The Coolidge examiner., 1932-09-23
CHAPTER TX
Ann Rides to Mesa.

supplies, Jim 1er0y stopped at
the Gilt Edge saloon to get bottle
| Of snake-bite medicine. The old
timer admitted that he never had
been struck by a rattler but you
never could tell when your luck
would turn bad. He took the cure
in advance to forestall the evil day.
While Yerby talked TO the bar
tender his quick beady eyes darted
round the room on voyages of dis
cOvery, Something was in the air,
something that caused unwonted
excitement. The patrons of the
place were gathered together in
knots, and at the heart of each
group q man was talking in a low
/ urgent voice. Jasper Stark was
one of the murmuring orators. An
other 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 celebratlnT' asked the
hester with lifted eyebrows.
II reckon the celebratin' will be
later" the man In the apron said
significantly.
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
a voice dry as a whisper. Leave
1t lay at that. Say he was. SO
was Tom. But that amt the point.
| wouldn't make no holler II 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 whlstling / would. If
ii had a-been thataway Which II
wasn't. Like | been tellin' you. this
Texas killer an Tom had quar-
relied 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 l 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 some
how he knew more'n he said"
Yerby knew the crowd had been
drinking. He had met before the
lust to kill that makes a mob cruel
and inhuman. For some reason, he
saw at once, young Stark was work
ing up the men of Mesa to an act
of summary vengeance.
Hold yore hawsses, Jas. I'd like
right well to hear Stones story be-
fore you get rampageous. He's
killer, l 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 he did it," Jas
per 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 neces-
sary. The facts show it. Carl an
were the first folks on the
ground. Tom hadn't fired q shot.
The coward that shot him never
gave him a chance"
when you tell that to jury"
I'VE amt amin to tell it to no
| jury. We amt allowin' to let some
slick lawyer talk him off. Not none.
This town aims to see justice done,
to show these bad men who come
in an kill our citizens that we
won't stand for 1t minute"
The gray haired little man
rubbed his unshaven chin and tried
again. Boys, it's a mighty serious
business to make a mistake an
| take a mans life without giving
him a show to tell the courts his
story"
A big hook-nosed man, the worse
for liquor, laughed savagely.
You're right, it's serious. Dave
Stones liable to find that out. Jas
is erect. This fellow had ought
to be strung up to a telegraph pole.
Me, l expect to do some pulling on
the rope that's round bis gullet."
The fierce nurmur of assent told
Yerby that opposition was useless.
Argument was waste of time.
He moved away reluctantly. This
thing was wrong, he felt. Yet he
| did not know how to prevent It.
(TO BE CoNTINUFD