The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-10-14


stormed, cor you'll swaller it
whole!"
THAT I won't do either" Coffee
said.
For moment Horse Dunn stared
at him blankly; then he sat down,
and the flame went out of his eyes,
giving place to something ugly. 81
can't stand for that, Coffee" he
said. "You know I can't stand for
that"
81 can't help that"
"You don't give me any choice"
said Horse Dunn thickly. "You sure
you want to stick to what you said?"
Naturally"
eff you don't want to work with
me-I've got along all right so far,
and I guess I'll be able to 60 on
struggling along. L"
"Wait," Billy began. "You-"
''Shut up, Wheeler" Coffee said.
you've acted like you've wanted
out of this ever since I got you in
it," Dunn clipped out. "All right
then-you're out! And you can send
me bill for what I owe."
Old Man Coffee stood up and
stretched himself, queer smile on
his face. "Just send me check for
a million dollars" he said. He saun-
tered out into the dark.
For a few moments after Old Man
Coffee had gone out, the "a people
sat silent, unable to realize that the
old lion hunter was no longer of
their number.
Horse Dunn reused himself. 81
always heard he was cracky. But
now he's gone cracked altogether.
I suppose the old fool won't even
stay the night-he'n go sleep in the
brush somewhere. Well, fair
enough! Somebody go catch him his
mule"
Two or three of them moved, but
Billy Wheeler wanted the job, and
he took it. He held lantern while
Coffee saddled his black mule. He
knew it was useless to try to get the
two old men together again, but he
felt that it was one of those things
that a man has to try. He kept
trying to think of an angle of ap-
proach, but Old Man Coffee, whose
packing up was easily done, was
ready to move out before Wheeler
had thought of way.
Old Man Coffee extended his hand.
"Well, so long, son."
'I'm almighty sorry" Wheeler
said, ''to see you leave this case.
You're needed here, if ever man
was"
Tough" said Old Man Coffee. He
Swung aboard the black mule and
sat looking down at Billy Wheeler
from the saddle. 81 kind of like
you, son. You seem to have a lit
tie more savvy than the others. So
here's something for you to keep
under your hat. I'm not out of this
case yet. I'm going to do one more
job before I go. I'm going to find
the murdered man."
''You think you cam"
Looks like l might. Horse Dunn
he amt in on this. He made a
fool of me, and himself too, when he
got bullheaded and held onto Ma
goon's saddle. I told him to turn
it in to the sheriff-but no, he had
to have his own way. This time I'm
running no chances. If find the
dead man, my next move will be to
take word to the sheriff"
"And then"
"And then I'm going off in the
brush and sleep for week."
''But look here! Do you realize.
if you do that the Inspiration crowd
will be holding every card in the
deck? Where does the "a come in?"
That's your worry. But I'll help
you this much: you be up on Lost
Whiskey Butte tomorrow about an
hour after sun-up. Tomorrow's GO
ing to be my last days work on this
case-I hope. And we'll see what
we'll see."
''I'll be there" Wheeler said.
"And don't you bring Horse Dunn
or any of his hired men either.
Or by golly, I'll"
"Okay."
When he was gone Billy Wheeler
climbed to the top rail of the cor
raj, where he sat despondently eye
ing the horizon stars. For the first
time he felt an overwhelming sense
of the GAS helplessness against odds.
Everything had gone against Horse
| Dunn; the outfit was confused, dis
organized, at loss.
One question stood out largely in
his mind. Where was Bob Flagg?
To Billy Wheeler it seemed thac
the appearance of Bob Flagg, and
this alone, could give them any
chance to extricate the "a from the
trap it was in.
Marian Dunn, he noticed, still
stood talking to Val Douglas, linger-
ing outside the door of the ranch
house. In the stiffness of the night
| he could hear the low continuous
murmur of Vars voice, talking
steadily-doubtless in his own be-
half. And he could see Marian's
lowered profile against the yellow
light of a window pane. 1t was
curious how every suggested line of
that girl, every least bend of her
head could move Billy Wheeler,
| twist him inside.
Then a strange thing happened
strange in that Billy Wheeler had al
most a forenotice of it. AS he sat
there alone in the dark he now found
| himself keenly aware of the peopled
layout about him-aware of the ex-
act location of the men in the bunk
house, of the ponies in the corrals.
1t was peculiar sensation, as if
he were suddenly more awake than
before, as awake as a man in a
ring battle. or man in danger.
And especially he was aware of
| the dark, silent brush country at