Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1921-02-03

10y o"SA wv "oS
afraid Of me. You amt, hey?"
"No; IL don't think 1 am. You
were not rough with me, and-and you
said you would have something inter-
esting to tell me when you got back"
Macklin laughed, evidently relieved.
She had spoken as a child might
whose curiosity had been aroused.
ooh, I see, my girl; you've been
thinking this over, have you. and de-
cided I might not be quite so bad after
all. I thought maybe you'd get over
that tantrum after awhile, fer shucks!
I knew that Teller Shelby was nothin'
to you. You just married him ter git
away from Ponca-didn't you?"
Eyes, she admitted, that was
about ALL"
$50, now he's dead +; he don't cut no
ice anymore"
"But are you sure he's dead?'
"Sure?" sneeringly. IT don't know
how I could be no surer. l turned
the cuss over an he was cold then.
You don't need worry none about that.
Wait a minute till I see who the
guy was what tried to break in here"
Shelby could hear Macklin cross the
room, and Jerk the blanket from off
the bodies. The fellow gave utterance
to an oath of establishment at the
sight revealed.
"My God! Did you ever see any
thing like that? Locked together like
two stays. HI! Sam was shot. but
! he got the white guy ever after he
was dead. On me, if it amt Hank
Slagin. Now, what does that mean?
| reckon Hanley sent the galoot in
here. That comes from spillin' things
when yer drunk. Say, you an I have
got to get out of here. I'll tell you
| about it as quick as / can. It's plain
enough Hanley's got his eyes on you,
an will double-cross me if he once
! gifts a chance"
"What" is it you mean? I do not un-
derstand."
Naturally yer don't. SEEM I amt
told yer nothin'. But now that I know
yer amt pining away over that Teller
I SA1CAOJy L 1SSAOu, liz oCuSlUIC IllAS
fer me to do is ter talk straight.
There's goin' ter be hi to pay in this
valley before long, and the sooner we
get out O. here the better. I run across
a soldier bout half way ter Gerlasche,
an he give me a pointer that made me
wheel about. an ride back"
1.-THE Indian outbreak"
Sure; the troops got in, an round
ed most Of the Sioux up. They had a
fight at Wounded Knee, over yonder,
an licked HI out of the reds. Some
of 'em got away though, an come
trailin' west-mostly young ones. I
reckon-an' now they're sendin' cav
airy out ter ride 'em down. That's
what he was after, a bunch to come
scoutin' in through here"
Here? Wolves hole?"
Morn likely; he didn't say nothin'
bout that. But they're mighty liable
ter call. Pm fer gittin' out, while the
COINS good. That's what I come back
for-to get you, and skip"
"To-to get me?'
"Of ourse I'll tell yer about it now.
an you'll 90 all right. I reckon O
never thought l run off with YOU
cause | loved your
"No-you-you loved me?"
"That's the way of it. l saw YOU
long before that funeral down to Pom
ca; but this guy Shelby horned in
fore | was ready to act. You didn't
care nothin' for him. SO | says to my
self, then, III have her; I'll take her
whether she wants me or not. Long
as she don't love him, I'll make her
love me-see? Course I didn't aim to
do no killing; that was just an acct
dent like. an' | didn't do ii nohow. It
vas Sam here who got gay. and beaned
Shelby"
But what would you do with me, IL
If he had been alive?"
There amt no use discussin' that,
Ter he amt alive. It's what I want
ter do now that counts. Maybe l had
a plan then, an maybe l didn't. But
now got it all planned up proper.
I'm a goin' ter marry you. An that
goes whether yer're willin' or not. I
amt v e askin' you"
The expression Of her face must
have brought the fellow a realization
that perhaps he was going altogether
too fast, for he broke in with an ex-
PLANTATION.
See here now, don't get huffy. l
amt no Western rough-neck for you
to be ashamed of. I belong down East
In oil Virginia, an we got money to
burn. That's straight goods. My real
name amt Macklin at all /; it's Church
i'll. / mean business an just as soon
as Indian Joe gets down here with
some horses, we're a goin' ter start"
"For where?" her voice trembling
in spite of every effort at self-control.
ITO Gerlasche first; there's a
preacher there, an then on to Gods
country Just as fast as the train will
take rs. That's my program. an let
me tell you. I'll be d--n glad ter git