The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1942-03-19

Riding, are your? Welsh asked
Con. "You can side us, if you are so
minded. We're cutting stick, too.
Maybe for Faith. No never mind
whichaway. Just saddle lobos!"
"Glad to side you," said Con.
"Barkeep, I am buying this one"
Quirk Ellis seemed to have de-
cided to bide his time. He said
nothing when Con asked with exag-
gerated politeness for the "pleas-
ure of his company outside. He
came to stand before the hitch rack,
f1orid face blank. Con broke the
shotgun in shelter of Pancho, ex-
tracted the shells and put them in
his pocket. With the carbine across
his arm, he set the shotgun at the
hitch-rack end and tossed a dollar
to the bartender, who stood sourly
behind Ellis.
The four swung into their saddles.
For several days they rode slowly
westward, missing the towns, get
ting tobacco and meals at little pla-
zitas, or stopping overnight at some
small ranch. They were in no hur-
ry, Con least of all.
At the little ranch they talked
with a blue-eyed, red-haired Next
can deputy sheriff. He was friend
ly and talkative soul, this MARITIME
Palafox. A shrewd and efficient
man, too, Con decided; his quick
glances missed very little. He
was riding from Anthony to Faith on
an errand for his superior, the sher-
Tiff.
In the slow talk, he spoke of Tt
van, farther west; good little town,
he called it; salty little town. Mi
lam FAINT, marshal of a half-dozen
hell-roaring cowtowns up and down,
had come home to be sheriff. Mar
tino spoke admiringly of Fant's gun
play.
"He's what my people call I'm bru-
jo-a wizard. About as slick as
they come. heard that he had a
deputy in Wild Horse named Dyna-
mite Downes, about as fast. That's
hard to believe
'How about Nevil Lower" Con
asked carefully. "Is he fast?"
"Wen, he's always been fast
enough. But l wouldn't put him
anywhere's near a Milan FAINT. Uh-
uh. But Nevils one of them fellows
as calm as a cat in the sun. Awful
hard to fgure-and he's figuring all
the time. He's stood and just looked
himself out of lots of scrapes a
shaky man would've killed some
body in, or got killed himself. If
you're figuring on hitting him up for
jobs, he's one of the best to ride
for. Him and his sister both, they're
fine people"
Con called to mind the pretty face
of that dark-haired, dark-eyed girl,
small and graceful, admired in Wild
Horse. A sister, not wife !.
And Nevil Lowe was a good man to
The Raniers, Lee Welsh, and Con
slept on narrow porch at the back
of the house. Con heard them talk
ing after all had rolled in their
blankets; but they kept their voices
down so that he caught only mutter-
ings. He forgot them, presently. Tt
van sounded interesting.
He tried to recall what Hugh Nor
ris had said at one time or another,
over a period of years, about Tivan.
But he could remember nothing def
mite. At some time, his uncle had
been in Tivan and exciting, interest
ing things had happened. But Con
could not piece together the bits OF
stories to make them explain Hugh
Norris. ALI he could recall was his
boyish conviction that Tivan must
be a wonderful place to see, and his
determination to go there some day
Now, he was going. Nevil Lowe
had a ranch in the neighborhood
And certainly he had saved
Nevil loves life in Wild Horse
1t was pleasant to look forward tc
meeting Lowe. He had no intention
of introducing himself as loves res.
cuer. But he could inquire about the
| herd and loves trouble with Asa
Brock, then remark casually that he
had thought a bowling ball or two
might help. And what was the pref
ty sisters name? Janet!
Through the quick breakfast, Cor
found Martina watching him. Blu
he said nothing more. All of then
saddled, Andy the rancher to ride
northward with MARITIME. The res
of them went west.
fTO BE CONTINUED