The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1942-05-21

ment, Irby seemed not so belliger-
ent.
ST got a couple pups to KILL" he
said raSpingly. "You fellows been
in town today? Slash Oxweld was
murdered - plumb murdered! - by
two tramp cowboys. If you was in
town-talk up!"
Goodness me! We got nothing to
hide!" Caramba cried. 1--WE
watched the whole business and
we're willing to talk. Not because
you say to, sabe? You want to watch
that habit of yours, Mister Irby, be-
ing so crowdsome and handing out
powders so gay! But it did happen
that we saw our wagon boss, Gale
Goree, push Slash around allasame
ip boy steering pig with
switch"
He shook his head in the way of
one meditating.
81 bet you that made Slash mad
at Goree. Goree wanted him to pull
his big pistol, you see. But Slash
set out to fool him: he wouldn't do
it,"
$50 - Con picked up the tale
drawlingly-"Slash had to try some
thing to blow up his balloon again.
AS soon as he was certain that Go
rec and the other Wheelers had got
long way out of Onopa, he hunted
a safe man to kill-any old way. He
picked the youngest, tenderest cow
boy he could find. He thought it
was a good pick, a safe pick. But
it turned out that it was a sharp
pick. Another false alarm was with
Slash and he got out with his hide
but that hide had hole in it."
His hand twitched smoothly and
Irby stiffened before the cooked pis-
toll.
81 wouldn't try slapping leather,
Irbyl" Con said evenly. "Reach up
and take hold of your big, ugly
ears!" Con lifted his Colt and aimed
at Irby's belt.
Irby's hands went up as if jerked
by a string. He blinked incredu-
lousy, swallowed, began to stam-
mer thickly. Caramba went hum
ming to jerk the gun from Irby's
holster. There was shorter pistol
in a shoulder holster under the pris-
oner's coat, long bowie knife
sheathed between his shoulder
blades, derringer in the watch
pocket of his pants. Con watched
the disarming with brooding calm.
Then he handed Caramba his pistol
and went three steps to stand be-
fore Irby.
"The more I look at you," he said
between his teeth, "the more I don't
like thing about you! So"
His hand shot out to rake down
Irby's face from forehead to chin.
Irby swore furiously and struck at
him. Con swayed to the side and
twisted. He drove his left to Irby' S
belly and jerked the taller man
down, hooked right and left flashing
ly to Irby's neck under the ears,
then stepped back. Irby slipped to
his knees, but scrambled up and
came in a clumsy rush at him.
Irby was staggering, mouth open,
too winded even to curse. AS coldly
as an executioner, Con moved to the
precise position he wanted, then
smashed him exactly on the box
er's button" Irby came down
loosely, like a dropped jumping jack.
Con turned to find Caramba staring
| at him with an odd, narrow-eyed in
tentness.
"Por dios!" the red-headed punch
er said explosively. ct do believe
| Topeka Tension stumbled onto some
body exactly the kind they been
saying the Busted Wheelers run to!
You never looked $3.50 damn
deadly, Con, even when you bucked
Slash Oxweld!"
"They get under my skin!" Con
snarled furiously. "Dud Paramore!
Gloomy Megeath! Slash Oxweld!
This! And the like of that thieving
outfit at Wild Horse-Nobby, for
one! They swagger it and you'd
think nobody around amounted to a
boot but their kind. And most OF
'em are towards of one kind or an
other, if they're pushed. Buzz Up
perman, or Nevil Lowe, or a lot OF
other men who don't blow and strut
plenty of plain cowboys-have got
more CUTS than pastureful of these
two-by-four thieves-Now, / reckon
we nights well pull out for the
house. Wen be late-No! Let's give
people a chance to see him the
right way. Here!"
(TO BE CONTINUED)