The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1942-04-09

morning across ridge and down
slope toward another spur of the
Lobos. On a dim cross-trail three
Mexicans travelled with train of
barros lightly burdened. They had
been to Tonadura to sell mesquite
roots and were going home, still
fifteen miles distant.
Con rode on, but jeff stayed talk
ing. When he came at the gallop to
rejoin Con, he was roaring with
amusement, carrying his hat, which
jingled as he shook it.
Fourteen dollars!" he gasped.
''Was they took back when I put old
Colonel Colt to gaping at 'em! I
left 'em dollar apiece SOS they
can buy drinks and forget trouble. "
"Wait-a-minute!" Con cried.
''You mean you robbed those poor,
Woodworking devils?"
"Let 'em grub some more mes
quite!" jeff said cheerfully. "It's
good, healthy work. This amt much,
but every dollar of it's round and
will roll. Ne mind how you get it,
if you get it,"
Con looked at the Mexicans fifty
yards away. One sat upon the
ground with heads in hands, the
very image of utter despair. jeff
was serenely dividing the silver. He
recalled what MARITIME Palafox had
said of him, that if he were crossed
he was dangerous. He thought he
had best try persuasion-first.
''This is certainly going to make
you out the New Jesse James, to
Dud's forty-fve calibre crowd" he
drawled. "Dud'l ask you what
you've been doing. You'll say: Why,
we just stuck up three great, big,
fierce mesquite grubbers, and looky
what we got-fourteen real dollars!"
He shook his head as jeff stared
uncertainty, kneed Pancho over and
took the hat. Pancho jumped into
the gallop and the Mexicans looked
up as he charged down at them.
''No tengo mucho Espanol!" he
said, smiling at them. II don't have
much Spanish. But my friend make
joke with this money. Here! You
take. Good, now?"
The man who was still holding his
head hopelessly looked up incredu-
lousy. Then he ran to Cons STIR
rup, waving his hands and fairly
spluttering. A younger Mexican
grinned at Con.
''He say got sick wife-got hunger
very much need hard work money
this. Bad if other man take-one
time he kill him. Now-muy bien!
He good friend for you-make help
sometime"
They were still shouting thanks
and goodbyes and waving when he
and jeff rode over the next ridge.
Con looked expectantly at his COM
panion, but jeff seemed to have for
gotten the matter. But when Con
began practice of the quick draw,
he watched critically.
"Por dios!" jeff said at last.
you're plenty smooth and speedy.
How-come you never slapped leather
with Quirk Ellison them marshals
in Wild Horse?"
Scared to-" Con told him SOL
EMMY. "They might be faster. Then
where would I be? No haven't
got the slightest itch to be a gun
fighter, or collect notches. But in
a hard-case country, I'm going to be
able to hold my own. When I was
no more than knee-high to a short
Winchester, knew where my uncle
kept his hogleg. I used to sneak it
out and practice. But he caught me,
when I was about seventeen. And
he showed me handful of things;
ways of cutting splits of seconds
off the draw. He mustn've been hell
on wheels, before he settled down."
They came in early afternoon to
log cabin on the bank of swift,
shallow creek, where five men
played cards at the door.
A lanky, yellow-haired cowboy on
the log doorstep grinned at them.
The others turned to look them over.
Con understood that their coming
had been expected.
"Close squeak you had" the lanky
cowboy said-as to old acquaint-
ances. "Bet you heard hell gates
a-fapping when the strangers
dragged out that Legitimate, FAINT,
and the rest, and just missed you
ALL"
''It was too close" JEFF admitted,
swinging off.
"And when you got clear, you
knowed there was just one safe