Nogales international., 1931-06-10
Third Installzrent

Tiger Eye, because one eye was yellow
the eve with which he sighted down gun
barrel His father was Killer" Reeves ou,
the boy did not want 70 kill. IL he stayed
home he would have to carry on his tather
tends. so h. headed his horse, Pesos, north
ward and encountered Nate Wheeler, who
drew his AS and fired just as Tiger Eye
did The Kid didn't want to kill Nate. only
to cr;pple him, but his am must have been
wild. for Wheeler dropped from his horse.
Babe GARNER came riding up. Wheeler was
''nester,v he said, and had it coming to
him: Tiger Eye rode to Wheeiers cabin to
notify the dead mans widow. :.
The Kid breaks the news of Mates death
TO his widow aud then goes out and bring.
ip his body. discovering he had not missed
his shot to disable Wheeler but had broken al.
arm. while another shot had killed the man
A gang Of strangers rides up. One OF them
insults Mrs Wheeler by coupling her name
with the stranger. The Kid shoots hole IN
each OF the ears Of Pete Gorham. who hurled
+be ;nsult. making his escape in the con-
fusion. He lays in wait for the party and
6naIlv sces the men drive of with Wheeler 4
widow and child. He trails them silently.
NOW co ON WITH THE STORY
He followed the wagon to Beckcr's
ranch and saw the men gathered there,
and knowing the signal, he softly
whistied the first two bars of When
Iohnny Comes Marching Home" and
so got by the man on guard at the
gate. The room would not hold all
the men gathered there, and some
stood outside in the dark and talked
and smoked Drank, too, from bottles
that went from hand to hand until
they were ernptied and thrown away
The kid did not talk. He kept his
mouth shut and his ears open, like OLD
Killer Reeves always had advised
When the gathering showed signs OF
breaking up, he rlelted into the shad-
ows so quietly he never was missed
and presently he rode past the tlnsus-
pecting guard at the gate and went his
way.
The kid unsaddled Pecos, rubbed
him dry and went whistling up the
path to the cabin. 1t was warm anc
reeked with the smell of coal oil fumes
and stale cigarette smoke. Babe
paper novel lay open, face down OF
the table, only two or three pages LETT
unread at the back.
'I damn near saddled up and tool
out after yuh, Tiger Eye" he sale
ENORMOUSLY. ''These are shore bac
times to be ridin' around alone. Nestel
see yuh-well, you oughta know"
II "Shoah do. Babe"
"EIave any trouble? If it's a fair
question"
mot to cali trouble. Trailed some
nestahs to Sam Becker's ranch. Had
a meetin' theah. Right smaht gatherln'.
They aim to cali the Poole men into a
trap. Some talk of drivin' cattle into
Oxbow Bend. Poole men'll go theah
and half the nestahs will be cached in
the pass
Yeah" Babe looked startled.
"Say, that might'a' drawed the Poole
riders out, at that, if they didn't know
it was frame-up. We been watchln'
our chance to get 'em in the act, the
damn cow thieves Say, you got no
call to take "a chance like that" Babe
ifrowned as the kids exploit recurred
to him. OF they'd'a' caught .yuh
there, they'd "a strung yuh up in a
holy minute. Don't yuh take another
chance like that, Tiger Eye"
The kid did not say anything to
that.
"Say, you-goin to promise me yuii
won't take no more chances like that g
Babe pressed the point. you got
something more under your hat than
what you told me. Damn you, Tiger
Eve, what more you been dom to-
night?"
The kid turned and looked long at
Babe over his cup. His yellow eye was
curiousiy softened.
81 been hearin' talk about Nate
Wheeler" he said finally, and blinked
when he saw how Babe failed to re-
press a start. 81 been fndin' out |
didn't shoot so wide. | aimed to hit
his gun ah1n down, and that ahr'l
shoah was hit, just like [ aimed II
would be"
"Ycah?" Babes eyes took on hard
watchful look. :,
'I heatd men say it was rifle
bullet hit him in the haid," the klc
drawled softly. 81 reckon yo'al
thought he was goia' to shoot me.
shoah am much obleeged TO yo'all
Babe"
Babe Garner stared, then laughee
shortly and turned away.
"Yo're welcome, Tiger Eye. H'
tGrned and began thumping piilow'
with savage energy. (which side tht
bed you wart? Me, l like to lay OF
the edge, where l can roll cut quick.
lust lay wheah yo'ail feels the best
/ Babe" griuned the kid, swallowing tn
last OF the coffee. I'm sleepin, sounf
tonight, 20 rlattah wheah lay N,
tiaid"
The kid was scouting along the rir
of the Big Bench a day or two later
playing his mouth organ as he rode
Softly, because yo'all had to be might
careful nobody down III the valley nc
ticed and took long shot at you, ias
Tor luck. But shuci1s Yo'all cou!dn
hear that mouth organ any farther
you could flip rock with your thunl
and finger.
Bad country up this way, Nice cou'
try, but plurr1b ftsIl Of ornery no-ac
count cow thieves that wouldn't wa
to see If = fellow was all right bt
would hotler, Draw, you coyote