The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-10-14
CATTLE KINGDOM
CHAPTER VH-Continued

3
Walt Amos turned his back on
them, and stood staring out into the
sun-blasted street. That street was
curiously empty - unwholesomely
empty, so that nobody who had seen
the crowd there could look at that
street now without knowing that
something was irregular, something
wrong.
''Move out, them" the sheriff said.
'tDrag your freight and drag it
quick. Keep going. Five minutes
from now I don't want you in this
town."
Horse Dunn chuckled in his short
beard and hitched his belt up. Slow
1y he sauntered past the deputies,
staring at each of them with an
open insolent amusement as he
passed; then he shouldered out, a
huge hulk that filled the whole
frame of the door.
Unhurrying, the "a men made
their way along the main street of
Inspiration, around the corner to
their car.
But as the dust of Inspiration
kicked out from under their tires
they knew that they had put behind
them violence that was not avoid
ed, but only delayed.
BY the time they reached the
ranch it was already late afternoon,
and the tall Tuscaroras were send
ing vast, vague fingers of shadow
about the layout of the "a, while the
high eastern horizon was still bright
ly brassy in the sun. Marian did not
come out to meet them. Hunting
around, Horse Dunn presently sight
ed her sitting on the fence of a
little empty corral, hidden from the
house by the barns. He walked out
to climb the fence beside her; and
Billy Wheeler, tired of people
got his razors out.
Here Horse presently came look
ing for him. The old cow boss
walked in slowly, and closed the
door after him. He sat down on
the edge of the bunk with the move
ments of a man a hundred years
old; and he covered his face with
his hands.
''You know what she said to me?"
he demanded.
Nope"
'T went out to where she's sitting
on that corral. just wanted to tell
her about Rufe Deane throwing
down his deputy badge, and the way
they cleared the street. / thought
maybe if she'd seen it all she'd
know what we're up against. So I
went out there and said, Marian
That was all said. She never even
looked at me- And pretty soon she
says-'You're making this country
run red.
Suddenly Billy Wheeler felt a de-
tached pity for this old man and this
girl. He was able to see what Horse
Dunn could not: that the girl was
curiously dependent upon this old
man, who looked like her father;
was dependent upon him in more
ways than she was aware. And
both were deeply hurt, at loss, be-
cause they could not understand
each other.
He could not see much chance
that the girl would learn to under
stand either Horse Dunn or the dry
country men whom he faced. Horse
Dunn was what the dry country had
made him; and there was no longer
anything in the old mans life ex-
cept the cow kingdom he had
dreamed, and tried to build, for her.
A slight noise was heard and Old
Man Coffee came in gloomily and
threw his coiled dog whip on the
floor.
81 haven't actually hit a dog with
that thing for over nine days." he
offered. "But I swear I come close
to hitting one tonight. That old fool
makes me so cusSed-"
Coffee" Dunn interrupted, "you
haven't been here long; but you've
trailed and back-trailed, and pro-
NOTED all over this place with those
long-eared hounds. Now tell me one
thing: do you see any show of find
ing out who killed Lon Magoon?"
Old Man Coffee dropped into
chair and considered for several
long moments. "No," he said at
last.
t'Why?" Dunn demanded.
Somebody, some place, may
have killed Lon Magoon, for all 1
know But he sure wasn't killed at
Short Crick."
For once in his life old Horse
Dunn's jaw dropped. Look here!
You wouldn't go to fooling with
me?"
81 don't always know what I'm
talking about. This time / know"
''But the saddle"
''I don't question it was Magoon's
saddle; 1 only say it was different
man was killed in it."
Again Horse stared at Coffee;
then he relaxed a little, and sat
down on the bunk. Coffee" he
said, eff you're so dead sure, in
God name tell us what you know!"
Coffee squinted his deep-set eyes
at Dunn. 81 sore-footed a good dog,
and like to killed a mule, getting
over here to help you with this case.
! don't ask for that to be appre-
ciated. But I'm getting a little tired
of answering all the questions
around here!"
Horse looked baff1ed. whats the
matter with your"
''Im tired of being lied to, for
one thing"
who's lied to your"
more than one, right here on this
place. Dunn, there's too many
things not open to the eye around
here to suit mel"
Coffee" said Horse Dunn with
out belligerence, what in all hell