The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1930-11-14

Of delight. 'Blufred 'em out, by jinks
| made 'em back down an crawl off
with their tails between their legs.
Oh, boy, you're some wolf tanner"
One of the cowboys at the poker
table slapped another mighty blow
on the back. "Made Shep take water,
the tenderfoot did. Never saw the
beat of it. Didn't think Shep would
Of quit for HI or high water. Well.
| yoL live an learn, boys" He swept
Off his sombrero in bow to O'Hara.
You're one sure enough bad-man
buster. Til be doggoned IL Shep didn't
tackle more'n he could ride herd on
that time, an you lookin' no more
dangerous than brush rabbit"
Now that this crisis was past O'Hara
| felt little sick and faint. Lets get
outside" he said to his friend. His
desire was to get back to the safety
| Of the store. Excitement no longer
buoyed him up. 1t shook his nerve
| to think what a chance he had taken,
how he had staked his life on the
audacity Of swift frontal attack.
| Not for moment did he fool himself
into the delusion that he was San
derson's equal with six-shooter. The
big man had not been afraid Of him,
but of Bob Quantrell and his allies.
Shep had been obsessed by the sus-
| picion that they were trying to trap
him into drawing his weapon in order
to give them a plausible reason for
shooting him down.
O'Hara and Worrall walked past In
gram & Harvey's on their way down
! the street. They turned in at Steel
man & McCarthy's store. little man
| sat on dry goods box talking ex-
citedly to those present. He was
ragged and unshaven. His boots were
| down at the heel, his hat coneshaped.
He was the same Hank the lawyer had
seen some cowboys making fun Of once
in Ingram's store. the one who had
been ARRESTED for fragrancy."
"Right then lit out" Hank mar
rated. 'No place for me. Like said.
| that doggoned tenderfoot stood there
devillin' Shep to draw, crowdin' in on
him, tellin' how scared he was of
| Shep, an ridin' him all the time. You
go order that pilgrim coffin, Mr.. Nc
| Carthy."
Mccarthy was facing the door. His
hard eyes did not change expression.
"He can order it himself, Hank. Here
| he is now" The storekeeper spoke to
O'Hara. blank has been worryin'
l nh tn6 70
necessary"
Worral sank down on the top of a
barrel and mopped his face with
bandanna. "Some one worry about
me awhile" he implored. I'm wore
to fragile worryin' about myself.
This white-haired lad here is bullet
| proof, I reckon. Different here. All
I'm thankful for, is you don't have to
order coffin for me, extra long size"
"Tell US about it. O'Hara." urged Nc
Carthy. blank left in the middle
| Of it."
mot much to tell" O'Eara an
swered. II had a talk with San
/ derson. That's all. 1t was a mistake
| about his wanting me to leave town.
| At least he did not mention it when
we met"
"Lemme tell the story" Worrall said.
II was among those present, an inno-
cent bystander who stood to get all
shot up If trouble began. Some one
feed me cigarette. then listen an
| tell me if we amt both loco"
The lengthy owner of the Longhorn
| got his cigarette and told his story.
He told it with humor, making the
most of its drama. When he had fin
ished red-faced cowboy spoke.
II don't savvy yet why Shep didn't
come a-shootin'. Was he scared, do
you reckon?"
O'Hara knew why, but It seemed to
him unwise to minimize the effect ne
had produced by stressing the fact
that Sanderson had been afraid of
trap at the first meeting and had been
restrained by Harvey at the second.
| 1t was possible that, having been
| plunged into this feud unwillingly. he
might need all the reputation he could
get as dangerous man to attack.
| "He was scared but bluffin' he
| wasn't" Worrall replied. "The Texas
Kid didn't even make any claims he
wasn't"
"What was they scared off" the
cowboy persisted. "Shep had better'n
an even break. hadn't he?"
Say, young fellow. how many men
do you know who have stood off Shep
an Bob Quantrell an Deever an this