Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1936-02-14
CHAPTER III

ject, rode perhaps fifty yards in ad-
vance of the other two.
"Hi, Ken" he called as he drew
near, long yellow mustache swaying
in the wind. "You got that meat? ?"
"Sure," Ken yelled back, puzzled at
this sudden anxiety. give thousand
pounds O. prime cow quarters-What's
up? The Rio Verde beat you crost
mother fill"
But the construction boss ignored
the question to anxiously scan the dis
tant dust yelled drove of burros.
Glow many loads you say you
got?"
Fifty jack loads" Ken replied grin
ming.
''Thank God!" FELTON, refined in and
wiped sweat from his sun Redeemed
care furrowed brow.
"The meat safe?" called out Cas-
sidy, the next to arrive.
The frontiersman stared little.
"Sure, it's safe. Amt you ct in a
week? What's eatin' you boys?"
Plenty" snapped FELTON,, heaving
an audible sigh of relief. "Some or
merry son of a buzzard has chunked
up the PEACHES. Bristed and two chain
men were chased into camp day before
yesterday with Jicarilla arrows in
their horses; only last night bunch
CT our Chink cooks were shot at when
they went to draw water at ella
Springs. It looks bad, 1 tell you
and I'm damn glad you're SAFE"
"Wire for troops?" The frontiers
man in buckskin suddenly abandoned
his joking manner and leaned forward
in the saddle, eyes narrowed in the
bright yellow sunshine.
"Sure. After the first attack we
burned up the wires to Fort Smith,
but the C. o. says two Of his troops
were chasing Navajos and he swears
he can't send a man till they get
back" FELTON, spat viciously in the
dust. "It don't help bit and the Rio
Verde crowd are getting fat on our
troubles. This Injun trouble is their
doing-they know we've got the short
est route, and they also know they
can't last two months without the
freight contracts that go to the first
road into Chamita."
In silence the red-haired ex-cava1ry-
man successfully scanned the three
railroad men. No doubt that deep and
genuine anxiety was written on their
various sun-darkened countenances.
"And that amt ALL" Cassidy said,
hopping his high pink forehead with
a stained blue bandanna. "The hull
damned camps hungry. Why? Well,
the chow amt been camin' through
from Volcano since five days now
Why? Cause the bridge over the
Little Prong Horn has been burnt by
a gang of gunner who draw checks
from the Rio Verde. If it weren't
for this meat O. yourn there'd be hell
to pay"
"You boys don't seem to be in nc
trouble at ALL" drawled the frontiers
man sympathetically. "Well, any
how, you've got enough fresh meat to
last you a few days. After that
you'd better get that bridge fixed
With them Jicarilla PEACHES on the
war path, huntin' from now on amt
goin' to be easy nor sure"
1t was under the most favorable OF
conditions no easy matter to keeI
track of the now wide scattered buff.
falo herds and if Apaches must be
fought off, there would certainly be
no fifty jack loads of meat next week
He was about to tell FELTON, so wher
the other looked up suddenly, tuggine
at his tobacco Drowned mustache.
"Say," he inquired, "did you see any
thing of a girl-a pretty one with
black hair and riding a bay horse
She went out for a ride this way. We
were looking for her."
81 allow 1 did," replied the frontiers
man, and to hide an inexplicable flush
turned sidewise in his saddle to study
the approaching meat train. "Tolt
her not long ago it want wise to &c
no further from Novedad."
"Noo the Laird's name be praised
grunted the third horseman, a rudy
featured Scottish engineer named Nc
Kenzie. Lucia NowelPs a sonsit
lassie and the camp is fair daft about
her. IT'S her that keeps road gang:
from quitting us cold and gangin' ovel
tae those high binders tae the west
of u.s."
While the railroad men called out
greetings to the dusty hunters whc
trotted up with rifles across their pom
nlels, Mckenzie went on:
"Losh, but she's darling. There's