Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1929-01-10
Published py special arrangenent With rms
Chicago Tribune 6yndieats)
PART TWO

Nhi
The Story So Far
jim Kineen, cowboy, takes a liking TO
Smiley O'Grady. an old tramp who had
been locked up in the town Jail. and pays
his fine. Smiley tells big tales OF the old
days and tells of his ability as a gunfghter.
Kineen and his employer. Dineen. start TO
town with twenty thousand dollars Just
paid for cattle by Kendall. They are held
up by a sang but Devine hides the money.
Devine is killed and Kineen captured. The
leader of the gang is Kendall who had
lust purchased the cattle and now intends
to get both cattle and money. Kineen is
taken to a camp in the mountains and
Kendall tries to force him to tell where the
money was hidden.
And now the story
".
The three ringleaders stepped over to
where Jim was lying bound hand and
foot. The cowboy looked up at them
with an appearance of blank wonder, for
he had resolved to feign ignorance as
long as possible. Reno. who had a six
gun in his right hand, leaned over and
hit Jim over the head with the long
barrel of the weapon.
You flea bitten coyote" he cried
fiercely. I'm goin' to bend this here
gun over that thick skull OF yourn If
you don't spill what you know about
that money!
n to punctuate his sentences he
brought down the weapon with another
crack on Jim's skull that set the blood
flowing.
Il don't know nothin' about that
money shouted jim. IF you're amin
to kill me with that As. the least you
can do is to shoot me with it instead OF
beatin' my head off,"
It'll do that, seem as how you're askin'
for it," said Reno cooking the weapon,
but Pike showed him aside with o sweep
of his arm.
You wall-eyed fooll' he shouted at
Reno. Whats the sense of killing; what
do we want with two dead men on our
hands and 10 money? Here, you let me
deal with him!"
Taking out his sheath knife, Pike
stepped over to n of those spikey des-
ert plants known as Spanish Bayonet
and cut off n of the long blades end
ing in a point as sharp as a needle. With
this he prodded the unfortunate Jim in
the ribs. AS he made repeated stabs
with the vicious weapon he said in a
venomous. low pitched voice: Nov, Mr.
Cowpuncher, I'm going to keep on tick
ling you with this here Spanish Bayonet
until the points plumb worn out. And
hen III get me another and wear that
on you. You've got to tell u where
that moneys hid, my son., for if you
don't I'll make a human pin cushion out
of your carcass"
AT every sentence he inflicted another
stab with the blade, and Jim felt as II
he must be stuck full Of pins. AS Pike
threatened, Jim was being treated like @
human pin cushion and the torture was
agonizing. but all the cowpuncher would
say was, Il tell you l don't know nothin
about the money. / don't know q thing
about It'll"
Meanwhile Lee Kendall looked on al
the torture with a sheer as he rolled ano
lighted a cigaret. 1t was his policy tc
let his l~ieutenants try their hands ano
fail occasionally, just SO he could prove
to them that he was, in fact. he" brains
Of the gang"
Finally he spoke in a careless, synical
tone. Lay off. boys! That cowpuncher's
got you buffaloed. Now you watch me
make him talk"
Reno and Pike glared at their chief
sullenly. but could find no answer, anc
Kendall, raising his voice, cried, Hey
Pedro, Manuel, Jose! Come here, youi'
The Mexicans came running, and al
Kendall's direction they hoisted Jim tx
his feet and loosened the rope from his
ankles and wrists. Then they led him {
few PAGES to a young tree, green and full
Of sap, n bound the cowpuncher to it
wrapping a lariat around his body agar
and again and tying 1t securely with {
big not behind him.
Jim made a g~rotesque figure as he stooc
there securely trussed, unable to move {
limb. His eyes stared nj horror as he
saw kendalls next move. The MeXican
were laying dry fuel In. a circle all arOunc
him at a little distance from the stake
While they were BRINGING brush anc
dry grass Kendall walked up beside the
unfortunate puncher and began to speai
in a low, confidential one. Now lister
here, my friend" he said. You are
game kid and l can't help but like you
A puncher that is as nervy as you are Il
too good to be wasted on a COW ranch
You ought to get into a business where
you could make a pile"
Jim made no answer, but stared into
the greenish eyes OF the outlaw chief
Kendall continued, speaking from the
corne of his mouth. Now, kid, as mucf
as I like you, I'm just naturally bounc
to have that money, see? I'm going tx
smoke the truth out of you! I'm goins
TO scorch you good and plenty, and Il
necessary I'll cook you till your hidt
crackles. But you've got to tell me where
that money was hid"
Il don't know nothin' about It'll" an
sWered Jim.
"All right, that's what you say! You're
not a squeaker and l like you for that
too. Listen. Here's my proposition. Yoy
tell us where the money Is and we'll take
you into the gang"
Il amt no low down cattle theft
growled Jim deiantly.
Kendall started angrily at this insult
and his assumed friendliness vanished
With a single word in Spanish he direct.
ed his men and they stopped to light
the circle of fuel in various places. II
a few moments the smoke was swirlinl
about Jim's face, binding his eyes ano
choking him and the heat uras herinninc