The Ely miner., 1942-12-10

laughing.
He got up then, dressed and ran
his fingers through wild thatch OF
dark red hair, cooked his hat on at
an angle which bespoke an interest
in life and full approval of it, and
stepped along outside. And just as
he got outside the door Long Peters,
the stage driver, was calling down
from his high seat.
''All aboard, folks. Here we CO."
It was then that Cole Cody saw
Ann Lee stepping up into the stage.
He did catch the most fieeting OF
glances from her eyes under the
long, demure lashes, and noted how
the pink of her cheeks was as soft
as the softest of apple-blossom col
ors tinting the eastern sky.
Hold on there!" shouted Cole Co
dy, and bore down on the stage at
run. He called back to the hostler
who had just lent hand with hitch
ing up, Keep my horse until come
back" and jerked the stage door
open.
eff you're comm along, pardner,"
said Long Peters, his whip poised
ready for the long shaking out OF the
lash into the pistol-like crack that
would start his team off like shot,
"climb up here. No more room In
side"
Cole Cody didn't make out clearly
who the other inside passengers
were; he didn't even see Aunt Jenl-
fer. He saw nothing but the girl
with the big pink straw hat. 1t
| drooped on each side of her lovely
face and there were ribbons stream
| ing from the brim. He almost made
her bow; not quite, but he did take
| off his hat. She almost smiled, but
| then she looked away very quickly
and began talking hurriedly to her
companion. The driver called out a
[ second time impatiently, Cole Cody
| climbed up on the high seat, the
( whip snapped at last and they were
off.
The girl was saying softly into her
aunts ear, Ibid you see him, Aunt
Jenny? Isn't he-I mean
| Aunt Jenifer had a queer little
trick of smiling, tucking in the cor
ners of her clean, pink-ipped mouth
and letting her eyes drift sideways
She spoke for her thrilled niece's
ears alone: eyes, know, Pet. Real.
ly quite handsome and dashing and
all that To be sure. And / no
ticed something else!"
"What?"
''He saw you'll"
And Cole Cody, rocking along or
the high seat beside Long Peters
filling his lungs with the clean, sweet
dawn air, hearing music in the
creak and rattle of the stage anc
in the clang of sixteen shod hoofs or
the hard, dry roadbed, engaged the
stage driver in conversation. Long
Peters was willing enough; as loni
as he had driven stages he had nev
er got tired of meeting stranger
and finding out all about them whel
possible. 1t becomes monotonou
business sitting up there all alone
with nothing much to do and nothin
to think about-until you got int
! the mountain roads where a man ha
. his hands full and needed his wit
D about him if he was to bring hi
e coach through safely and on time
t Cole Cody, generally as forthrigh
: as a flying arrow going places, wa
;. inclined to a certain circuity thi
e morning. He remarked on the horse
r first of all, not being in the least il
S terested in them, yet singing out tn
O off leader for remark; and in retur
. got thumb nail sketch of that an
mails career, character and ped
# gree. He spoke of Top Notch; of
r high mountain town he knew the
!. would pass through, Tap Rock; the
! of Bald Eagle. Of what fine day
: was. And fnally-of the inside pa
d sengers.
e Folks that live around here? {
It strangers?"
Long Peters swung his equipae
,s around bend, down into shalloN
% dry creek, cracked his whip aga
. and started them briskly up shal
le slope with the lifting mountain
ar looming steep and black ahea
,e First disposing of those of his carr
ID whom he knew, he got around
ID last to Ann Lee and Aunt Jenife
ip Were carryin' a couple nice
a. dies, too," he said. Don't kno
as much about 'em. They come th
n. far with Hank Roberts day fore ye
I'll tiddy; l only saw the two of e
60 breakfas' time. They're a Miss E
Ii. wards, that's the old lady and s
n amt real old at that, and her nice
q Miss Ann Lee. They come fro
il somewhere way down yonde
q around B, tam Springs some plae
d. Hank says. And they never been
on this way before; goin' to see sor
NJ of their folks JUS visiting"
er "Going far?" young Cody ask
casually.
ito ''All the way through to Bald f
ed gle. We get there early tonight
MT He eased his straining horses do,
nd to a walk as the slope steepen
nd and the road narrowed and rous
90 ened. "How about you, stranger.
his amt ever seen you any place."
ID "Me? I'm headed on to Bald
de gle, too. No, I've never been up t
way. My stamping grounds do
around Dutch Skills Trading Pos
nd "Glad to know you. My nam
no Peters; Tom Peters,"
he "Glad to know you, Mr.. Pete
nd I'm Cody; Cole Cody"
de- Long Peters proffered his hal
~ the taut reins still in its grip, g
,od they shook that way.
by Almost Immediately they enter
|. it a great, silent and glooming wild
be- ness.
nlv ITO BE CONTINUED