The Ely miner., 1935-04-26
Ben nodded grimly.
"Came to see me yesterday"

Game to see me yesterday"
"Noi"
"Yeah. Took long look at me /. +.
over the sights of rifle"
"Ben! Why, sonT"
Elliott laughed mirthlessly and told
what had happened in the Hoor Owl
chopping the day before.
$50 he's gotten down to the hiring
| of a killeri" Able looked anxiously
| into Ben's face. "Son It can't
go ON. Timber or no timber; success
or failure for the Hoot Owl, you've got
to think of yourselfw
Pm doing that. I've been to see
Brandon and tried to drive him into
the open. That's all ask of him; that
he fights fair"
"And If he won't, what?"
"Then I'll h:ve to smoke him out u
Able clicked his tongue.
Benny, your way of doing things
scares me! Why, this can't go on. It
MUSTN'T It's your own affair, for sure,
when he tried to shoot you down, but
maybe, perhaps, possibly, I'm going to
beg you to be careful. So long as De-
laney's in the country you've got to
keep low. Get back to camp; stay
there; let us pick some man l can
trust to follow Bart and Brandon night
and day so you'll not be caught!"
"No." Ben shook his head resolutely.
'I'll go on about my business as 1
CHI ,un nd
like to start any fast foot work now."
"But it's your life that's at stake,
Ben! Don't be silly. That's what reck-
lessness is: downright sillyl That's
| not like you. Why, not taking prccau-
tions in this thing is like monkeying
with high tension WIRE"
"No good, Able. / couldn't hold up
my head if hid out after the play I've
made"
So AtIe was forced to give up after
time and shuffled up the street, draw
ing off his mitten again and rubbing
his face briskly with his palm.
He had only reached his office and
was unlocking the door when Aunt EN-,
walking grimly as If with definite pur-
pose, approached.
"Good morning." he began.
| Forget the palaver, Able Armitage! "
the woman said sharply. you're in
| trouble. So are we all, maybe. That's
why came to see you. Is it true what
| they say that this Red Bart Delaney
has showed up here in Tincup?"
"As true as disease or death or any
thing else unpleasant"
"Thats what I'd heardl Do I have
| to guess why he's Gomez"
| Able united his scarf and shook his
head sadly.
"No, EN-. Your first guess will be
right. And he took shot at Benny
yesterday"
"And missed, I'd judge from the look
of him just now. But If he's still here
| there'll be next time; and he won't
miss then. Did you do your duty and
send the boy to some safe placer"
Able sighed and told her Of his talk
with Ben.
$50 you couldn't make him listen to
reason!" she muttered. "Well, If you
can't, / can't. And, us failing, there's
only one other who would have ghost
| of a show"
"Dawn"
She nodded. "Dawn could. But she
/ won't. She won't go to him now.
She wouldn't even listen to me talk
| about him, she's in such a state. She's
up to the ears in love with Ben FL
liotr or I've got three legs! And then
to have that scandalous woman do
what she did and upset it ALL"
She sat down heavily in a chair and
drew a great breath.
81 don't have to ask you or any
other man about Ben Elliott, Able! 1
know the clean and decent folks when
l see 'em. I'd bet my reputation as a
| Christian woman on that boy! That
piece of play acting at the dance was
some of Nick Brandon's work, you can
bet your last red cent l had to give
him a piece Of my mind just for relief
the other day and, goodness me, what
look he give mel Why, Able, that
mans worse than ever 1 thought My,
/
| oh, my! He gave me look that like
| to froze the blood right In my veins,
| after all the years of palaver and soft
talkin' I've listened to from him!
swell, what I'm gettin' at Is this |:
The boys in danger of bein' murdered
every minute of day and night unless
he takes your advice. There's no one
left to try to talk him into being care
| full but Dawn. And how am l going to
get her to see her duty when she goes
into a cryin' fit every time his names
mentioned? Yes, sir. Every time she
hears his name"
"She doesn't yet see that the affair
was a put-up job, then?"
"See? She can't see anything, Able
ArmitageI Put yourself in her place.
Suppose you were young girl who's
had the things to bear that she has
all her life; and suppose you fell In
love for the first time; and suppose
that young man was accused of such
nastiness right In public with every
you stop to figure that the reason he
seemed guilty was natural? That the
thing was so far fetched from the
truth and such shock that he was all
kerfiummoxed? l should say you
Wouldn't You'd do just what she's