dcliv-
cred until the second day. for though
she had not told her messenger to give
ii To Sam when lie was alone Curly
guessed this would be better.
Sam ran over his letter two or three
times. 1t Was such Il message as any
brave.hcartcd. impulsive girl might
send to the man she loved when he
seemed to her to walk in danger Cul.
liSon loved her for the interest she
took in him. even while he ridiculed
her fears.
AS they rode back to the ranch,
Curly mentioned that he had seen
Sans people day or two before.
CulliSon asked no questions, but he
| listened intcntly while the other told
| the story of his first ruStling and OF
how Miss Kate and her father had
stood 10y him in his trouble.
"If | had folks like you have, the
salt of the earth, and they were worry
ing their hearts out about me, seems
TO me I'd quit helling around and 20
back to them," Curly concluded.
"The old man sent you to tell me
that, did he?" Hard and bitter was
the voice OF the young man.
"NO, he didn't. lie doesn't know
I'm here. But he and your sister have
done more for me than / ever can pay
That's why I'm telling you this"