Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-08-27
CHAPTER VII

Usage station (the railroad actually
had been extended. true TO Dixie Lees
prediction, from WahOo To Usage and
beyond) Sahra's eyes were searching
the glaring wooden platform. Yancey
was not there The stark red-painted
wooden station sat blistering In the
sun. Yaneey simply was not there.
Not only that the station platform
usually graced by a score of yacuous
faces and limp figures gathered to
witness the exciting event of the
Katy's daily arrival and departure,
vas bare.
Sabrn felt sick and weak. Some
thing was wrong. She left her boxes
and bags and parcels on the platform.
Half an hour before their arrival In
Usage she had entrusted the children
to the care OF fellow passenger while
she had gone to the Mushroom to put
on one of the new dresses made In
Wichita and bearing the style cachet
Of Kansas City. She had anticipated
the look In Yancey's gray eyes at sight
Of 1t. She had made the children spot
less and threatened them with dire
things II they sullied their splendor
before their father should see them.
And now he WAS not there.
With Donna In her arms and Gin
ut her heels she peered In at the sta
ton window. Pat Leary was bent over
his telegraph KEY. A smart tight little
freshman who had come to the terri
tory with the railroad section crew
when the Katy was being built Sta
ton agent now. and studying law at
night
"Mr. Leary! Mr.. Learyl Have you
seen YanceyW He looked up at her
absently. his hand still on the key.
then wiped his wet forehead with his
forearm protected BY the back sateen
sleevelet. Amt you heard?'
NO" whispered Sahra. with stiff
lips that seemed NO part Of her. Then,
in voice rising TO scream, NO!
MOI No! What? Is he dead9"
The Irshman came nver to her then,
as she crouched at the window. 4Oh.
no, ma am Yanceys all right He
amt hurt to speak Of Just nick In
the ARMAND left arm at that"
"Oh, my God y
"Don't take on. You goin' to faint
orr
mo. Tell me-"
II been so busy. !. Yancey got
the Kid. you know Killed him. The
whole towns gone crazy. Pitched bat
tie right there on Pawhuska avenue In
front OF the bank. and bodies layin'
around like battlefield. I'm sending
1t out. | Amt got much time, but
I'll give you an idea. Seems Yancey
was out hunting up In the bills last
Thursday-1
Thursday! But that's the day the
paper comes out
well, the Wigwam amt been 50
regular since you been away" She
allowed that to PASS without comment.
up In the hills ~ stumbles on Doctor
Valiant, drunk, but not 80 drunk he
don't recognize Yancey. Well, he tells
Yancey, drunk as he Is, that he's right
In the camp where the Kid and his
gang is hiding out One of them was
hurt bad In that last Santa Fe hold-up
at Cimarron. Like to died, only they
sent for doc, and he came and saved
him. They got close to thirty thou
sand that trick, and 1t kind OF went to
their heads. Valiant overheard them
planning to ride In here to Usage, like
today. and hold up the Citizens Ma
tional In broad daylight like the Kid
always does. They was already
started. Well. Yancey Off on his
horse to warn the town, and knows
he's got to detour or he'll come on
the gang and they'll smell rat Well,
say. he actually did meet EN-. Came
on 'em, accidental. The Kid sees him
and grins that wolf grin OF his and
sings out, Yancey. you still runnin'
that paper Of yourn down at Usage?
Yancey says, Yes Well, say he
says, how much is it, Yancey says a
dollar year. The Kid reaches down
and throws Yancey a shot sack with
ten silver dollars In 1t. Send me the
paper for ten years he says. Where
tor Yancey asks him. Well say, the
Kid laughs that wolf laugh OF his
again and he says. I never thought OF
that I'll have to leave you know
later Well, Yancey, looking as meek
and mealy-mouthed as a baby, he
rides his way, he's got little book Of
poems In his hand and he's reading
as he rides, or pretending to, but first
chance he sees he cuts across the
hills, puts his horse through the gullies
and into the draws and across the
scrub oaks like he was a circus horse
or centipede or something. he gets
into Usage, dead tired and his horse
In lather, ten minutes before the
Kid and his gang sweeps down Paw
huska avenue, their six-shooters bark
Ing like I regiment was coming, and
makes q rush for the bank. But the