The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1921-04-08
"fou went 10 Ponca for that pur-

TWO guys went Off somewhere else, an
so had easy sailin'. l couldn't get
next the girl at all. l reckon she
never left the shack; but / got a look
at her, an it wasn't no trouble 10 pick
up an acquaintance with Old Dad. He
was tight-mouthed, though, drunk or
sober, an finally l had to throw the
fear OF God into him TO make him
spill"
"fou mean you threatened himT"
yep. l never supposed IL would
shake the CUTS out Of him the way 1t
did, though. The old fool went plum
batty when told him what I knowed.
He thought ! was after nina detec-
tive, or something-an' he just crum-
bled up, without maxim no fight at all.
I reckon he'd been hidin' her so long,
he just naturally got It into his nut
he was guilty OF some crime. Enyhow,
the next thing ! knowed, he'd gone out
back OF the dance hall an shot him
self"
He stopped, shaken by a paroxysm
Of coughing. Shelby held him tightly,
and finally this passed away, the man
resting weakly on his arms. but with
mind evidently wandering.
IL used TO talk all right" he whis-
pered hoarsely, gasping for breath,
an could MARBLE some, too. Say,
did you ever hear me singT"
Yes, Kid, I've heard you"
Ca, 80 Y
had a wonderful voice. Trouble with
me Is | never amt had no show. If
/ could'er got started in opera, I'd
never been out we're getting plugged
by no Mex woman. It's hell, amt it7
But, say; where vas /. enyhowT"
You just explained why Calkins
killed himself"
"Oh, yes, that's II. Well. O. course
l felt bad about the OIL man, but 1t
wasn't no fault o. mine. Then II
seemed like his shufflin' Off put the
cards right In my hands. 1t sure
proved she was the girl an now she
was left plum alone, It didn't look no
awful hard job for me to shine up an
marry her, before anybody else got
wise. Say, I had it all figured out when
you an Dan Mccarthy horned In on
that fool stunt Of yours, an knocked
my game galley-west. Then l cottoned
onto that job with you. l didn't aim
to stay out there punchin' steers, but
just thought I'd see how things turned
out. / sorter figured 1t this way-the
girl she didn't care nothln' for you
she just married yer ter get out er
there, an hav' some place ter live; an
could make love to her, an some day
we'd skip out together. That's as far
as / went at furst, an gOin' out over
them prairies, l got it into my head
that she didn't have no objection to a
little filtration. l was feelin' quite
foxy about it when we got to the
ranch"
The lashes dropped low over Olga's
eyes, and her cheeks burned.
Then l reckon the devil must er
took charge O the game, fer the min
ute / was left alone out there | run
into q bunch O. Indian cattle thieves.
/ knew two Of EN- for they were out
of the Hole here, an all at Onct, 1t
struck me l might just as well have
the job over with. / took 1t she didn't
care about you, an that a little strong
arm stuff would pan out all right. 1t
works with most women. l didn't
have no notion then Of humping you
off, Shelby, but the buck who took that
job cracked you good an hard. Well.
that makes the whole story, don't itT'
He shut his eyes, his head falling
back In complete exhaustion. Only his
labored breathing proved that Mack
lin still lived. Olga held him motion
less in her lap, bending over and soft
ly smoothing back his hair with n
hand. Shelby left them there, creep
ing out through the entrance onto the
rock platform without.
It had ceased showing, but enough
had fallen to cover the bluff with a
white mantle, obliterating the trail,
and leaving the valley below covered.
The sky arched owe all dull and gray.
Shelby hung out over the ledge,
.watchfully studying the view out
spread beneath. 1t was a peaceful
scene enough, with scarcely a moving
figure visible. He could hardly real
lie that this was the haunt Of out
laws, where only a few hours before
he had been desperately struggling for
life. The daylight revealed no sign
Of disorder or pursuit, the only re-
hinder of what had occurred being
the %blackened ruins Of the burned
cabin almost directly below. Yet
this was deserted and the snow
about appeared untrampled. The
sight gave him hope, yet he felt
strangely depressed and unnerved.
The remembrance Of the scene just
witnessed could not be cast off.
He had no reason to question the
truth Of that occasion and 1t had
impressed him strongly. Macklin was
evidently dying; was already beyond
help. Any breath might prove to be
his last, and II was even then too late
for any doctor to save him. But would
Pancha return In time to assist them?
Would she bring sufficient help with
hA. n. r~st~ " Ah4 Il.