The Coolidge examiner., 1932-09-16
CHAPTER VII-Continued
10

spoken. For that question was a
low-voiced challenge. 1t called for
an answer.
There was silence, heavy and op-
presSive, while one might have
counted twenty. Watching Gitner
closely, Stone could almost read his
exact thoughts. Should he draw
now and be done with it? Or had
lie better wait?
We'll. you know what you mean
] don't. an / don't give a d-n."
Gitner turned. bravado in his man.
Ter, to Jasper. Me, I'm headed
for the chuck wagon. Get a move
on you. Jas"
Stark breathed again. Carl had
chosen 10 postpone the question Of
the day to a more favorable time.
The two men left the bunk
house together Through the open
door Stone watched them walk to
the eating room. He had done an
unwise thing, some men would have
said AT least he had done II on
purpose. lie had smoked them into
the open. Beyond a reasonable
doubt he was convinced that he had
found the man who had shot Mat
thew Stark and Wilson McCann.
He had made a guess that was
center shot.
Out Of the situation he got one
flicker Of amusement. He would
be willing to give odds that when
he saw Carl Gitner after his next
visit to town the big man would
either be wearing a new pair of
boots or the heels of the old ones
would be rebuilt.
..
1t was Wilson McCann's first
long ride since his recovery. The
weeks had slipped away and his
splendid vitality had asserted IT.
self. Health had flowed back into
his veins. He and his brother Lyn
were jogging along toward Mesa.
The fierce heat Of summer was al
most broken. but they still looked
up into brazen sky and clouds of
alkaline dust chOked them.
With an eye carefully measuring
his brothers strength. Lyn suggest
ed that they throw off and rest at
the river.
"Im kinda off my feed these
days" he added apologetically.
Wilson smiled at this duplicity
"Suirs me-" he assented. I'D hate
to see you wore to a frazzle an
you with no more appetite than
you got. was worried about you
travelling so far on nothing but nine
flannel cakes, eleven biscuits, two
three eggs, one small steak no big
ger than plate, an three cups O.
coffee"
1T amt what a man eats, but
how it nOurishes him." argued the
bronzed young giant.
At the edge of the dry river, in a
little group of cOttonwoods a couple
of hundred yards from the road,
they dlsmOunted and Lyn unsad-
died. With their rifles by their
sides they lay down and Wilson
rested.
1T does kinda take the tuck
outa me-" he admitted. 81 reckon
I'm not right stout yet"
Purgatory river the Indians
called it from the Spanish name, or
the River of Lost Souls. but the
unsentimental cowpunchers had cor
rupted 1t to Picket Wire river.
Lying on his back, one leg cooked
over the other, Lyn mused aloud.
Something's changed Dad. He
amt so rambunctious since you an
him got back from the Circle Cross.
All the boys have strict orders not
to get into trouble with any of the
Stark riders. He acts like he's
bumped up against something that
set him thinking"
Wilson thought of his father, big,
strong, slightly bowlegged, hard
eyes set in a leathery face, dom
mating man with many friends and
some bitter enemies. What Lyn
said was true There had come a
change in him. He spoke less. His
manner was gentler at times. More
than once his oldest son had come
on him in the dusk brooding in an
armchair. This was not at all the
Peter McCann he had known
score of years.
Figure ii out for yourself, Lyn.
Julia Stark an that young brother
of hers saved my life an kept right
on saving it. They scared off the
killer They took me home an
looked after me. They sent for
Doc Sanders. She nursed me, that
girl did, like | was her brother,
though her father lay there dead
beside me an she thought I'd killed
him. They let Dad come an live
in the house, an every minute of
the time they watched to see we
weren't shot while we were there.
Do you reckon. if they had been
given half chance Jas Stark an
that Gitner would ever have let US
get away from there alive? Not on