Nogales international., 1931-06-27

had waited like a coyote among the
rocks and had shot Nellie's old pappy
in the back, he was just mean, low
down killer and nobody could trust
him. A man like that would shoot his
best friend in the back if he took a
notion.
The kid would have to be mighty
certain it was Babe, though, before
he would believe it. He'd want
stronger proof than that broken match
had been. 1t made him shiver to think
how close he had come to shooting
Babe just on the strength Of. broken
match. Now, he didn't believe it but
he couldn't put it out of his mind,
either, and the vague distrust hurt like
! physical pain
"Yuh don't want to let old lady
Murrays cryin' worry yuh, Tiger
Eye" Babe said abruptly, when they
were pulling off their boots. Best not
/ to waste sympathy on a hester. They
don't deserve no sympathy; man or
woman, they're all tarred with the
same stick. You're goin' to be valu-
able to the Poole, once you git ever
that sympathy of yourn for hester
women. You got to cut that out or
yuh won't never git mogv]tere." ;"
The kid did not answer that, and
presently Babes breath fell into the
slow rhythm of sleep.
The kids mind Jared back from
deep dreaming and he opened one eye
to see yellow streak Of sunlight on
the cabin wall, high in a far corner
behind the stove. By'that he knew he
had slept late. Usually they were
ready to ride out along the rim when
the sun showed above the mountains.
Babes side of the bed was empty, but
there was no, breakfast smell in the
cabin and no cracking of fire in the
stove. Gone to look after the horses,
probably. Babe must have slept late,
himself. Must have been Babe shutting
the door that woke him.
The kid swung his feet to the floor
and reached for his clothes. Babe
would expect breakfast to be ready
when he came back.
The kid started a fire in the stove.
set a kettle of water over the blaze,
and washed his, face and neck and
ears in the tin basin on the bench.
He showed another stick of wood into
the stove, picked up the basin and
pulled the door open, to fling the water
out upon the ground
The basin jerked spitefully in his
hand, round hole cut through its up
per side where the water spurted
through. From clunp of bushes over
by the corral the bark of a rifle
tardily followed the bullet. The kid
let go the basin and dropped to his
knees, then fell forward on his face
and lay there with his arms stretched
out in front Of him.
The kids fingers stretched slowly
to their slender length, relaxed little.
stretched again, moved this way and
that, until they encountered some
thing which they clasped SO firmly the
l<nucl1les turned white. Babes foot,
Babe, lying there on his face, within
few feet of the door, shot down
while the kid lay dreaming. 1t wasn't
the shutting of the door-it was the
rifle shot that woke the kid. Babe,
shot in front Of his door, just as Mel
lies old pappy had been shot. Even
at that moment, while the kid was TAX
ing a frmer grip of that limp foot,
he wondered if Babe was only getting
back what he gave old Murray.
The kid squirmed backward, drag
ging Babe by his foot. Slow. Back an
inch or two, and walt a minute. Babe
groaned at the third pull, and the kids
heart gave flop and then raced for
Joy. Babe was alive yet. Something
to pull for, now.
| Tm draggin' yo'all inside the doah,