The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1942-11-26
b. NA1( zxtt o. s-=1x,iS ~ ~L
fgszz<zY ~ aas64B - z
~ AC :;E!E:?!!! ILL.,: A0LE 4
W.Nu. RELEASE

like the wind! But, Senior! The first
thing, I must get you to bed!"
Look you, Gaucho," said the old
Bill, of sudden patient, taking into
consideration the boys youth and
excitability, eff I've got to cash in,
can do it standing up. And II I'm
going to live, what the heck woulo
I want bed for? Now get out OF
here" A wry grin twisted his nara
old lips, and he added, "pn be here
when you get back.
The little town of Bald Eagle,
squatting untidily in its place In the
sun with the cattle country lying TO
the south and southwest, and the
hectic mining country in the broken
lands to the north, was as lively as
any cricket most nights and many a
gala afternoon, but profoundly SOM
nolent before what was convention
ally termed first drink time. This
morning you wouldn't have seen a
horse tied to any of the hltchmg
rails, nor a puff Of dust in the road
not playfully stirred up by the
half-hearted morning breeze, nor
would you have heard anywhere the
echoing thump and jingle OF spurred
boots on the crazy wooden SIDE
walks. But on the porch OF the Bald
| Eagle Hotel two old men sat In their
rocking chairs and smoked their aft
er breakfast stogies and looked with
mild, complacent eyes across all
that was to be seen OF their town S
stark ugliness.
These were the two men for whom
Early Bill had sent. They were alike
in many respects and in some were
like old Bill Cole himself, though
they never could measure up to MS
stature. Younger than Bill, they
were, too, by some few years. DOC
joe" who had been christened JOS
eph Daniel Dodge; the Judge for
the other, Bald Eagles one and only
lawyer at the moment, banker be-
sides, and christened Arthur Henry
Pope. Like old Bill, though some
inches below his six foot two, they
were lean and wiry and gray. Doc
Joe was as bald as door knob, the
Judges glinting white hair was long
like a name and both wore fashion
able flowing white mustaches. One
an old bachelor, the other a widow
er for so many years that 1t was as
though he, too, had never known
home life, they lived at the hotel
had their three meals together, ane
did their porch-sitting in the two
chairs which the community con
coded were their particular property
by right of demonstrating.
They were sitting brooding, smok
ing ruminantly and digesting thel
hearty breakfasts when the Mexical
boy from the King Cole Ranch cam'
racing into town. He saw them a
he turned into Main Street, and be
gan yelling at them before the.
could haar a word that he said.
"Hmf!" grunted Doc Joe. "Some
thing must have bit him"
"Its that half-breed from Earl
Bill Coles place." the Judge SAID
with his shaggy brows perked ur
"And he's riding old Bills favorit
saddle horse. Must be somethin
wrong, Joe. Else Bill wouldn't le
any breed that ever lived fork Sir
jim"
Gaucho slung himself out of tn
u saddle and poured out his story in
deluge of words. The two old me
p didn't stir, didn't say thing unit
!. he had finished. Then Doc Joe sal
:, quietly, "Take it easy, Gaucho. No
= tell me" And this time he got tt
= essentials. He and the Judge r.
e garded each other with poker face
h and for a time no one spok
! Gaucho, jerking about, started
- tell the whole thing over when DE-
O. Joe interrupted him.
- Here's four bits, kid" he sal
9 "You go buy yourself drink. You
. want to let your horse blow ten mi
a utes. Then you ride back to Il
:, ranch and tell your boss that We!
= coming. Pronto, kid"
IL Isl, Senor," said Gaucho al
~ touched his hat and moved away.
n And still the two old men sat
~ still as the ancient hills behind Ba
~ Eagle. They didn't look at ea
other again.
- The Judge cleared his thros
~ sounded as though some of tn
dust had settled in it. He tossed
:. cigar away, only half-smoked thou
it was, and gnawed off hunk
- his plug cut.
- Looks like the old buzzard mt
- be in pretty bad shape, and kno'
~, it." he offered. well, the old fl
~ didn't have much longer to live ar
81 how. I always told him I'd outli
lie him; fact is, we've got bet on il
% 81 know" muttered Doc Joe.
az looked his cigar over carefully, /
instead of throwing it away start
u.s. chewing it. Same with him a
ne me; we've got bet. Five hundre
ng like yours"
Then he did stand up and hurl
ne cigar clean across the street.
"I'n 60 get mr. little old bla
* poison bag" he said cheerily. "Y
better fetch pen and ink and paps
lid and any other legal junk a dyi
ell man might want" Then he let on
w, whoop, calling back Gaucho Orte
on who had progressed only as far
IS? the nearby saloon door. Get ale
ant first to the livery stable, Gaucl
Tell Luke to let me have those t
ed young grays to a light blackboard
60 ITO BE CONTINUED)