The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1941-06-20
CHAPTER V-Continued

"oo very loNely, nlgh-HSht-
ed by the little fire. He laced his
hand together to stop their shaking.
Tonight told you father what I'm
gong to do. My idea is to give
Thorpe his own medicine, and force
1t down him until he's finished; a
wild bunch of our own, tougher than
his, made up of men that hate him
to the ground"
And them"
Raid and countcr-raid, and what
he's taken, take back Until his
credit busts, and his varmints drop
from around him, and he's just one
man, so that another man can walk
against him with a six-gun, and
know that when that's done he's fin
1shed for sure :"
Bill, are you crazy? You can't
you can't
His voice was bleak; it could hard
~ be heard. He was looking at his
hands. We've talked too many
years of what couldn't be done, or
how. Until now, Dusty's out there
tonight, under that stone pile-and
still nothing to be done. l reckon
it's my turn to ride, now"
"But-all his outfits-his sheriffs,
his men"
They'll quit, as he breaks. I'm
going after Cleve Tanner first, in the
Big Bend; and when I'm through
with him, Thorpe won't be able TO
throw feeder herd on the trail.
Then Walk Lasham, in the north,
where they're already hurt for lack
of the Crying Wolf-until-"
His words were monotoned, bat
Jody Gordon, bred and born to the
gaunt Texan plains, knew what a
wild bunch was, and what it meant
to so against Ben Thorpe by his own
means.
Jody said, "And-what about us?"
"Jody, was hoping-I was hop
ing you'd swing with me-"
What way is there for me to
swing with your"
"This may take a long time; but
it won't take forever. Some day
all these war clouds will be cleared
away. And-if you could see it my
way, maybe you'd let me come back
10 you then.
There seemed to be no breath in
Jody's voice. "Im Supposed to wait
around, and think well of you, while
you gang with the wild bunch in a
crazy, useless feud that you can't
VIM"
In the uncertain light of the fire
Bill Roper's eyes could not be seen;
his face was a mask painted by the
embers, He found nothing that he
could say.
Suddenly Jody Jared up. Her eyes
blaZed, and her hair strcamed back
from her face as Size sat up, as if
she rode in tie wind.
You can't, you can't! l won't
let you-it isn't fair, nor right, nor
decent"
Its what l have TO do"
Jody stopped as if she had been
struck. When she spoke again her
voice was low and even, and so
stony hard that he would not have
recognized it.
Il don't believe you. l think to-
morrow you'll be telling ne that all
this isn't 50. But if you do mean it
if you 90 on and Go as you say
then you and l are through, and /
don't want TO see you again, or
hear your voice. We've had ev-
erything; and you're throwing it all
away :"
The freight caught thc CLINT of her
tears, and she turned away, head
up, with a toss of her hair so that
its brown mist hid her face from
him.
BIZ 6.G:t cay anything. He had
turr ,v-f1Cel. and he stared into
the ,.,.s. Presently, as he watched
the fire, lie saw again rift OF brush,
i'm which a little boy hid like a rab-
bit; and gently grinning face, that
was through with grinr.ng now. lie
thought of Dry Camps story:
Seemed like he'd never fall e"
Roper got up silently, and went
ous Of the house.
Lew Gordon was playing solitaire
when Bill Roper got back to the
little shack by the loading pens.
Roper took oil his hat, tossed it
aside. and sat down.
I'VE can just as wei iGuIc up the
terms OF the split
"What did Jody say?'
"Shc's quitting me, Lew
"What the devil clss can you OK
poet her 60 do, if you 20 on with
this wild. stubborn
u couldn't expect anything else"
Lew Gordon looked baGlcd; obvi-
ouzly he had counted on JCdy to
turn back Bill Roper
"You ready TO draw up the
terms
Ilardly sccns it can be done in
minute. ICu take a few days to-"
"Tm leaving in the morning My
terms arc few and simple. You
can work out the details any way
that suits yourself
Lets hear your idea Of it."
"I don't figure to take much with
nc. Roper said But there are
some things ! need. First thing, /
want seven Of our camps in Texas"
cvy Gordon stared at the table.