The St. Johns herald., 1921-06-02


 "What-north? Say, old man, that afn't goin' to be no healthy place fer white, if those devils break loose; they'll make that country sure. Got much of an outf1tW
 "A bunch of cattle an two herders."
 "NOt enough to put up a fight. We'll, | if was you, Tom, I'd run those COWS over into the Bad Lands an lie out there awhile. We'll get the Injuns, of course; but there is bound to be some killin' first, unless I'm crazy. I've got to go in and get something to eat"
 He started to turn away, but Shelby halted him with a question.
 "How long you been in the army, Pete?'
 ''Twenty-two years"
 "And with the Sixth cavalry?"
 "Fifteen."
 ''Did you ever know a sergeant named Calkins?"
 Jeff Calkins; he was my first top after I joined; he left the service bout ten years ago. There was shootin' scrape or somethin' down at Harker. Sorter ugly story, though I've forgotten just what it was all about now. Calkins got out O that all right but when his enlistment was up he quit; he didn't get on good with the men. Do you know whatever become of the OF duffer"
 'He was buried here yesterday killed himself; left a daughter bout nineteen"
 '"The h-l he did! Jeff Calkins nev- CT was married; not before he left the army, anyhow. I know because I bunked with him nearly two years an he told me lot about himself. He wasn't no lady's man at all Say, what the devil is goin' on hereT" There's been a wedding" Shelby started to explain, but the outfowing throng cut his sentence in two, and the startled soldier, stepping back to get out of the way, was instantly swept aside, while the gang poured forth between, sepafating the two completely. The bridegroom found himself once more the center of fer vent congratulations and only escaped by pushing a passage down the steps to where his outfit waited for depar- ture. Some moments later she joined him, accompanied by her bOdyguard, wearing a long duster which almost reached the ground and a close-ftting cap pulled down over her smooth hair. He silently helped her into the seat Of hn hTIOI r1 mi ho Iry and gathering up the reins in his fin gers,
 "Now, then," he called, ga couple of you unite those brutes and jump. They're bad starters"
 The broncos amply justified his pre- dictiOn and the party went tearing down the main street, pursued by yells of enjoyment and cat-howls of deri- sion. Shelby struggling with the reins in an endeavor to keep the maddened brutes off the sidewalks.
 However, the steep ascent of the bluff brought the plunging animals to their senses and by the time they had surmOunted the ridge and struck the prairie trail leading across the upland they were willing enough to slow down to the swift trot they were accustomed to take on long Journeys. Shelby loosened his grasp on the leath- CT and rested back in the seat, ven- turing side glance at his companion. She was still gripping the iron rail for safety, but evidently felt no fear.
 "Mean devil, that bronco" said Shel- by, feeling the necessity of speech and fecking his whip lash at the buck skin, whose evil eye was peering mali ciously backward, worst horse I ever owned. The Kid back there seems to be some bronco buster and I'll let him try his luck when we get out to the ranch. l got some outlaws there"
 She turned her head and glanced behind through the cloud of dust.
 ''Who is he? One of your men%
 'Well, l just hired him down at Ponca. Seems to be 8 mighty good rider. His name is Macklin, but ev- erybody calls him 'Kid.'"
 "SOmehow don't just like him."
 "Oh, he's harmless enough"
 Perhaps so, but have that feeling about him just the same"
 Shelby made no answer and they rode on in silence through the circling dust. He felt awkward and embar- rassed, unable to think of anything to say to keep up conversation and in- tensely conscious or the peculiar ,situa- tion in which the! found themselves.
 Occasionally he 'Sole a surreptitious glance aside at her, but her eyes were averted as though in avoidance, gaz- ing out over the dEEl vista. To Shelby this Quietness on ser part, this half turning from him .Ieemed particularly