Nogales international., 1931-06-27
Eighth Installment

L
drops dead, the Kid later learning that
Bob Garner who had also shot at the
same time, really killed Wheeler.
Garner gets the Kid to Join the Poole
outfit as a rim rider: The kid succots
WLeeler's widow and is interrupted by
pete Gorham and some other nesters. He
shoots Gorham through both ears. for
coupling his name with Wheeler's widow.
Later he rescues girl, Nellie, and her
dad from Gorham, wounding Pete again'
The girl. in spite Of her belief the Kid is
an imported Texas killer. warns him the
nesters win kill him. The Kid warns Gar
ner the nesters are planning an attack on
the Poole outfit. He meets Jess Market.
Texan who is boss of the Poole wagon
crew. 80,
through both hands when the latter at,
tempts to kill him for being the son OF
Killer Reeves The rest of the gang ap-
proves of the Kids action. While neat
Nelle's home he hears the crack OF a rine
and finds her dad has been shot from am
husb and helps carry the dead man into his
house. ;, , -,
On leaving the nester's cabin the Kid
examines the s'oyer's tracks and hnds a
match, broken like the ones Babe dsGards.
He returns home and Babe sees he thinks
he is the one who killed the old man. JUST
then the foreman arrives and eats with
them. preventing a showdown for time.
AS the foreman finishes his coffee, ne oreaKs reI,j
match in the same way bare does. l ne
KID bushes and looks forgivingly at Babe.
NOW co ON WITH THE STORY
"That feller that shot old Murray
down in the valley; yuh say he lett
broken match stubs where he waited,
Tiger Eye? Can't go much by that.
Lots of fellers in a grass country
break their match stubs in two before
they throw EN- away. Less danger OF
fire."
With his big gray hat far back on
his head and his high-heeled boots
hooked over the edge Of the neatly
brushed stove hearth
"Yoal1 puIrnb shoal1 ole Pappy
Murray was cow thief, Babe?"
"Shore he was! Why, hell, told
yuh a thousand times, Tiger Eye,
there amt an honest man in the hull
valley. Not one. Say, how'd you
come to know he was shot, if you was
off over on the river side of the Bench
where | sent yuh !"
"Nevah did ride avn to the river,
Babe. Got right curious about some
thing in the valley, SO | taken a Jog
down off the Bench to see foh nlsef."
"Poole riders'l1 be shot on sight
down there. / told yuh that, Tiger
Eye. You was tal1in' too big chance"
mo biggah chance than some otha
Poole ridah taken, going down to kill
ole Pappy Murray"
How'd yuh know it was a Poole
rider? You didn't see i'm, did yl1h? ;"
mo, sub, I nevah did see him
How'd you know it was a Poole
rider, them"
Babe flung down his book and sat
up, eyeing the kid sharply while he
pulled tobacco and papers from his
pocket. "Nesters amt above dry
gulchin' each other if they've got. a.
grudge, and layin' it to- the Poole.
"Nestah wouldn't hit out fob the
Bench aftah he done his killing"
Which way'd he go when he hit the
rim?"
"Kain't say Babe. Plumb. rocky
along the rim
Babe studied the kid for another ten
seconds and gave grunt that seemed
to release a tension within his mind.
"You come into camp here, actin
like you thought l done it," he stated
calmly, Lighting a match with his
thumb-nail and deliberately breaking
the stub in two while the kid watched
him with an unblinking steadiness III
the stare of his yellow right eye.
"Nevah said | thought it, Babe"
"You looked it.. when yuh come to
camp"
"Kain't tell thing by my looks,
Babe. This ya1lah eye of mine is
plumb deceiving, sometimes
What gets me, Tiger Eye, is how
you come to take it to heart the way
you do. Amt bigger cow thief in
the country than old Murray. He was
bound to get his, sooner or later
Mess he was p'ticular friend Of
yourn--"
"Nevah was no friend of mine,
Babe"
"Well-they say he's got a good
lool1in' girl You seen herr"
Wasn't no girl theah, Babe, when
I rode along to the house. Heard a
WOlIlctH SCi CdlitlllS dlId al yHAS AAEN$
my NANNY cried when Pap was bush
whacked. Killahs don't think of the
women, pears like"
"And as far as the women are con-
cerned-" Babe rose from the bunk,
hitching up his trousers belt as he
sauntered over to the water bucket and
lifted the dipper with jangle of tin.
E'They got to take their chance same
as the men. There's always women
cryin' over some man. There always
will be, as long as there's a man to
cry over. What yuh goin' to do about
it? A man can't set and roll his
thumbs all his life, just SO his woman
won't have cause for tears. They bawl
a lot-but they git over it.
Reckon yo're right, Babe"
Darn right, I'm right. You've been
SO growed up and steady. far as I've
seen, I shore never expected you'd git
clicken-tearted over a hester all al
ONCE"