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


dead? Is this hell?"
"NO, Kid" and Shelby held him firm
ly, his tone full of sympathy. every
thing is all right. Lie still and don't
worry"
"But who the hi are you? Amt
you Tom Shelby" he laughed wildly.
Lord, no; he's dead !"
THAT is where you are wrong, my
boy. I'm Shelby all right, but a long
ways from being dead"
"You, Shelby? Didn't he get you?"
"Well, yes, he got me, but not quite
strong enough. / failed to stay got
You lie down, and be still. Here, take
a drink of this"
The fellow did as he was ordered,
his hands shaking so that Shelby had
to hold the bottle to his lips. Even as
he drank greedily, his eyes never de-
serted the others face; until the girl,
creeping silently up behind, came also
into his range of vision. Her presence
seemed to give him sense of reality.
Say, this is too much for me-" he
said huskily, but lying back quiet the
two of yer here. Just what's happened
enyhOw? 1t was Pamela, wasn't 1t,
who hauled me out o that cabin. Well,
where's Pancha? an what the HI Is
this place I'm in?"
Let me tell him, Tom" broke in Oh
ga, pressing forward, and lifting his
head into her lap. HE will believe me,
and he is afraid Of you yet. You can
hear what 1 say, Mr.. Macklin?
He nodded, gasping, his eyes on her
face.
'Then listen closely. 1t will only
take a moment to explain. You were
shot"
eyes, yes" he suffered, 81 know;
she did it."
ooh, you saw, then, who fired. 1t
was all mistake, and she was so
sorry. The bullet was meant for In
dian Joe Laud, but you stepped in the
way"
"Pancha tried to kill Laud?"
eyes: it was all on account of me.
You-you carried me off because. you
believed / had the right to some mon
ey, didn't you?"
His eyes frightened, but still with
the dull glow of fever in them.
Sure; you got it comm, too. But
what's that got to do with Joe Laud!
He wasn't noway hooked up on this
game"
"Oh, yes, he was. I'll explain all
that. You told something to a man
named Matt Hanley once"
mel maybe l did, when we was
drunk tergether over at Gerlasche.
I'd lust found out bout it then. But
he never remembered-Hanley didn't"
Eyes, he did, and he kept watch ON
YOU ever since; he and a fellow, Sla-
gin. They were somewhere up the val
lev the night you brought me in here,
and they knew what was up. They
followed, meaning to get you put out
of the way somehow, so they could get
hold of me themselves. l guess they
didn't have brains enough to make 1t.
l don't know exactly what happened,
but after Slagin got killed"
I'll was that what that guy came
to the cabin for?"
"We suppose So at least that was
what caused Hanley to tell the story
to Indian Joe Laud and get him to
take a hand. They tried to get the
Mexican, Pancha's brother, to help
them, but something brought ON a
quarrel, and Laud killed him. An In
dian boy told Pamela, and she went
crazy over you both. That was what
brought her to the cabin"
IAN that OF devil come there to
get me, did hep
eyes, but first he tried to learn all
he could; things Hanley didn't know,
so he could make the job worth while.
Then Pancha tried to shoot him, and
got you"
He struggled to speak.
"Say, lift me up little more. That's
it; something seems to fill up In my
throat. You sure she didn't hear moth
in 1 said there-'bout leavin' her, an
marryin' your"
81 know she didn't"
Lord, I'm sure glad O. that. sorter
thought that was what she plugged me
for: that would be the Mex of 1t;
they're HI on that sort O. thing. like
her, she's a good scout. Why amt
she hereP Where is she now?'
"She has gone for doctor; went
down into the Hole to get horse to
ride"
"Where is she goin'r
"Gerlasche; there's an army sur
geon there"
"Yes | know" YEARLY, "an' where
you got meT
an a small cave part way up the
bluff"
"Sure Eagles cave, Pamela took
me up we're onct, an showed 1t to me.
An you two lugged me all that ways?'
Eyes"
He struggled to force back the OBJ
struetion in his throat.
swell, what did you do that for?"
he asked almost savagely. That's
what | don't get through my nut. l.