The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-10-21


Gitner has four or five fellers with
him, all gunner. | hate to quit with
out KNOWN what brands are on that
bunch of vacas, but I'll have to give
up the idea if you won't be reason
able I'm kinda particular about who
gets my hide to hang up an dry"
'sLooky here" protested Phil. 'Tm
no kid, an l never was teachers pet.
| figure myself full-grown white man,
if you want to know. You can get II
right outa yore haid that | won't go
through to a fare-you-well. We started
on this job together an it'll be even
steven with us. Why should | stick
around here where / can make get
away down the canyon while you go
across there where you're liable to be
bumped OFF,"
"Would there be any sense in both
of us leavin' the horses and goin'?"
Maybe not. Point is, / claim I'm
the one had ought to CO."
They had come to an impasse. Will
son was silent for moment. A plan
was filtering into his mind, one that
would eliminate the boy from the risk
of going down into the valley and yet
woulde satisfy his pride.
"We'll draw lots for it," he sug-
gested.
"Now you're shoutin'."
"First off, let's decide on one thing,
Phil Whoever goes has got to play a
lone hand. If he's seen why he's outa
luck. The other fellow has got to
start for help right then. No fool boy
business of ridin' over and mixin' up
in the trouble. That wouldn't get
either of us anywhere"
Gould one of US hold out alone till
the other got back with help?"
IF he could reach the brush. He
might get a good place to stand 'em
off,"
Don't look to me like he'd have a
dead mans chance" Phil said.
would it be any better if the other
fellow came ridin' across an got shot
down before he ever reached him?"
81 reckon Motif he didn't reach
him."
"And he wouldn't. No, Phil, I'll not
go into this unless it's understood that
the one who stays with the horses will
burn the wind to get help"
IAN right. I'll stand pat on that.
Far as that goes we're not figurin' on
gettin' caught"
mo. But you never can tell"
Mccain stopped and showed be-
tween thumb and finger a pebble. He
held his hands behind him for a mo-
ment, then offered for choice two
closed brown fists.
1.-The pebble is in one. The fellow
that draws it stays here, the other one
goes"
Phil chose the right hand. When
Wilson opened it a pebble lay in the
palm. He f1icked it away.
81 stay" Phil said.
'I'll look my guns over while you
fix me up some grub to take. Prob
ably won't get back till some time in
the night" Wilson said.
Phil turned toward the pack horse.
From McCann's left hand another
pebble dropped. 1t was the same size
and shape as the first.
Through the pines Wilson worked
back to the foot of the cliff In forgot
ten ages boulders had crumbled down
from above and among them was a
growth of soapweed, scrub oak, and
manzanita. This offered cover while
he circled the park 70 reach the OPP
posite side of the valley. 1t was at
least cover of sort. There were open
stretches to be passed where he stood
out on the landscape, an obvious alien
and intruder. He could only hope that
no casual glance wandering over the
park might become riveted on him and
harden to cold and wary intentness.
1t was easy for him now to doubt
whether the plan he had chosen was
the wisest. Would 1t not have been
better to have slipped out of the park
with Phil and returned for posse,
taking 1t for granted that this was the
rendezvous of the rustlers and these
cattle stolen ones driven here by them
Certainly it would have been far safer.
For at any moment he might be seen
or Phil's presence discovered. But he
was thorough by nature. He wanted
to carry back with him definite proof
that he had located the outlaws and
not merely party of prospectors. Git
ner and Jasper Stark had given it out
that they were working claim in the
hills, location unknown. 1t was pos
sible, though not probable, that their
story might be true. Wilson did not
propose to risk being laughed at the
rest Of his life for crying Wolf y
when there was no lobo in sight.
While he moved forward through the
brush his worried thoughts went back
to the young fellow he had left with
the horses. He wished now that he
had fatty refused to come with Phil
on this scouting expedition. If any.
thing happened to the boy he could
not forgive himself. This brother was
all that Julia had left. If she should
lose him. as she had lost her father
Jasper being far worse than dead-her
life would be clouded with tragedy.
She had put Phil in his charge. and
he had pledged himself to look after
the lad Was he doing il. now, leav.
ing him alone there among the pines
across from the cabin, where at any
moment the barking of dog might be
tray him? He could say, of course
with truth, that he had himself chosen
to take the greater risk, since Phil ii
discovered had way of escape open
while he would have none. But there
was always the possibility that Phil
might be killed and that he might
survive. In that case, how could he
ever look into Julia's accusing eyes
No x,oc nothing m har of oourSo nc