The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-09-02

Horse Dunn now tried to explain
to Old Man Coffee why Link Bend
er's coyote ring could be counted on
to make the most out of mystery
killing as weapon against the "a;
but Coffee interrupted him.
ST take it, all you want me to
find out" said Old Man Coffee, sis
what happened to who, what for,
and who done it. That cover it?"
"And where is the killer now,"
Dunn added
Old Man Coffee locked bony fin
gers behind his bald head, and sat
staring out the window. who's been
over the ground?" he suddenly de-
manded.
''Walt Amos, the sheriff. Link
Bender. His boy, they call the Kid.
My cowboys here-though I didn't
let them trample the sign. An In
dian deer hunter by the name of
Cayuse Cayetano."
Coffee pricked up his ears at the
last name. "Cayetano," he repeat
ed. ''How long has this Cayetano
been over here?"
"About two years, going on three.
Had relatives among the Pintwater
Piutes; they took him in
''He used to be over in the Frying
Pan Country" Old Man Coffee said.
"What sweet character he is!
Got run out of the Frying Pan by
common consent. That was about
a year after he beat up the Chinese
girl. He"
"Can he track?"
"He couldn't track a barrel of
tar through "a" Coffee stopped. He
looked angry and disgruntled. 'No,"
he corrected himself, "that amt so.
He's a good tracker. He's bet
ter than that-he's a great track
er. Maybe the best I've ever SEEN"
Hes pretty good, is he?" asked
Dunn.
81 think he can smell a cold
trail like a hound" Coffee said
grouchily, "and make a fool of the
hound. Or maybe he just guesses.
But I can tell you this-Cayuse
Cayetano will go through this case
a-whistling."
Whats the answer them"
"Oh, suppose I'll have to go out
and take look, and mess around,
and make fool of myself" Old
Man Coffee growled. First thing,
I'll get it all right-if Cayetano
hasn't got it, already. After that I'll
find out where the killers horse
come out of the crick. That ought
to be enough for one day; when I've
done that I'll come home to sup
per-"
''When you going? Now"
"Sure I'm going now. When did
you suppose?"
well go with you as soon as
you're ready to start. I"
''The hell you WILL" said Coffee.
81 only got one dog that won't call
me a fool if I tell him to trail
horse. That's old Rock, and he's
funny. If he thinks people is watch
ing him he fourishes around trying
to look smart, and don't get any,
thing done. Give me one cowboy
that's seen the ground-one that'l
come home when I send him. And
you stay here"
"Oh, WE'LL" Horse Dunn grum-
bled, "suit yourself. I'm only the
victim in this case"
"Well, give me horse, give me
horse-we going to sit here all
day."
For once Horse Dunn did as he
was told. Glumly he watched Old
Man Coffee go jogging out of the
layout, the black hound DIGGING it
at the pony's heels.
"Will he find the saddle?" Wheeler
asked.
81 suppose So" said Horse Dunn
gloomily. "But damnation! Much
as it means to me, pretty near
hope he won't. The cocky old
snorti"
81 guess I'll saddle a pony and
take a look around here myself"
Wheeler said.
'sWait a minute" Horse Dunn
said. There's something different
l want you to do"
Billy Wheeler waited, but Horse
Dunn seemed to hesitate. 81 WISH"
he said at last, slowly, 81 wish you'd
talk to that girl"
Wheeler was startled. "Talk to
her? About what, Horse?"
'Well, I'll tell you," Horse Dunn
CROPPED. cts this way" He hest
tated; out among the barns could
be heard the grief-stricken hullaba-
loo of the hounds Coffee had left
behind.
"You two had some kind of a fall
out, didn't your" Wheeler asked.
"You might call it that" Horse
Dunn shrugged. "She doesn't un-
derstand the way you have to han
die things on this range. And now
she's down on me for blasting Link
Bender free of his gum
Marian Dunn had been born in
this house in which they now sat;
she was the daughter of Horse
Dunn's brother who had once run
the "a. But her father had died
when Marian was five years old,
and, so far as Wheeler knew, Mar
ian Dunn had since visited the "a
but once in her life-two years ago,
when she was eighteen.
''Why, she can't hardly even be-
lieve that this country is here"
Dunn continued. They've taught
her that the country is all settled
up-and they're right. Only, they
don't understand this dry country,
where a steer walks a rod for a
blade of grass, and hundred
square miles supports one outfit.
When they think of the West they
think of some place like Montana,
where you can fence whole herd
on five sections of grass and watch
,apo thrive She can't See her Oh &C