The Adair County news., 1922-05-02


He wasn't noway hooked up on this
game"
"Oh, yes, he was. I'll explain all
that. You told something to man
named Matt Hanley once"
Mel maybe | did, when we was
drunk tergether over at Gerlasche.
I'd just found out bout 1t then. But
he never remembered-Hanley didn't"
"Yes, he did, and he kept watch on
you ever since; he and fellow, Sla-
gin. They were somewhere up the val
ley 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. 1 guess they
didn't have brains enough to make 1t.
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 Pancha, and she went
crazy over you both. That was what
brought her to the cabin"
San that OF devil come there to
get me, did hep
hY1k Grcf hn f1.io6 "a lnQrT1 oil
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 a little more. That's
It; something seems to fill up in my
throat. You sure she didn't hear moth
in / said there-'bout leavin' her, an
marryin' you?"
81 know she didn't"
"Lord, I'm sure glad o. that. I sorter
thought that was what she plugged me
they're HI on that sort o. thing. like
her, she's a good scout. Why amt
she here? Where is she now?"
"She has gone for a doctor; went
down into the Hole to get a horse to
ride"
"Where is she gOin'r'
"Gerlasche; there's an army sur
geon there"
"Yes, 1 know" wearily, "an' where
you got me?"
"In a small cave part way up the
bluff"
"Sure, Eagles cave. Pancha took
me up yere onct, an showed It to me.
An you two lugged me all that ways"
"Yes."
He struggled to force back the OBJ
struction in his throat.
"Well, what did you do that forf"
he asked almost savagely. "Thats
what 1 don't get through my nut.
amt done nuthin' to make either one
of yer decent ter me. thought Shelby
here was deader'n a doornail, an
reckon you know what l was amin
ter do with you. There amt no use
beatin' about the bush. So now, what'd
yer do 1t for?"
Shelby's hand reached out and
touched that of his wife.
"Well. Kid, I'll tell you," he said
frankly, 1--WE did it for Pancha."
Macklin grinned grimly, exposing
his teeth. --
81 reckoned that was bout the
TRUTH" he said recklessly. "But I'll
tell yer one thing-Pancha's never
goin' ter get back before l slide out
/ got what's comm to me, an there
amt no doc ever goin' ter hold me
back from gOin'-thats straight, oil
man."
"I'm not so sure, Kid"
! "WeII. | am. Lord, a man gen
orally knows when he's got his dose
/ reckon; an it amt goin' ter do no
body no good fer me ter keep my lips
shut. Say. lady you let your man pu
his shoulder back O. me, an hoist me
up higher. There, now maybe ! car
get this thing off my chest"
"You want to explain something"
"Sure; didn't tell you. ain
goin' ter leave this game wide opeI
Ter indian Joe to cash IN on. You nPen
decent to me, an I'll play white as
cam"
He spoke slow, hesitatingly, as
though his mind wandered, stopping
every moment or two for breath. Once
he cOughed sharply, an expression OF
pain on his face, but he went grimly
on.
"rd been on considerable of a bal
down there, an was sOberin' up. You
know the Custer houseT
"Yes; the old hotel"
"Well, it amt no palace; you could
throw q cat through them partition:
In places; an 1 woke up to hear {
couple O. guys talkin' in the next room
Furst I didn't care what they was say
in, an then begun to take an inter
est. Seems one of 'em was lawye
from Kansas City, or Omaha; an tn
other gazabO was a rich guy from
down East, who was huntin' a nice
who had disappeared out in this coun
try-the name was Churchill"
as your name Churchill%