The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-10-28

picking It's way, ana OLD ROCK Sink
ing close behind.
They sat there for what seemed
like an endless time. Billy Wheeler
| tried to talk to break the sad ter
rible stiffness, but this place smoth-
cred the words in his throat.
The first stars were showing when
Old Man Coffee came back to them
| at last, his black mule moving like
a lean tall shadow among shadows.
He came close to them, then for a
moment sat silent, looking back
over his shoulder the way he had
come; and Wheeler knew that he
was futilely seeking words for what
he had to say.
Long before the old man spoke
they knew he had found what he
had sought.
'It's Bob Flagg," Old Man Coffee
said.
Horse Dunn accepted the news
that Flagg was dead more quietly,
more steadily, than Wheeler had ex-
pected.
"How was he killed." Dunn
| asked.
"By shotgun; the same as Cay
use Cayetano."
where's Coffee?"
Coffee, Wheeler had found, could
not be persuaded to return with
them to the "a. It was Coffee's be-
lief that Dunn had made a serious
| mistake when he had chosen to hold
Magoon's saddle instead of turning
it in to the sheriff.
"The sheriff will be out here in
the morning, sure" Wheeler said.
81 think Walt Amos means to be
fair. But there's better than hun
dred men in Inspiration, all out of
outfits that hate the a. Amos is
sitting on stove, and it's getting
hotter every minute"
''Let him come"
"Any more dope on the Cayetano
killing?"
81 sent Gil Baker to Ace Springs.
But he hasn't come back"
"Val Douglas went to Pahranagat,
did he?"
''He left this morning. suppose
it'll be late tomorrow night before
he gets back-maybe longer. Steve
and Tulare and me, we spent the
day prospecting around in the Tus-
carora foothills, here"
"And didn't find anything" Wheel
er supposed.
Billy" said Horse Dunn, "there's
somebody been Sinking around
over there. We found the ashes
of two different fires. And I'm not
a damn bit sure there isn't some
body proving around there
yet"
''Now who the devil would that
be?"
''That's just tive don't know
who that would be. I guess-it
doesn't matter, now"
They had expected Sheriff Walt
Amos to appear in the course of
the night, or at least no later than
the first light; but it was noon be-
fore Amos appeared. He again
came alone, as he had come after
Billy Wheeler.
At the "a he found only Horse
Dunn and Billy Wheeler, for Steve
Hurley and Tulare Callahan were in
the Tuscaroras in search of the un-
known prowler now believed to be
hiding there; Val Douglas and Gil
Baker had not yet returned; and
Marian was out with her pony. Walt
Amos climbed out of his car and
walked slowly to the gallery of the
cook shack, where the "a people
happened to be. They awaited him
in silence.
Horse" said Walt Amos, ''the
time has come when can't put off
acting no more"
"What have you done with Gil
Baker," Horse Dunn demanded.
"He's in Inspiration. We had to
take him in"
els he hurt?"
"Not bad. He came prowling
around Ace Springs, where Cage
tano was killed, and one of the depu-
ties hollered to him to halt, but he
made run for it. They had to
throw down on him before he'd give
himself up. Turned out he was
shot in the leg"
You're getting almighty high
handed around here, Amos!"
Sorry. But I reckon it's going
to seem still little more so. Dunn,
l got to take you in"
son what charger" +.
"Held for questioning; concerning
murder
Horse Dunn stood up, his thumbs
hooked in his belt, and his eyes
rolled slowly over the foothills OF
the Tuscaroras; it seemed to Wheel
er that he was looking for sign.
Now Dunn answered him at last,
and Wheeler saw that somehow, in
the course of the night, the old man
had been able to prepare himself
for this thing. "When you want to
move out?" he asked.
"I'd like to get on back as soon
as you're ready, Dunn
And now out of trail that wound
through the tall buckbruSh back OF
the layout a rider came. His horse
| was ds 4Olet IulIiiiiS VAIN, Oo'
the animal shone wet with sweat,
and from under the edges of the
saddle blanket the lather rolled. II
was Tulare Callahan.
He rode directly to the cook
shack gallery and swung down.
Horse, I've seen Lon Magoon!''
he announced.
"Tulare, are you sure?"
'We only sighted him far off on a
high ridge, at better'n mile. But
Horse, / knew him as sure as
know my name. His horse looked
like that good sorrel of ours, we
call Brandy. We signed him to
come and talk, but he sloped. We
took out after him hell for leather