The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-11-16
CHAPTER VI-Continued

10
He then noticed that a roll of bills,
identical with the one he had just re-
ceived, lay on the floor.
"You dOuble-crossed mel" burst out
Hays, at length.
wal, thet's accOrdin' to how you
look at it," retOrted SIocum. Things
came up at Grand Junction. We seen
some of Heeseman's outfit. They're
onto US, or will be pronto. So we jest
took a vote, an every one Of US stood
for one big drive instead of small
drives. An we made it. Your buyers
swore they was short of money an
would pay twelve dollars a head. Talk
about robbers! Wal. 1 took tibet an
said liked it. :"
"You disobeyed orders"
PUT it up to Jim. hyar. What do
you say, Jim?"
Thus appealed to. Jim addressed
Hays point-blank. -. s.. .....
"Smokys right. If you meant to
clean out Herrick, that was the way
to do it"
"Aw-shore. you'd side with them!"
II wouldn't do anything of the kind
if thought they were wrong" retorted
Jim, angrily. Here was a chance to
inflame Hays that he jumped at. If
the robber could be drawn into a fight,
when his own men were against him.
the situation for the Herricks could be
made easier for the present.
You'd better shet up" ...
81 won't shet up, Hays. Someone
has to tell you. And I'm that fellow.
There's no hand out against you in
this outfit. Never heard of bunch
of riders who'd work like dogs while
the boss was twiddling his thumbs
and talking mysterious"
II amt ready to leave Star ranch
an now I'll have tot"
"Why amt you ready?" queried
Smoky, curiouSly. Our works all
done. We've cleaned out the ranch,
except for a few thousand head.
We've got the long green. You ought
to be tickled to DEATH"
I'm not through here" replied the
robber.
Smoky, why don't you ask Hays
what this mysterious deal is?" Queried
Jim, sarcastically. an
From a cornered lion Hays degen-
Grated into a cornered rat. Jim sank
a little in his boots while his upper
muscles corded. aeLs5E
Hank, what's got into you y queried
Smoky. ref.,rs efa.. E... ..EE
Smoky, the boss is up tree" said
Jim, caustically. "He means to rob
Herrick all right. But that's only a
blind. It's the grill"
Tibet gold-headed CURL we seen you
drivin' hyar?"
"Yes. Herrick's sister,"
"Haw! Haw! So thet's what's eat
in you, Hank?" --
Hays had reached his limit and prob
ably, but for Smoky's mirth, would
have started hOstilties He hesitated,
but there was a deadly flare in the
eyes he had fixed on Wall.
Smoky got between them. "See
hyar, Hank. So that's the deal? An
you'd do fer pore Jim hyar Jest be-
cause he's onto you? Wal, If you're
so keen as tibet to draw on somebody,
why, make it me. I started this. I
dragged Jim into it. An amt goin'
to let you take 1t out on him."
Then Hank Hays came back to him.
self. re gsS "
"Jim's right. Smoky, you're right"
he declared, hoarsely. '1'm bullhead.
ed. An I've lost my bull head
over Herrick's sister,"
There. Spoke up like man." de-
clared Smoky, heartily relieved. "Why
didn't you come thet clean long ago?
Neither Jim nor me nor any of us
blame you fer admirin' tibet CURL. And
If you'd gone crazy. an dragged her
away into the brakes with us, we'd
quit you cold" tx az -.
Hays bent to pick up the roll of
bills.
Fall to, men. I've got to do some
tall thinkin'," he said, and left them.
Before they were half finished with
their supper days entered.
"We're shakin' the dust of Star
ranch tonight" he said. deliberately.
pack up an leave at once. I'll come
later. If don't meet you at Smoky's
camp I'll meet you shore at midday in
tibet cedar grove above the head of
Red canyon"
No one asked any more questions or
made any comments. Whatever they
thought about Hays peculiar way of
leading his band they kept to them
selves Jim Wall was not greatly re-
lieved. still he concluded that Hays
must abandon any plot he might have