Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1936-08-07
TENTH INSTALMENT

0--
tana Wade an a jasper called Spike,
back at Jake Butterfield's. They
come Dustin in 1oud-mouthed an
bossy like an told Jake that Spelle
wanted all the $3.50 cartridges he
had in the ionjt. Addin' that crack
TO the one Pink heard them dry
gulchers made last night about
rushin' the randh here an cleanin'
up the whole shebang, l fingered
mebbe it'd be a purity good idee to
lorral that ammunition ourselves.
So l sorta argued 'em outa it an
brought it along"
"Oh-yuh did, huh?" rumbled
Delevan peering intently at Johnny.
"Yuh musta done some damn fast
talkin'."
"Tollable - tollable," nodded
Johnny, II don't allus SHUTTER when
l got somethin' real important to
say"
'Hi-rumph!" Delevan cleared his
throat again. "Yuh never out-argu-
ed Montana Wade without KILN
him. l know that jasper too we'll"
did l say l didn't kill him?"
asked Johnny i~nnocently..
At this statement a squeak Of 10Y
broke from Pink Crosby and he
leaped upon Johnny to belabor him
joyfully on the back.
"Oh> dang yore miserable hide"
chortled Pink. "lohnny, if yuh
clicked off that DANCED snake-in-
the-grass l love yuh like a brother .
Couldn't help: it," remarked
Johnny soberly. "He went fer his
hawg-laig first. An then this Spike
hombre was backin' his play. He
got out o it lucky.,I jest smashed
his shoulder. l reckon that evens
the count fer you and Pod, Pink"
."I'll tell a mar it does" declared
Pink fervently. 'Wait till olePod
hears O. this. He'll get well over
night"
Hope SO. By the way-mebbe
we better bring Pod up to the house
here l got a bunch we re due fer a
visit from Spelle an his crowd. An
say, Jim,. accordin' to Jake Butter
field ole Spelle offered him five
hundred dollars if he'd refuse to
sell yuh any more supplies"
Damn him!" rasped Delevan.
"An' what did Jake tell him?".
*Told him to go jump in the
lake"
GOOD fer Jake. I won't fergit
that. Dunno but what yuh're right
about bringin' Pod up to the house,
Can he be moved, Doc?"
AYE" nodded McMurdo. IF it
is necessary"
Looks like it's damn necessary.
Johnny, yuh an Pink 80 down
with Doc an fix up a stretcher outa
blankets. I'll have Chang git a bed
in shape. An bring all the shootin'
irons around the clubhouse with
yuh. If Spelle wants a argument
he's shore due to git it."
Twenty minutes later Pod For
tune, still unconscious, was safely
reposing in the ranchhouse. Johnny
had prevailed on Jim Delevan to
abandon his beloved porch corner
and have his chair wheeled inside.
Now that grim old warrior was sit
ting at the edge of a ofrnt window,
a loaded Winchester across his
knees and a open box of ammuni-
ton at his elbow. Pink Crosby,
similarly armed, patrolled the rear
windows, which looked out on the
slope of the plateau, while Doc Nc
Murdo, who had gruffly announced
his intention of seeing it through
with his friends, sat in the same
room with Delevan, glazing dourly
at the gulf of the desert. For him
self Johnny was in the kitchen de-
vouring the meal Ronny had pre-
pared for him.
He was doing his best to keep
Ronny from s~uspecting the true
state of affairs but she, with her
cleverness and intuition, would not
be thwarted.
Johnny" she said, standing at
his elbow. Something terrible is
about to happen. Tell me now, wha,
is it,"
Johnny tried unsuccessfully to
avoid both her searching eyes and
equally searching words. He had
to capitulate in the end.
'Well Ronny," he mumbled fin
ally. "It's like this. Species crazy
mad-must be. We've licked him
at every urn O the trail. He's get