The Carbon County news., 1931-03-26
The Two Old Desert
Rats
By L. E. ANDREWS

CIERRA PETE stood as If turned
= to stone, his eyes fixed on
yellow line zigzagging along the
side of the guleh. Shutting his
eyes tight, Sierra Pete argued with
himself.
"Nopei" he growled. "It amt
there. The suns got me at last.
1t amt gold. It's nothin' but my
rage"
But when he opened his eyes the
yellow streak was still there. Pick
ing up a loose stone, he Clipped off
fragment of the cleaning yellow
outcr0pping.
aGoldl" be quavered. millions
in that vein. Pecos Sam and me is
rich. We can ride in our own
limmyzine and eat alligator pears
every day of our lives. We can
oh, Gosh, what can't we do? And
ten minutes ago we was jest pair
of lean old desert rats with nothin'
but a jackass and grubstake be-
tween u.s."
He paused, overcome for the mo-
ment. Something wet triekIed down
his wrinkled cheeks. He brushed
1t away wrathfully.
"Bawlin' |" he calculated. "a
great time to bawl now, with all
that gold In sight. You'd orter be
kickin' up your heels like q yearlin'
colt"
But his hobnailed boots per
formed no erratic capers, as he
trudged back to camp, where Pecos
Sam was frying flapjacks over a
mesquite fire. At his elbow, Music,
the burro, waited hopefully. When
Pecos Sam passed him a spoonful
Of the dough, he Tapped it like
dog.
"Git out now" admonished Pc
cos Sam. $50 and rustic your sup
Der."
Where Sierra Pete was long and
tank with vertical wrinkles, Pecos
Sam was squat and bow-legged
with wrinkles of the horizontal va
lrlety, and now, as he saw Pete re-
turning to camp, the wrinkles crum-
bled into a welcoming grin.
"Jumpin' horn toads" he ex-
claimed. "Where you been, Pete7
You look like you seen a ghost"
$50 look in that guIch Jest be-
low the mesa, and you'll see the
same ghost" said Sierra Pete. "Tll
tend to the fapjacks."
When Pecos Sam returned he
was wiping the perspiration from
his forehead with grimy bandana,
and his eyes held strange dazed
look.
Looks like it was the end of
The trail for us, Pete" be observed.
"'Pears that way" replied
Sierra Pete, with equal gravity
In silence the partners ate their
supper. In silence they watched
. the purple dusk shroud the peaks.
Reckon the street lights will be
as bright as them stars and that
moon" Pecos Sam asked.
Sierra Pete scowled. ASK me
sumthin' easy" he grumbled, 81 amt
stayed overnight in a town for
more'n twenty years."
II can beat that" Pecos Sam
was frankly triumphant. "It's
, twenty-five since slept anywhere
but under the stars
"And fifteen of them years we've
been together" remarked Sierra
Pete. Fifteen! They amt been
so bad, have they, Pard?"
Nope" returned Pecos Sam
thoughtfully. "They've been purity
tol'able."
"Thar's some things gold can't
buy,' mused Sierra Pete.
"a few" agreed Pecos Sam,
/ Reckon I'd better draw q map of
5 this here place." he added. "That
: gulch is a terrible hard place to
6nd."
Rummaging out the stub of 8
lead pencil and a piece of paper
t that had somehow escaped destruc'
ton, Pecos Sam drew a map that
). satisfied himself. Folding it up
:. be placed it in the inside pocket oi
, his coat.
Reckon that'll do" he decided
The next morning the partners
$ staked out their claim. They
talked little on their way to towr
to record it. Pecos Sam was grim
d y silent and Sierra Pete was snap
Z. pish. One on either side of Music
!. they plodded along.
!, On the third day sandstorn
!. held them up. There was nothing
to do but camp, and when at las
the partners awoke to find the SIX,
b gloriously blue and the sun shin
r ing. their grouchy mood hat
- passed, and they iOked and laughed
= like boys. And then again silenc'
- = claimed them, strange silence
=, that was full of meaning.
q Pecos Sam was getting break
!. fast, when he gave sudden yell
a "Petel Come here quick. Th
d maps gonel" he roared. 81 jes
left my coat on the ground a min
ute and that derned Music nose
e out the map. Pete, he's chawed u
le our gold mine, sure as blazes. It'l
Al mebbe take years to find that gulc
!. ag'in, now the storm has covere
Il our tracks"
= = Sierra Pete glared at Music. Fl
= had his own private opinion as t
= how Music had found that map.
Il, "The pie-eyed son of a mountai
e, jackassl" he snorted. "You hadn
,r orter left your coat on the groun
s. that way. You might have knowe
m the critter couldn't tell map {
gold mine from q pickle recin