The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-10-14

He turned to another subject, one
that had been on his mind good deal
of late. ut wouldn't be hardly rea.
sonable to expect you to be friendly
with US McCanns. Now that Matt has
gone it's too late for me to fix things
up. But want 10 tell you how ! feel
When | heard of what had happened
to him IT gave me jolt. AT first !
was worried about Wills. But while
was sittin' there at the Circle Cross
by his bedside, after he began to mend
some, | couldn't get Matt outa my
head. We were mighty close. like !
told you, In those early days. KEEP
SEEM him as he was when we frolicked
around together. An there was you,
lookin' the spittin' image of yore moth
er, first savin' my boys life an then
lettin' me come to yOre house an stay
with him. I'll say you made me feel
like a plugged nickel. you an yore
young brother Phil How could ] go
on hatin' you Starks after that2 |
reckon I'm a tough an stubborn propo-
sition, but l had to give in. No other
way to it."
In her eyes swan little wells Of
tears. 81 wish you had come to Dad
while he was alive and asked him to
make up. Why didn't your"
Because Pm a hardened old sinner
h-l-bent on gettin' my own way.
couldn't any more have come to Matt
than be could of come to me. But
with non tt,o d;Aorant r;rct off
can't ever pay what l owe you. not II
] live to be hundred an lie awake
nights figurin' out ways. Then. too,
whenever look at you. see yore
mother shinin' outa yore eyes"
"You-loved herr" she asked, very
softly.
Again he looked across the arid
desert at the papiermache mountains.
In the peculiar afternoon sunlight they
looked like artificial stage settings.
YES" He spoke, 1t seemed. rather
to himself than to her.
WAS it about her you and Dad
Quarreled?"
mo. About some trifiing thing to
start with. We had kind friends to
keep US stirred up. When he was for
a thing, | fought it. If wanted it he
was against it. The older we got the
worse it grew. But I'm through now.
throw up my hands. | quit. If
there can't be friendship between us,
anyhow there will be peace"
"Yes." Julia agreed
We'll let il go at that"
its not that / hate you-any of
you-any more. sec now there's
nothing but loss in that. But don't
see how we can be friends. Dad stands
between US and you. If he was alive
/ feel But / can't do that now. /
can't feel it would be loyal for US TO
be friends with his enemies" Her
honest eyes appealed to him for I'M
Outstanding.
He nodded. 81 reckoned you would
feel thataway. Well, I'm glad we've
cleared things up. The feud's off any
how"
"Yes, it's off," she assented.
Peter did not offer to shake hands
on it. He glanced at the descending
sun. 'Tll be hittin' the home TRAIL"
he said.
She turned, after she had ridden a
little way. to watch him. strong,
STRAIGHTFORWARD figure sitting his horse
like Centaur. A lump choked her
throat. The sight of him carried her
mind back irresistibly to her father.
He. too. had been virile and purpose
full and dominant, but beneath the
gnarled surface she had known him
tender and loving. What a waste that
his last years should have been en-
FILTERED by this implacable quarrel
with the man who had been his closest
friendI What loss that he should
have been cut off in his prime! Surely
If he had lived the breach would have
been healed.
Phil was combing burrs out of his
pony's name when the cowpuncher.
Red. rode into the yard at the Circle
Cross and fell into the easy posture
of the rider who intends to be COM
Portable while he stops and chats.
How'll you swap that paint boss
for my buckskin?" Red drawled after
greetings had been exchanged.
81 amt swapping this peg pony for
any other in Arizona" Phil announced
proudly.
"You sure got some notion of yore
broomtail. boy. l was allowin' you'd
orta gimme about ten dollars to boot.
Bucks no plug. I'd have you know.
Mighty few broncs can travel along
side of him. Seventy miles he done
yesterday in the hills an never turned
a hair"
"Where was 1t you an Buck broke
the worlds record"
up in the Nal Pais-taking a New
York engineer over the divide to look
at Basford's copper proposition"
Didn't meet up with any rustlers
whilst you were up there. did your"
About to give a careless negative,
Red stopped with his mouth open.
"Why. dawggone my hide. maybe l
did" he said at last. II never thought
of it till right now We was way up
above Guadaloup canyon when we saw
coupla men driving eight or ten
vacas into it. hollered. but they was
long way off an didn't answer May
be at that I'm lucky they didn't hear
me-"
Headed south, were they"
"Y'betchal They went into this end
of the gulch an that's the last we seen
of EN-"
Phil spoke his thoughts, to himself
rather than to Red. Funny they were
way up there. Who could they have
been? Where were they goin'? Un-
less they were rustlers. Wish you'd
ride TO the Flying Wy an tell Wills Nc.