The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-09-09
CHAPTER TX
Ann Rides to Mesa

In town with a pack horse for sup.
plies, Jim Yerby stopped at the Gilt
Edge saloon TO get a bottle of snake
bite medicine. The old-timer ad-
mitted that he never had been struck
by RATHER but you never could tell
when your luck would turn bad. He
took the cure in advance TO forestan
the evil day.
While Yerby talked to the bar
tender his quick beady eyes darted
round the room on voyages Of discov-
cry. Something was in the air, some
thing that caused unwonted excite
ment The patrons of the place were
gathered together in knots. and al the
heart of each group a man was talk
ing in a low urgent voice. Jasper
Stark was one of the murmuring ora
tors. Another was Carl Gitner.
The bartender took Yerby's money
for the bottle of liquor he bought but
pushed back the quarter proffered for
the drink.
Its on some of the boys today" he
explained.
"a LII celebrating" asked the hester
with lifted eyebrows.
81 reckon the celebrafin' will be
later" the man in the apron said sig
nificantly.
Yerby sauntered to the outskirts of
the nearest group. 1t was the one in
the center of which Jasper Stark
sawed the air.
You say he was our friend when
he did it," Jasper was repeating, in
voice dry as whisper. Leave ii lay
ar that. Say be was. So was Tom.
But that amt the point. | wouldn't
make no boiler If he'd plugged Tom
fair an square in the open. No. gents
I'd go through from hi to breakfast
for him. You're d-n whistling !
would. If it had a-been thataway.
Which IT wasn't Like l been tellin'
you. this Texas killer an Tom had
quarreled. Stone told Carl an he told
me that he would sure get Tom. When
we saw the Clifford woman lighting
out so sudden we figured naturally
that she'd done it. All the same. both
Carl an / thought Stone acted mighty
funny when he came outa the brush
an found Us beside Toms body. He
played like he was surprised, an IT
didn't get acrost to Us. We suspicioned
somehow he knew moren he said.
Maybe he was in cahoots with Ann
Clifford"
Yerby spoke up promptly. Not on
yore tintype. Miss Ann hadn't thing
to do with this. She's a right nice
young lady,"
Bleaky Jasper looked at him. Sorry
If 1 hurt yore feelings by naming yore
sheepherding friends, Yerby," he
sneered But leave that go. Say
Stone played lone hand Question
is: Can a Texas killer come in here
an shoot down our boys from the
brush an &c: away with IL? I'll gam
BILE on ii he can't"
Meaning" asked Yerby.
-Meanin' that the boys aim to take
a hand pronto."
The hester knew the crowd had been
drinking He had met before the lust
to kill that makes a mob cruel and IN
human. For some reason he saw at
once, young SidTk was WOf hluS up Lie
men of Mesa TO an act of summary
vengeance.
Hold yore hawsses, Jas I'd like
right well to hear Stones story before
you get rampageous He's killer,
reckon Leastways he's got that rep.
But he don't look to me like one of
the kind that shoots you whilst he's
shakin' hands with you. No sense in
going off half cooked"
whats eatin' you, Yerby? This
Stone has confessed be did it" Jasper
interrupted rudely.
HAS he confessed he shot Tom from
the brush?"
The sly and shifty eyes of the
younger man met those of the old
timer and slid away. mot necessary.
The facts show it. Carl an ! were
the first folks on the ground. Tom
hadn't fired shot The coward tina.
shot him never gave him a chance"
when you tell that TO jury"
CTo BE CONTINUED.l