The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1922-01-27

and was beyond redemption and the
cornmeal was the same. In view of
the results wondered IL Fullerton
hadn't shrewdly calculated upon wash
Ing our commissary out Of existence
when he planned his cvergrown lawn
sprinkler. But maybe that was giving
him credit for more ingenuity than he
really had.
| Through what remained OF the after
noon the rife firing continued, coming
sometimes from one angle and some
times from another, but always cam
nily from safe distance and always
under cover Of the surrounding forest.
Daddy Hiram, grimly optimistic, ex-
tracted swallow or so Of encourage
ment out Of the persistent pot-shoot-
ing.
Dunno as you've ever noticed It,
stannie, but If you'll only let a hog
alone long enough he'll shove himself
under the bob-wire fence far enough
to get caught" he said. Charley Bull
lerton, now; he's plum forgot that
Tropia's less n five miles away and
that sound carries mighty long dis
tances In these mountains In clear
weather."
What difference does that maker
asked,
1T may make a heap O difference.
Looks to me like somebody-Buddy
Fuller, r Jim Haggerty, the section
boss, r some of 'em down yonder d
begin a-wonderin', after a spell, what
In tarnation all this here blastin' and
rife-poppin' up on old Cinnabar Is a
p'intin' at and come and see."
do you think the racket will carry
that farY'
at sure will One night afore Tro-
pia had gone as dead as she is now, a
bunch o. cowpunch's got into an argy-
ment at Blue-nose Bills place and we
heard the crackin' and poppin' up
: here-Jeanie and me@Iike 1t was Just
over yonder in Greaser gulch."
'WellT' said ], IF your nephew or
any Of the others hear 1t, what then7''
AS asked the question one Of the
low-aimed shots tore through the side
of the building, struck the iron frame
: Of the hoist, hattened itself and
!. dropped into the old mans lap. Pick
Ing up the hot bit of lead to dandle
1t from hand to hand he went on much
as if picking UP bullets that were fired
at him had been his daily recreation.
Curiosity killed the cat, Stanine,
son. You let some one o. the folks
4 down yonder in 'Tropia say, BY gol-
: I wonder what all that shootin's for T
, and the next thing you know, some
9 bodyll be moggin' up here to find out
Along about dusk some member OF
the besieging party tried to make re,
l connaissance. happened to be keeping
the lookout on the cabin side OF oui
n fortress and saw a man lodging among
q the pines back Of the house. When
reported to Daddy he took snap shot
r at the place I pointed out to him ano
y there was a Wild yell and stir In the
IS young pines as though a hog were gal
g Looping through them.
5 "Just TO Let 'em know that were
h still alive and kickln'," said the ole
e man, with another Of his quaverJ
q, ehuckles, Il reckon maybe that:
i what they was amin to find out"
'e Possibly 1t was. At all events, thu
,r rifle fire stopped with the coming O.
darkness, and as we faced our SECOND
4 night Of defense we had plenty Of tm'
ID to sit around and think and speculate
d upon what the outcome was going Il
e, be. .-.
ID Taking It ell In all, 1t was the fan
ii tastic humor Of the thing that hit M
lg hardest. Six short weeks earlier pee
Id pye at home had been calling me al
D. the hard names that fall to the lot o
D. the idle neer-do-well; a young chal
e. with enough inheritance money to keel
ID him in ties and shoes and shirts an
se to buy gas for his car-though tina
ID last asked for q good bit on the risin
Of cost of gasoIine-and not enough {
I'd make life, or anything connected there
se with, very much worth while.
ed Also these same people were saytn
en- behind my back, OF course, but tner
tn were always plenty Of them to repea
OF tbe saving to my face-that l wa
M. good stock gone to seed, would neVe
ed amount TO a hill Of beans in anythin
IT. that asked for initiative or resources
Of fulness, or primitive rough stun OF an
,is soyt that was due to go on doinn
w myself up and playing skitties to tn
NJ end of the chapter-whieh would prot
~ SIhv s.ane itself IN an asylum for tn
at feahJs-minded. Also. again, at ths
he same time which was six weeks
en- sIx thousand years-ago, ! was e
De raeed TO Lsette; with mighty httl
IN nrosnect Of marrying her, to be sur
or Int with no thought OF marrying an!
est body else. -. +,
40 Ana now looked around
w.t. tho shadowy wallis Of the grim old On
leo rohor staft-house. looming darkfy an
seI,I Dripping, tidk, tack, from the
M say3y-aftenoon mud bath; felt my so
IA o. clothes; stared across at Dadd
~ a,rem sitting backed up against q
..s nn,st wfsh his legs jackknifed and a
-. Iorsed over his knees; II was