The St. Johns herald., 1921-08-11

| hAAu OL Q ACdO ! U IL AOOhGU like easy money, if she was the girl. an didn't know yet what was up."
 "YOu went to Ponca for that pur- poser"
 "Just prospectin' like. Them other two guys went off somewhere else, an so had easy sailin'. I couldn't get next the girl at all. I reckon she never left the shack; but got look at her, an it wasn't no trouble to pick up an acquaintance with Old Dad. He was tight-mouthed. though, drunk or sober, an finallly had to throw the fear of God into him to make him spill"
 'You mean you threatened him7"
 "Yep! I never supposed 1t would shake the guts out of him the way 1t did, though. The old fool went plum batty when told him what knowed. He thought I was after him-a 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.
 q used to talk all right" he whls- pered hOarsely, gasping for breath, ''an' I could warble some, too. Say, did you ever hear me singT"
 "Yes, Kid, I've heard you"
 "Sure, you did. Everybody said had a wonderful voice. Trouble with me is never ain't had no show. If I cOuld'er got started in opera, I'd never been out yere getting plugged by no Mex woman. It's hell, ain't 1t? But, say; where was I, enyhow?'
 You just explained why Calkins killed himself"
 "Oh, yes, that's 1t. We'll, O course felt bad about the oP man, but 1t wasn't no fault O mine. Then it seemed like his shuf1in' off put the cards right in my hands. It 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, l had 1t all figured out when you an Dan Mccarthy horned in on that fool stunt of yours, an knocked my game galley-west. Then cOttOned onto that job with you. didn't aim to stay out there punchin' steers, but just thought I'd see how things turned out. 1 sorter figured 1t this way-the girl she didn't care nothin' for you; she just married yer ter get out CT there, an hay' some place ter live; an maybe, out there on the Cottonwood, 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, I got it into my head that she didn't have no objection to a little Irritation. was feelin' quite foxy about it when we got to the ranch"
 The las1es dropped low over Olga's eyes, and her cheeks burned.
 '"Then I reckon the devil must CT took charge O the game, fer the min ute I was left alone out there 1 run into a bunch O Indian cattle thieves. I knew two of lem for they were out of the Hole here, an all at Onct, 1t struck me might just as we'll have the job over with. took it she didn't care about you, an that little strong arm stuff would pan out all right. It works with most women. l didn't have no notion then of pumping you off. Shelby, but the buck who took that job cracked you good an hard. Well, that makes the whole story, don't 1t"
 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 ever and soft ly smoothing back his hair with one 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 over all dull and gray. Shelby hung out over the ledge, | watchfully studying the view out spread beneath. It was a peaceful | scene enough, with scarcely moving | figure visible. He could hardly real | ize that this was the haunt of out laws. where only 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 |