The Pulaskian., 1921-03-17
n. CT 19R R AA Na.z9A7


 here. That comes from spillin' things when yer drunk. Say, you an have got to get out of here. I'll tell you about it as quick as I can. It's plain enough Hanley's got his eyes on you. an will double-cross me if he once gifts chance"
 What is it you mean? I do not un- derstand."
 Naturally yer don't, seein' I ain't told yer nothin'. But now that know yer ain't pining away over that feller Shelby, reckon the sensible thing fer me to do is ter talk straight. There's goin' ter be h-l to pay in this valley before long, and the sooner we get out O here the better. run across a soldier bout half way ter Gerlasche, an he give me pointer that made me wheel about. an ride back"
 "The Indian outbreakY"
 Sure; the troops got in, an round ed most of the Sioux up. They had a fight at Wounded KneeS over wonder. an licked h-l out of the reds. Some of 'em got away though, an come trailin' west-mostly young ones, I reckon-an' now they're sendin' cav airy out ter ride lem down. That's what he was after, a bunch to come scoutin' in through here."
 Here? Wolves hole?"
 "Mor'n likely; he didn't say nothin' bout that But they're mighty liable ter call. Pm fer gittin' out, while the goin's good. That's what I come back for-to get you, and skip"
 'To-to get meY'
 "Of course. I'll tell yer about it now, sn' you'll go all right. reckon you never thought I run off with you cause I loved you?"
 "No-you-you loved mel"
 That's the way of 1t. saw you long before that funeral down to Pon- ca; but this guy Shelby horned in fore I was ready to act. You didn't care nothin' for him. So I says to my self, then, I'll have her; I'll take her whether she wants me or not Long as she don't love him. I'll make her 
 do no killing; that was just an acci- dent like, an I didn't do it nohow. It was Sam here who got gay, and beaned Shelby"
 But what would you do with me, if eff he had been aliveY
 "There ain't no use discussin' that, fer he ain't alive. It's what l want ter do now that counts Maybe had plan then, an maybe 1 didn't. But now I got it all planned up proper. Pm goin' ter marry you. An that goes whether yer're willin' or not. ain't even askin' you"
 The expression of her face must have brought the fellow a realization that perhaps he was going altogether too fast, for he broke in with an ex- planation.
 "See here now, don't get huffy. ain't no Western rough-neck for you to be ashamed of. belong down East in OF Virginia, an we got money to burn. That's straight goods. My real name ain't Maeklin at all; it's Church. il. I mean business an just as soon as Indian Joe gets down here with some horses, we're a goin' ter start"
 "For where?" her voice trembling in spite of every effort at self-controL
 ITO Gerlasche first; there's preacher there, an then on to Gods country just as fast as the train will take us. That's my program, an let me tell you, I'll be d-n glad ter git away from Injuns, Mexs, an the rest O this rotten outfit. No, you wait; that will be Indian Joe comin' now."
 The door between the two rooms had closed partially, yielding doubt less to some faint draught of air, so that Shelby ventured to survey the scene through the narrow crack near the hinges. Matters were becoming so complicated he was at his wits end. He had delayed too long, and, per- fmps. 1t had been a mistake to advise the girl to thus appear friendly to this brute. Now. instead of being con-