The Holly chieftain., 1923-05-17
By J. ALLAN DUNN
AFser Of ~ H. 10 His Msss. ~.
Copyrisht isa, BY }. Allan Dunn

perately, mere ghosts of words, taxing
cruelty the last breath of the wheeling
lungs beneath the battered ribs. the
final squirt of the spirit.
"Molly-minesi
I'll look out for that, pardner," said
Sandy.
The eyelids fiuttered, the old hands
fell away. the jaw relaxed, serenity
came to the lined face, and no little
dignity. For the first time the girl
gave way, lying prone. sobbing out
her grief while the two cowinen looked
aside. The bay horse began to groan
and writhe.
"Got to kill that cavallo," said Sam
In a whisper.
"Wait minute" The girl had Qui-
eted, was kneeling with clasped hands,
lips mo, ring silently. Prayer, such as
1t was. over. she rose, her fists tight
closed, striving to control her culver
ing chin-doing 1t.
1--WE got to bury him, count of them
dEn buzzards."
well tend to that" said Sandy.
"Ef you-all II take the dawg on up
to the hawsses :"
"Nol l helped to bury Jim Clancy,
out In the desert; I'm goin' to help
bury Dad. It's goin' to be lonesome
out here" She twisted her mouth.
setting teeth into the lower lip sharp
ly as she gazed at the desolate cliffs,
the birds swinging their tireless, ex-
pectant circles In the throat of the
gorge.
"See here, MISS" said Sandy, while
Sam crawled into the wagon in search
Of the dead miners pick and shovel
that now, instead of uncovering riches.
would dig his grave. show old air
your
Fifteen. My names Margaret
Molly for short-same as my Ma. She's
been dead twelve years."
swell, Miss Molly, suppose you-all
come on to the Three Star fo' spell
with my two pardners an me? You
do that an mebbe we can fix things
up and arrange about yore daddy.
Well come back an git him an we'll
make a place TO- him under our big
cottonwoods below the big spring."
Molly Casey gazed at him with
such sudden glow Of gratitude in
her eyes that Sandy felt embarrassed.
He had been comforting girl. boy
ish girl. and here woman looked at
him, with understanding.
"Yo're sure white man." she said.
"I'll git even with you some time II I
work the bones of my fingers through
the flesh TO- you. Thanks don't
amount to a d-n 'thout somethin'
back Of 'em. I'll come through"
She put out her roughened little
hand, man-fashion, and Sandy took 1t
rs Sam emerged from the wagon with
the tools. The bay mare groaned and
gave shrill cry, horribly human.
Sam drew his gun, putting down pick
and shovel.
Sandy picked up the tools and moved
toward Sam as the bay collapsed to
the merciful bullet The girl washed
away as best she could the stains Of
blood and travel from the dead face
while Sandy sounded with the pick
for soil deep enough for temporary
grave.
The body would have to lie on the
ledge overnight, nothing but burial
could save 1t from marauding coyotes,
though the wagon might have baffied
the buzzards. The two set to work
digging shallow trench down to bed
rock, rolling up loose powders for a
cairn. Lizards fiirted in and out OF
the crevices as the miner was laid
in his temporary grave, the girl dry
eyed again.
She had brought little workbo1
from the wagon, of mahogany stud
ded with disks Of pearl in brass
mountings. Out of this she produced
a handkerchief Of soft China silk bro
cade, Its white turned yellow with age
This she spread over her fathers fea.
lures, showing strangely distinct in
the failing light.
"I don't want the dirt pressin' on
his face" she said.
From the dead mans clothes Sandy
and Sam had taken the few personal
belongings, from the inner pocket OF
the vest some papers that Sandy knew
for location claims.
| "Want to take some duds erlong
to the ranch7" he asked Molly. eve
can bring In the rest Of the stun
later. Got to shack erlong. It's gittin
dark. Brought an extry hawss with
u.s. Can you rider
"Some. aln't had much chance
"Don't know how the mare'll stand
yore skirt. II she won't Plnto'll pach
you"
"ru FIX that" She ciambered into
the wagon. Before she came out with
her bundle they piled the cairn, 9
mask of broken rim-rock heavy
enough to foil the scratching Of the
coyotes.
It looked to Sandy as II the girl had
changed Into a boy. The slender fg.
ure. silhouetted against the after.