The Ely miner., 1929-11-22
CHAPTER ~
The Cabin

The girls had been on the Desert
Moon a little better than six weeks
when, one evening, Sam came out into
my kitchen where was setting bread
MARY" be began, real solemn for
him, 'the ancients used to have cities
that they called cities of refuge. No
matter what a fellow had done, If be
could get inside into one of those
cities, he was safe. Your kitchen al
ways kinda seems like that to me-a
city of refuge"
Lands, SAM" said, what have
you been up to that you are heading
this safety first movement"
Il haven't been up TO anything" 4"
Sam answered, "and I don't aim to be-
But, Mary, some time ago you came
to me with some suspicious | laughed
them off | am not laughing now.
I'm worried Queer things are going
on around here. What | want to
know. no" is what DO you knowT
Nothing. What do you knew"
Nothing"
"What do you suspect, then, Sam?"
Nothing. What do you?
Nothing"
That, see now, wouldn't have been
a bad place for Us both to laugh.
Neither of Us did.
Have you any idea" Sam ques-
toned. why the girls go prowling all
over the place, afoot and horseback,
daytimes, and nighttimes, TOO, when
they should be in their beds?'
well. all | know is just what I've
known all along. They are hunting
for something"
''Sure they are hunting for some
thing. But what?"
Il don't know. But whatever 1t is.
they are going to use it to get revenge.
to injure maliciously somebody"
Revenge, h-lT' Sam said
Have ii your own way. Only
happened one night to hear Gaby say
to Danny that they had come to this
ranch for the purpose of revenge"
Revenge, HIP Sam repeated him.
self. Unless they are sore al me
about Canneziano. What else did they
say, when you happened to oyerhear
this revenge remark?"
If he was ready, ar last, to listen,
l was more than ready to tell what
little knew. told; even TO confess
ing about hiding in the clothes closet
"Well, WELL" he drawled, when
had finished my story, I'VE are prob
ably making a mountain out of a
mOlehill. | wouldn't go pussy-footing
around after them, any more, If
were you, Mary. There's a screw
loose somewhere, that's sure; but ii
is not in the Desert Moons machinery.
We've got nothing on our consciences.
We don't need to worry"
Don't need to worryI Sam and l,
sitting in that peaceful Kitchen, talk
ing so smart and frivolous, and de-
Gliding that we did no. need to worry
is a memory could well be shed Of
We didn't need to worry a bit more
than If I'd used arsenic In my covered
pan of bread; not a bit more than if
there had been q den of rattlesnakes
In the cupboard under the sink, or
gasoline instead OF water in the tank
on the back of the stove. That is how
safe and peaceful we really were al
that minute, If we had had sense
enough to know it. When ! realize
that four weeks from that very eve
ming, three people
But | guess it would be better to
tell things straight along. as they hap
pened 1t seems to me a good book
cannot be hurried. any more than a
good cake can. Mix and sift the dry
ingredients" is the way all recipes for
cakes begin.
For =hree days, beginning with the
Fourth Of July, there was to be q big
celebration and rodeo al Telko.
Sam suggested al noon on the sec.
ond of July. while we were at dinner.
that maybe all of US would like to go |:
all, that is. except Martha and him.
self. Celebrations were never good
for Martha.
spoke right up and said to count
me out. | know the deserts in July.
But the boys were enthusiastic about
it, and Danny was interested. Gaby,
coming in late. greeted the idea with
the same enthusiasm with which a
woman greets moths In the clothes
closet.
whence the crave for a Fourth of
July ceirbratiOn?" she asked.
I'VE have never seen a rodeo," DAN
ny answered
Go. by all means" Gaby said.
Buy pink lemonade. March in the
parade. Ride in the Liberty car. Mrs.
Magin would be stunning as the god
dess of Liberty, with"
Don't LEI my stunningness stop
anything" ] said 81 am NOT going. /"
Wen think it over" Danny said.
-lt would be long, hot ride. Prob