The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-10-19
Not a Case of
Murder
By ANTHONY REIMERT

AVA ~ SASA
BY ANTHONY REIMERT
Jeff rode his pinto as II all the
devils In hell were after him, which
meant, with the pintO's present Gu
pabilities, a slow. staggering walk.
He had ridden 80 miles into the
desert since morning. ~ |
Thirty miles under that blazing,
pitiless sky, with the free ranges,
still remote. But q mile further on
was the water-hole. Once he ind
his pony had drunk there: they
would be safe from pursuit.
And after him, perhaps T. mile
away, rode the sheriff. JeR had
had him In plain view all the time
he rode.
But now he felt secure. Once
his pinto had drunk, he could easily
outdistance the sherlff's horse.
Freedom was his. though the
shadow Of the moose had dangled
over him all that morning. IN
He had shot his partner, Bill
Saleeby, his friend Of years, In Z
quarrel over cards. Both had been
drunk-that was why, the thirst tor
mented him so now. But he had shot
Bill, and, leaping on his horse, had
ridden madly into the desert.
Now he saw the water-hole In
front of him. He kicked his jaded
animal into a lope. A few moments
later he had flung himself from its
back and was tapping up the pre-
cious fluid, while his pinto put
Its head down and drank greedily.
Satisfied Mt last, he remounted.
He felt from the easy movement OF
his mount that It was now good for
many a mile. He started of again.
But after covering few hundred
yards he pulled in and looked back.
The sherlff's horse had fallen-a
quarter of q mile. perhaps. from the
water-hole. He saw the sheriff
staggering about like a drunken
man. Round and round be went
and dropped again.
At once the meaning Of this came
to Jeff. The sheriff did not know
Of the water-hole, or did not know
how near It. was. Had he known.
he would have pulled himself to-
gether, concentrated all his
strength in the endeavor to make
the few hundred yards remaining.
As he watched he saw tile sheriff
60 down for the last time and lie
still. EMULATION filed Jelrs heart.
He was free-he was freel
He rode on hundred yards far
Their. He refined In and looked
back. Sheriff and horse were still
lying where he had seen them be-
fore. They would die there.
JEFF sat like q statue. All sorts
Of thoughts ran through his head.
Bitterness and grief for the death
Of his partner Bill were foremost.
Why should he save the sheriff
when a better man than he had
cashed In that morning7
He would almost have given his
life to have had his partner back
again. For years they, had~been
together, prospecting, sharing good
fortune and Ill. Now he had killed
Bill-Over a measly game of cards.
and there lay the sheriff.
"Shucks!" he muttered. "Come
on, pinto. guess we got to save
the cusS."
He knew the risk that the sheriff
would still have strength enough
to shoot him II he retnxnel. Ills
heart nisgave him; a dozen times
he stopped the horse and called
hirnSeif d fool as he turned back.
Nevertheless. he kept on.
He had filed his canteen at the
Water hole, and now, after stopping
for, another drink for himself ana
his pinto, he rode back toward the !,
motionless figures OF horse ana
man,
=, HV rode cautiously, his pistol I'm
hiS h4nd. Il the. sheriff tried any
tricks with him he meant to spur
his pony hard, ride up and try, to-
.phtT bullet into him before he was
'mftally wounded. But the sheriff
did mt ttir
I'D r9de atpund and reconnol-
tered he saw now that the sheriff
dad raised hiS head. He strained
lid eyeS 70 see whether he had a
s !! a his hand. The light was
Elf,. IL yellsd.
4k4aN came no aaswer. !, Don't
s1foot4@ be called again. But stu
the other was Silent And then.
taxing his chance, JET kicked his
spChy ana dashed at full speed to-
X4sd HE PROSTATE man, threw the
afeifs and dlsmounted.
The sheriff was waving nm empty
hand at him. Jeff ram to him.
Next instant lsa let oatsa wlloop.
sRill, BID, ty III that.yl holy r. 50
YOu-dufned Old tool. Bill mt.
tered 81 bst ballee Alss s,atch.
dions hurt ~ In ID a3l thlGway
81 81 ~ & s.: 4; 4
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