Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-02-15

He felt dead weight or complete
lassitude, and he did not want to
move sudden pain in his hand
caused him to hold it up. 1t was
black and blue, swollen to almost
twice its norma size, end stiff as a
board The knuckles were skinned
and crusted with dry blood. Dick So
liloquized that it was the worst-Iook-
ing hand he had seen since football
days, and that it would Inconvenience
him for some time
The door at the far END Of the room
was open. Through it he saw poles
Of peeled wood Lpholding porch
roof, a bencn. rose bushes tn--bloom,
grass, and beyond these bright-green
foliage of trees.
HE shore was sleepin' when /
looked in an hour ago." said voice
that Dick recognized as Iadd's.
LET him Sleep" came the reply In
deep, good-natured tones. Mrs. B..
says the girls never moved Must
have been tough ride for hem both.
Forty miles through cactus Laddy
I'm right down gls'd to see you boys
and I'll do all I can for the young
couple But I'm doing some worrying
here; don't mistake me-"
"About your stock2''
"Ive got only a few head of cattle
at the oasis now I'm worrying some,
mostly about my horses The q. s.
is doing some worrying, TOO, don't
mistake me. The rebels have worked
west and north as far as Casita. OF
course, my job is tc keep tab on Chi
nese and Japs trying to get into the
u. s. from Magdalena bay But I'm
supposed to patrol the border line.
I'm going TO hire some rangers Now,
I'm not so afraid of being shot up,
though out IN this lonely place there's
danger of it; what Pm afraid of most
is losing that bunch Of horses. You
know what those guerrilla Mexicans
will do for horses. They're crazy on
horse flesh. They know fine horses.
So / don't sleep nights any more"
Reckon me an Jim might as well
tie up with you for spell, Beldin'
We've been ridin' up an down Arizona
tryin' to keep out of sight of wire
fences"
Lady, it's open enough around
Forlorn River to satisfy even an old
time cowpuncher like you" laughed
Bedding. I'D take your staying on as
some favor, don't mistake me. Per-
haps I can persuade the young man
Gale to take a job with me-"
That's shore likely. He sale he
had no money, no friends. An if a
scrapper's all you're lookin' for he'll
do" replied Ladd, with dry chuckle.
Maybe I ought to think twice be-
fore taking a stranger into my fam
ily," said Bedding, seriously. well,
sgU ess he's all right Laddy, being the
cavalrymans friend. No bum or
lunger? He must be all right?"
Bum? Lunger? Say, didn't l tell
you I shook hands with this boy an
was plumb glad to meet him?" de
manded Laddy, with considerable
heat. Manifestly he had been af-
fronted "Tom Beldin', he's a gentle
man, an he could lick you in-in half
a second. How about that, Jim?'
LESS time, replied Lash TON,
here's my stand. Young Gale can
have my boss, my gun, anythin' of
mine"
Jaw, l didn't mean to insult you,
boys, don't mistake me-" said Bedding.
Course he's all right"
The object Of this conversation lay
quiet upon his bed, thrilling and
amazed at being so championed by
the cowboys, delighted with Belongs
idea of employing him, and much
amused with the quaint seriousness
of the three
"How's the young mann" CT, led
woman's voice. It was kind and mel
low and earnest.
Gale heard footsteps on fagstones.
Hes asleep yet, wife," replied Bel
ding. "Guess he was pretty much
knocked out I'll close the
door there so we won't wake him."
There were slow, soft steps, then
the door softly closed. But the fact
scarcely made a perceptible differ
ence in the sound of the voices out
side.
daddy and Jim are going to stay"
went on Bedding. It'll be like the
old Panhandle days a little I'm pow
erful glad to have the boys, Nellie
Well see some trouble before the rev.
olution is ended. l think I'll make
this young man Gale an Offer