Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1921-02-17

next the girl at all 1 reckon she
never left the shack; but got a look
at her, an il wasn't no trouble to pick
up an acquaintance with Old Dad. He
was tight-mOuthed, though, drunk or
sober, an finally / had to throw the
fear OF God into him TO make him
spill"
''YOu mean you threatened himT"
''Yepi l never supposed IL would
shake the CUTS out of him the way it
did, though The old fool went plum
batty when told him what knOwed.
He thought / was after him-a detec-
tive, or something-an' he just crum-
bled up, without maxim no fight at all.
1 reckon he'd been hidin' her so long,
he Just naturally got 1t 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.
ST used to talk all right" he whis-
pered hoarsely, gasping for breath,
AN 1 could MARBLE some, too. Say,
did you ever hear me slng%
Eyes, Kid, I've heard you"
"Sure, you did. Everybody said l
had a wonderful voice. Trouble with
l.. In 7
could'er got started in opera, I'd
never been out yere getting plugged
by no Mex woman. It's hell, amt it?
But, say; where was l, enyhow?"
"You just explained why Calkins
killed himself"
"Oh, yes, that's it. Well, o. course
l felt bad about the OIL man, but it
wasn't no fault O. mine. Then it
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, 1t didn't look no
awful hard job for me to shine up an
marry her. before enybody else got
wise. Say, l 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 cottoned
onto that job with you. I didn't aim
to stay out there punchin' steers, but
just thought I'd see how things turned
out l sorter figured it this way-the
girl she didn't care nothin' for you;
she just married yer ter get out er
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, 1 got it into my head
that she didn't have no objection to
little Irritation. l was feelin' quite
foxy about it when we got to the
ranch"
1he lashes dropped low over Olga's
SO nd her cheeks burned.
"fhen reckon the devil must er
took charge O. the game, fer the min
ute / was left alone out there l run
into a bunch O. Indian cattle thieves.
l knew two of 'em 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 it she didn't
care about you, an that little strong
arm stuff would pan out all right. IL
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. We'll
that makes the whole story, don't itE'
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 one
hand. Shelby left them there, creep
ing out through the entrance onto the
rock platform without.
1t 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. 1t was a peaceful
scene enough, with scarcely a 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-
minder 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 it had
impressed him strongly. Macklin was |
evidently dying; was already beyond
help. Any breath might prove to be |
his last, and it was even then too late
for any doctor to save him. But would
Pamela return in time to assist them?
Would she bring sufficient help with
-. 50 Nhn In