The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1921-12-23
By
FRANCIS LYNDE
Copyright by Charles scribners Sons

men we couldn't count them accurate
ly because the road on the bench
wound In and out among the trees.
They came up within easy rifle shot
and pitched their camp. If you could
call it that, In a little glade. At that
distance we could see that they were
armed, but, of course, we couldn't tell
what kind Of guns they had. After
they had taken possession of the small
open space, two of them set to work
to build a cooking fire.
At the halt in the glade n of the
party-Bullerton, we guessed II was
broke a branch from a pine, stripped
the twigs from ii, and made 1t a flag
staff for his white handkerchief. I'm
men came on, leaving their guns be-
hind. There was a climb Of about
thirty feet, maybe, coming up from
the bench to the ledge upon which the
mine buildings stood, so we got a fair
ly good look at the peace party before
it came within talking distance. Bull
lerton still had a slight touch of the
wry-neck, and the devil-may-care
j%auntiness which had been his chief
characteristic as a guest Of the Twom-
blys had been wiped from his face and
manner like a picture from a black
board.
As the three of them topped the rise
in the ore road l reached behind me
and got n of the Winchesters.
That's near enough !" / called out.
do your talking from there, if you've
anything to say"
The delegation halted and Fullerton
took a paper from his pocket.
"I'm serving legal notice upon you,
Broughton," he said, waving the paper
at me, "and l have two witnesses here,
as the law requires. l represent the
Cinnabar Mining company of Cripple
Greek. You are t~respassing on u
property and l am making a formal
demand for possession"
$50 that's the new wrinkle, is it?" /
laughed. 81 was hoping you might
spring something a little more original.
How r you going to prove n
ship?"
1.-The burden Of proof isn't on us;
it's on your" he ripped out. you
haven't a shadow of claim to this
mine. I've got your so-called deed
right here"-and he shook that at us.
TITS a forgery; a clumsy, childish
forgery that wouldn't impose upon a
blind mani We can send you to the
rock pile on the strength of 1t If we
want tol"
Since ne had stolen the deed out of
my pocket, 1 thought, of course, that
he was just bluficg about its being a
forgery. He must have known per-
fectly well that 1t wasn't. But Daddy
whispering in my ear as he sat
behind me. Something like this:
'Gosh-all-Friday, Stannie, he's got you
He's made a copy O. the deed
and throwed the 'riginal away-burnt
It up, r somethin'T"
"You have 1t all your W way, Bull
Ierton-or you think you have" / told
him and If 1 didn't get all of the self
into the words that l tried
to, l am persuaded that he didn't know
the difference. 81 might eve concede
hat you have everything but the mine
itself. If you want that, you may
and take it; but you'll permit me
20 say that when you break into this
shaft-house there will be fewer people
alive on Cinnabar mountain than there
ire at the present moment. l shall
quite possibly be n of the dead ones,
tut before 1 go out l shall do my best
o make you another"
"All right" he snapped back;
speaking for yourself, and
your privilege. But how about
vou, Twombly? This is no quarrel of
ours. Suppose you go over yonder to
our cabin and stay out of the fight.
Nobody wants to hurt you"
That put it pretty ~squarely up to
ne, too, so l turned to the old man at
ny side.
Its good advice, Daddy" 1 said;
and this isn't your quarrel. You'd
letter duck while you can"
Daddy Hiram made no reply at all
o me didn't pay any attention TO me.
instead, he stood up IN the door-sill
nd shook his fist at Fullerton.
II been lookin' for you and your
ind of a crowd for a year back,
Fullerton, and DRAWN pay
Or dom it I" he shrilIed. "Stannie,
ere, says if you want this mine you
come and take it, and, by gum
lies, 1 say them same identical
lords !"
"All right" said Fullerton again.
But it's only fair to say that we out
umber you six to one, and we've got
he law, and a few deputy sheriffs, on
side. You two haven't as much
how as a cat in hell without claws,
nd when the circus is over, you'll
9th go to Jail, II there's enough left
you to stand the trip" Then, as he
as turning to 90 he tipped the deed
Ito the air Sc that 1t fell at our feet.
You may have that" he sneered.
like nothing better than to have
on produce II In court"
1t didn't seem just fitting to let him