White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1924-05-09
The Dude
w rangler
Caroline Lockhart
Copyright. Doubleday, Page & CO.
Observation-Disclosures
CONTINUED from previous Issue)

| Before the birds had taken their
| heads from under their wings Miss
Mercy Lane was up and crashing
through the brambles On hunt for
RED" McGonnigle.
1t was a morning to thrill the soul
of taxicab driver, but 1t had no in
terest for Miss Mercy. The dew on
the petals of the wild rose, the opal
Inc tints of a sweet-scented dawn
meant nothing to that lady as, without
a collar, her shirt waist wrongly but
toned, her hair twisted into hard
Psyche knot, she searched for her
enemy.
In her earnest desire to get in touch
with Mr.. McGonnigle as soon as pos
sible, she dumped about, peering into
the faces Of the helpers, who had
thrown their traps down upon what
ever spot looked a likely place for
sleeping.
Pinkey she found without difficulty;
also Mr.. Hicks, who, awakened by
the feeling that someone was looking
at him, sat up and in scandalized
tone told her to go right away from
him. Red" McGonnigle, however,
whether by accident or generalization,
had repaired with his blankets to a
background where the Almighty could
not have found him with spyglass.
In consequence, Wallie was awakened
suddenly by the booming voice of Miss
Mercy demanding to know Reds
whereabouts.
Her lids were puffed as if she had
not closed them, and through the Sits
her eyes cleaned at him. She looked
SO altogether formidable as she stood
over him that his first impulse was to
duck his head under the covers.
Since it was manifestly impossible
Tor Wallie to get to his feet as polite
ness demanded, and it seemed ridicu-
lous to sit up in bed and converse
with lady he knew SO slightly, it
appeared that the best thing to do in
the circumstances was to remain as
he was, PROSTATE and helpless, and
this he did-to take such dressing
down as made him Jingle.
Aiming her finger at him, Miss
Mercy declared that deliberately, will
fully, maliciously, RED" McGonnigle
had set her tent on hump. More
than that, he had cut down an alder,
leaving some three or four sharp
prongs over which he had spread her
blankets She would have been as
comfortable on the teeth of a hay
rake, and had not even dozed in CEN
sequence. With her own ears she had
heard RED" McGonnigle threaten to
Fix" her, and he had done it. If he
was not discharged she would return
to Prouty at the first opportunity.
This was final.
Wallie argued vainly that it was an
accident, that "Red" was altogether
too chivalrous to take such low
down revenge upon lady, and ex-
planned that in any event 1T would be
impossible to dispense with his ser
vices at this juncture. He declared
that he regretted the matter deeply
and promised to prevent recurrence.
But Miss Mercy was adamant, and
intimated that Wallie was in sym
pathy with his hireling if not in actual
"cahoots" with him.
Wallie realized that it would be i'm
possible to resent the implication
with proper dignity while lying on
the flat of his back looking up at his
accuser, so he said nothing, whereup-
on Miss Mercy flung at him as she de-
parted:
II intend to ask ride back to
Prouty from the first passerby. and l
shall knock you and Your ranch at
every opportunity"
She returned to her teepee to COM
plete her toilet, while Wallie took
his boots from under his pillow and
drew them on glumly, feeling that
much Of the joy had been taken from
what promised to be a perfect morn
ing.
Mr.. Hicks, too, started breakfast in
a mood that was clearly melancholy,
for as he ratified the pots and pans
Wallie heard him reciting:
"And when my time comes, let me
go--not like the galley slave at night
scourged to his dungeon-but like one
sustained and soothed by an unfalter-
ing trust"
He stopped suddenly, and then in
voice that chilled Wallie's blood he
shouted
Jumping Je-hosephat Git out o.
that grub-box!"
He had caught Mrs. Budlong in the
act of spreading jam on cracker.
How dare you speak SO to me?"
she demanded, Indignantly.
For answer, Mr.. Hicks replied au-
You ought to know by this time
that l don't allow dudes shopping
around when I'm cooking"
you are insulting-I shall report
YOU"
Mr.. Hicks laughed mockingly:
You do that and see what it gets
you"
The cook quite evidently knew his
power, for when Mrs. Budlcng carried
'ut her threat Wallie could only reply
nat he dared not antagonize Hicks,
'ince to replace him would cause de.