The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-08-29


he was found dead. You'll find that
lack Sanders was killed with the gun
that was found in his own hand"
An instant's pause was followed by
an oath that scorched the wires.
Jones, you fool with me-by Cd,
I'll learn you TO fool with mel"
"All 1 say is look at 'eml 1t won't
cost you the time it took me to get
you on the telephone. I'm giving you
your chance TO get the man that killed
Mason. You can do what you want to
about It"
Il suppose" came Hopper's voice,
you figure lack Sanders committed
suicide!"
Take a look" Kentucky repeated.
Fire a bullet from lacks gun and
match it against those he was killed
with. If I'm right call me back, and
I'll give you the lay. Otherwise, you
can go lamming around here blind until
it's too late-it's all one to me-" Ken
lucky Jones smashed the receiver onto
the hook.
He turned TO find Campo Ragland
standing in the doorway.
Kentucky Jones leaned against the
cigarette; and the two looked at
each other. Campo seemed almost lit
orally TO have increased in stature
since Kentucky Jones had seen him
last. His long bowed legs set him high
up in the world; it was the lean
breadth of his shoulders and a stoop-
ing carriage which prevented him from
appearing to be as big a man as he
was. And his big head, made to ap-
pear more massive by the broad reced-
ing sweep of forehead which his thin
ming hair had left, helped to detract
from his appearance of height. But the
indeterminate stoOp of Campo's car
riage was now gone; and as he stood
with his big freckle-blotched hands
holding the side of the doorway he
made the doorway look small. Ken
lucky saw that he was armed
Campo said slowly: Think you can
head it off, do you?
Maybe I do" Kentucky answered
II heard what you said over the
phone just now" Campo's voice was
lowered; but he sounded as if he had
accused Kentucky of misbranding a
calf.
II knew you were listening. heard
you come in"
Il suppose" said Campo, you've got
more CUTS than any man on the face
of this rocky appended earth ="
Maybe 1 have" said Kentucky.
Maybe if didn't have 1 wouldn't be
here now"
And you'd be better off," Campo
told him.
Nobody could have said exactly when
Kentucky's face had changed; but any
one looking at him now would have
seen that he had small ugly eyes, and
that the broken line of his nose was
made uglier by the crooked line of his
mouth, from one corner of which his
cigarette now trailed.
He stood relaxed, motionless; he
might have been carved there except
for the tenuous blue thread of smoke
from his cigarette. rising in a waver-
ing, swaying line before his face.
I've heard tell that the West is
dead" he said. And I always thought
that was funny, with the lands still
here, and the cattle, and the riders
working in the saddle like they always
DIT he nT
brand sets to working in the dark, and
shoves one of his own riders into the
moose because he's afraid to face out
the music himself guess the West
is gone, all right"
Campo faced him in silence for a
little while. and the blood came up into
his head, darkening his wind-reddened
face. Before man can clean a
range" he said, his voice low, she
must first clean his own outfit"
$50 you think" said Kentucky, "yoe
can convict me of killing John Mason"
Campo snapped at him, who told
you that?"
1--WE been taken for a fool here"
said Kentucky. II expect maybe a fool
is what 1 am, for I've let myself be
used as a fool. But I'm not a blind
man, and you should have allowed for
that. So you think you can make 1t
stick. do your He did not miss the
flick of Campo's eyes as they dropped
for an instant to Kentucky's holstered
gun.
what l can make stick and what
won't stick" Campo said, Il don't pre-
tend like I know. l only know what
I'm convinced of in my own mind"
LAS, for instanceT
"As, for instance" repeated Campo,
his eyes red and steady on Kentuckys
face, that you like to ruined US all
when you shot John Mason down"
They looked at each other for
moment more, then Kentucky Jones
moved his hands TO the buckle Of his
belt. He saw the quick start of Cam
Pc Ragland's right hand toward his
holster; but Kentucky only loosed his
belt and tossed it aside.
You needn't fret yourself" said
Kentucky. You're never going to get
a gunfight out of me, Campo
Campo said, Il expect not. But if
you're holding off because you're gone
on my girl, you can pick your gun
belt up again. Because no d-n sneak
ing killer is fit to so much as walk
where her shadows been"
In the little pause Kentucky heard
the outer door of the kitchen open and
close. and knew that Jean had come.
Maybe you're right" he said. Maybe
couldn't ever bring myself to gun
you, because of the reason you've
named. Maybe, If it wasn't for just
that one thing, you'd have been talking
for rn11r life Gamma these rnanr darS