The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-06-27

dad. Uncle John. It must come pret.
ty hard. But when I tell you about
his last night in Torridity you'll un.
derstand. It took IS years to make
dad what he was that night. It took
six hours to turn him into the man
you knew. It would have broken q
weaker man, that poker game"
Poker camel"
I flung the words back at him.
There vas a poker game. thcn?"
THE game that cracked the town,
Uncle john"
His somber eyes held me rigid in
my chair. "You mean-they played
poker-for q mans life?"
Eyes. Uncle john"
"Who was the stalker" Deacon
raped out.
Jerry ignored the question and
Deacon's face darkened; but Henry
made no response. I suppose he real
lied that the boy couldn't be expected
to feel any too amiably disposed to-
wards him.
Dad had a remarkable memory for
Details" Jerry went on, and he made
those CHASTITY six hours so vivid that
! felt as If ! were down there myself.
Dads six hours began just before sun.
set on Monday, July 9Th, 1895. He was
in his cabin On the Two Brothers
property. Dad had been doing some
book work, but he was about ready to
60 into town himself when the door
flew open and Uncle Jerry tumbled
into the cabin. His eyes were wild
and dad asked him what was wrong.
It took him a minute to get 1t out.
"Lundy-the bunch are after me-
he gaspcd. They're going to string
me up
Uncle Jerry got his wind, then,
and he started to pour his yarn out
on dad. It seemed they'd taken him
down to Lundy's and given him 4
miners trial. Lundy had been judge.
Jerry had made q break for it-fot
away. Alex had treated him white
when he ought to have taken q raw
hide to him. Now he wa roping
Alex into 1t, low-down hog that he
was. Alex must hand him over to
Lundy.
1T isn't your funeral, Alex. I'm
going back Jerry said.
What have you done now?" dad
roared at him. Uncle Jerry had been
up to every kind Of deviltry imagin-
able.
Jerry had started in to tell him
when they heard shouting off toward
the town. Half the town was racing
towards the Two Brothers-craSy
mad, by the way they were coming.
It looked bad and dad knew it.
Come on son! Pronto!' he
shouted.
But Uncle Jerry shook his head.
I shouldn't have ON here. Alex he
said. I'm going back. It isn't right
to rope you in on 1t. You've always
treated me a darn sight better'n I
deserved. So long
He dragged open the door he had
burst through a moment before and
was for making off across the desert
when dad jumped on him from be.
hind and swung him towards the
flank Of the Skeletons behind the
mine buildings.
dad must have been pretty husky
in those days. He grabbed Uncle
Jerry by the shoulders and hustled
him toward the mine tunnel and
dumped him into an ore car.
Keep your head out Of sight and
shut up! he growled, running the car
into the mine.
"A bullet flattened against the
overhang Of rock above the tunnel en-
trance and the crowd let out q fright-
full yell a. they saw what dad was
doing. Dad shut the door Of the
tunnel entrance and padlocked It;
then he set his back to the door,
dropped his hands to his gun belt,
and waited.
Copyright, 1929, VIM. Morrow Coz
Jerry's vivid account Of those
thrilling six hours In Torridity 30
years before II continued In 70.
morrow's installment.