The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-09-23


er before the cattle paved out the
sign. But-there's one man mixed
into this that knows too much about
trails to have left one himself-even
if he'd been there" They fell 81
lent, while the Woodworking engine
threw the rack of the road behind
them in big spasms and gouts of
dust; and far ahead presently
showed the faint disturbance on the
plain which was Inspiration.
Inspiration consisted principally
of main street, backed by few
score houses, some of them neatly
painted, with tree or two; many
simply implanted shacks.
To stranger the town would not
have seemed so full of people as
Tulare Callahan's report perhaps
suggested. But Billy Wheeler at
once recognized a dozen or more
cars which would not ordinarily
have been there, and about an equal
number of doing cow ponies. And
as the "a cars pulled up in front
of the little frame building that
housed the county office-Wheeler
noticed small inconspicuous stir in
doorways, a too casual moving to-
gether of spur-heeled loungers at
two or three places along the street.
Billy Wheeler caught Hor e
Dunn's signal as he slid his roadster
to stop. He stepped down from
the wheel and walked forward to
Dunn's car.
eve want to all kind of keep to-
gether, here, as we move into this, "
Horse Dunn said casually. 81 don't
think there's going to be any trou-
BILE of any kind. Still wish Bob
Flagg had got here. There aren't
so many of us as there has been
some years"
The sheriff pulled up and stepped
to the sidewalk.
Court won't open yet for little
Bit" he said. ''You, Wheeler, park
yourself around here close. You're
lucky not to be in the lookup, by
God! You, Dunn, I'll speak to you
inside. I've got couple of ques-
tons I figure to ask"
"Al right" Horse Dunn said.
"Come on, folks"
"The rest of you stay outside, "
Sheriff Amos said. you're the one
I aim to talk to, Dunn
Horse Dunn looked up and down
the street, noting how the groups of
booted loungers had grown. Hardly
a doorway in that street was empty
now. Wheeler saw Dunn run quick
glance along the second story win
dows across the street. Dunn turned
to his car, relaxed, casual.
Marian, take this here car
around the corner, and park it; then
wait there, until someone brings
word"
Marian glanced once, questioning
", at her uncle, then once more, al
most despairingly, at Billy Wheeler.
Then the car numbered away in the
dust as she obeyed.
Horse Dunn turned with curious
mildness to the sheriff. ST don't fig
ure to give any answers, Amos, that
wouldn't just as leave my outfit
would hear
The Old Man of the "a stood
Notwithstanding a little, al
most bland; but the confidence of a
lifelong dominance was in the easy
set of his enormous shoulders, so
that he seemed then bigger than the
town, bigger than the range.
The sheriff hesitated; he knew
what he was up against. Abruptly
he burst out, 81 decide these things
here!"
The mild mask fell away. ''Then
give your orders to people you can
boss" Dunn snarled at him.
Walt Amos sized up the situation,
then stood for a moment with a
blank face. Then-the young sheriff
grinned, not sheepishly, and not irri-
tably, but with the interested hui
NOR of man who plays his own
game against another's.
"Oh, all right, Dunn" he said; 81
don't set any great store on that
point. / haven't got any of my fell
lers with mel don't need 'em; but
maybe you need some. Bring 'em
on!"
In effect, Horse Dunn had backed
Sheriff Walt Amos down; but Horse
admitted afterward that it was here,
in the backdown, that the young
sheriff had first commanded his re-
spect. He grunted an assent. BILLY
The others moved forward, but
he waved them back; and Dunn,
with Wheeler and Coffee, followed
Amos into the little old adobe that
held the sheriff's office.
Dunn" said Sheriff Amos, "you
were the first man found out there'd
been a killing at Short Crick. That
was Tuesday-three days ago. Right
off you sent Tulare Callahan here,
to wire Old Man Coffee, clear
around at McTarnahan. Dunn, why
did you send for Old Man Coffee?"
81 sent for Old Man Coffee" said
Dunn, Ito find out who was making
free on my range. To tell you the
truth, didn't figure you numbskulls
was equal to handling it."
"Then it wasn't your idea," said
the sheriff, "to get him here to seize
and suppress evidence?"
when / want to seize some
thing" Horse Dunn told him, 81
won't be sending for some old guy
the other side of two ranges of
mountains. I'll just seize it."
where were you riding Monday,
DUNN"
Monday I was riding Red Sleep
Ridge"
"And when," the sheriff shot at
him, Ibid you first learn that Lon
Magoon was camping on "a ranger"
Horse Dunn did not hesitate for
a fraction of a second. Yesterday