Evening star., 1928-05-06

street became the town side of the little
open space at the back of the station
known as Depot Square and heard
shooting there he jumped, because
shooting always frightened him. in spite
of It's frequency and usual meaning
leSsneSs in his town. And when he
turned to the right and entered the
square and recognized the three men
who were whipping tomato can along
with bullets panic sprang up In his
blood, and almost before he knew what
he was doing he had ducked for shelter
behind an old signboard projecting at
right angles from a board fence that
surrounded a vacant lot, in which had
once been sold the secondhand auto
mobiles advertised on the board.
'Drat the foolS!" he muttered. and
covered down in the corner until the
men should have got little farther of
and he could creep away without being
seen.
ITS those Roden boys again." the
station agent said, squirting out of his
back window.
Them BIRDS" said the hardware
merchant in his doorway, with his fist
full of wire nails, will git recklesser
and recklesser till, first thing YOU know.
they'll be practicin on folks!'
With his free hand he unlocked a
sign reading open" and hung 1t on the
outside Of his wooden stormdoor.
8" Asst time they was in, they shot
all the bells off'n the burros
hringin down ore from the Lone Hand
mine. But"-shutting the storm door
for safety and the glass door inside of
feller can do anything about it," And
he dumped the nails into the pan on
his scales and reached for more.
And Sutton, approaching Depot
Square with Molly Blaine on the side
away from the Rodens wasn't intend
ing to do anything about IL either, II
he could help it. He had the look of
an old man who wanted peace.
Somebody had telephoned him from
Buena Monte and Ralph had heard
through Henry Pennock what happened
yesterday at the pass and was coming
over on the morning train, and Chuck
had turned from the telephone and
strapped on his two old forty-fours and
stepped out, just as he'd used to do
with Molly following. very pale and
grave, but her step as elastic as ever.
old Chuck's wearing en-" said the
the past, but said ii with a difference.
Chuck had been a peaceful old gray
rock of man who never, bothered you
unless he had to, and then moved down
upon you like something from an elder
age and wiped you out. It was his
father the town was named for. and
he'd been born there in days when
killing Indians was part of mans
education.
Matt" he had said once to Farr.
"as long as you keep off of me and
mine, you can stay here-for the good
reason that I'm not powerful enough
to run you out. But. when you get too
rank, I'm going to send you word. Not
till have to, mind you. But, when I
do, you heed 1t, Matt. l don't like
killing thingS-even things like you"
And three times he had sent Matt
word. and Matt had needed It,
Time was when ChuckS going abroad
adorned like that was the next thing TO
having the governor send in the militia;
when the familiar phrase about his
wearing EN- would have made itself felt
up and down the Roden boys three
long spineS and Spiced with warinesS
the conduct of every Farrite in the
place. But that was while his steel
blue eyes could still range on ahead
and around him like couple of quest
ing dogs. and his spry old bowlegged
step was as steady as a burro'S-in
short. before he had lain for an hour
or so In snowslide In Ice-Box Canyon,
which. come Christmas. was two years
ago Now he walked with a limp. and
his right arm was never going TO come
quite straight again. and across the
square like that he couldn't tell Bud
Roden from his brother.
"DON'T worry" he said to Molly as
- they crossed the square together.
Maybe Farr's not In town at all
And"-as steadily as he couid-"there's
nothing TO that lamboree over there"
But what both of them we're remem-
berine as they entered the station was
how two of Farr's enemies had been
killed already by the guns of playful
dr,Inks. and how the Farr-picked jury
both times had said 1t was an "acci-
dent"
And even Henry Pennock. by this
time. had remembered. too. In fact.
behind his Signboard. he had gone as
pale as the snow at his feet: his eyes
were wide. his hands elenched. and his
chest 50 full of air that he was dizzy