The Lamar register., 1923-03-14

rich background Of green His eyes
glistened. II was sight he had never
expected to see again. He fingered
there many moments when he wanted
to hurry back TO his rangers.
At last he tore himself away from
watching Blanco Diablo and returned
to the house. II was only to find that
he might have spared himself the hur-
ry. Jim and Ladd were lying OH the
beds that had not held them for so
many months. Their slumber seemed
as deep and quiet as death. Curiously
Belding gazed down upon them. They
had removed only boots and chaps.
Their clothes were In tatters. Jim ap-
peared little more than skin and
bones, a long shape, dark and hard
as iron. Ladds appearance shocked
Belding. The ranger looked an old
man, blasted, shriveled. starved
About the middle of the forenoon
on the following day the rangers hob
bled out Of the kitchen to the porch.
I'm a sick man. tell you" Ladd
was complaining, "an' | gotta be fed.
Soup Beef teal That amt 30 much
as wind to me. | want about a barrel
of bread an butter an whole plat
ter OF mashed potatoes with gravy an
green stun all kinds Of green stuff
an a whole big apple pie. Give me
everythin' an anythln' TO eat but meat
Shore / never, never want TO taste
meat again, an sight OF piece of
sheep meat would jest about finish
me. Jim. you used 10 be
human bein' that stood up for Charlie
Ladd."
"Laddy, I'm lined up beside you with
both guns" replied Jim, plaintively
Hungry? Say, the smell Of break
fast In that kitchen made my mouth
water so | near choked to death.
reckon we're gettin' most onhuman
treatment"
But I'm a sick man." protested
Ladd. AN I'm agoin' to fall over In
a minute II somebody don't feed me
Nell, you used to be fond OF me-"
"Oh, Laddy. | am yet" replied Nell.
"Shore, don't believe It. Any girl
with tender heart just couldn't let q
man starve under her eyes.
Look at Dick. there. III bet he's had
something to eat. mebbs potatoes an
gravy, an pie an"
"Laddy. Dick has had no more than
gave you-indeed. not nearly SO
much"
shore he's had a lot of kisses then.
for he hasn't hollered onct about this
treatment"
Perhaps he has" said Nell, with .
blush; "and II you think thst-they
would help you to be reasonable I
might-Ill-"
We'll. powerful fond as ain Of you,
just now kissesll have to run second
to bread an butter"
"Oh. Laddy, what q gallant speech =
laughed Nell. I'm sorry, but I've
dads ORDERS
''Laddy. interrupted Belding. you've
got TO be broke In gradually to eating.
Now you know that You'd be the Sc
verest kind Of boss II you hud some
starved beggars on your hands"
But I'm sick-Im dyin'," howled
Ladd.
You were never sick In your life,
and II all the bullet holes | see In you
couldn't kill you. why. you never will
die"
Can | smoker queried Lsdd, with
sudden animation. My Gawd, used
to smoke. Shore I've forgot. Nell, II
you want to be relnstated Ia my gal
lery Of angels, just ind me a pipe an
tobacco"
I've hung onto my pipe" said Jim,
thoughtfully. II reckon | had 1t emp
ty In my mouth for seven years or So
wasn't II. LaddyT long time. | can
see the red lava an the red haze, an
the red twilight creepin' up. II was
hot an some lonely. Then the wind.
snd always that awful silence An
always Yaqui watchin' the west, an
Laddy with his checkers. an Mer-
cedes burnin' up, wastin' away to
nothin' but eyesl It's all there-I'll
never get rid"
Chop that kind of talk" interrupt
ed Bedding, bluntly. Tell US where
YHqui took yOu-what happened to
RoJas-why you seemed lost for so
long"
Il reckon Laddy can tell all that
best; but when It come to Rojas' I'm
Ish I'll tell what | seen, an soil Dick
an Thorne. Laddy missed Rojas' I'm
lsh. Bar none, that was tho"
I'm u sick man. but l can talk" put
In Ladd, "an' shore I don't want the
whole story exaggerated none by Jim"