The Ely miner., 1942-12-10
CHAPTER III

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making the rocks blazing hot in the
living room fireplace at the KING
Cole Ranch. Drawn up before the
hearth in his most commodious big
chair sat old Early Bill with his
long legs tucked under a heavy red
wool blanket, with his overcoat on
and buttoned to his chin, with his
hat on, too. His only attendant,
the only person he would tolerate
in the house, his foreman Cal Round
tree, stood as far as he could from |
the fire, his face glistening with |
sweat.
Cal mopped his forehead with a
blue bandana already sopping, and
had his say, not for the first time,
either.
BILL" he said explosively, II tell
you you're crazy! You'd ought by
rights to have some kind of a
nurse here with you; me, I couldn't
nurse a sick colt. A woman any
how. Somebody to"
DRY up, Cal," snapped the old
man. $50 get me drink. Get
yourself one, too. And quit beller-
ing like a bull calf"
Cal Roundtree, growing like a
bear with sore paw, started kltch-
enwards but stopped abruptly as he
heard the lively racket of horses
hoofs coming on to the house. The
sounds stopped at the front door;
then there was a lusty knocking.
"Come in, you fool!" yelled old
Early Bill.
Rance Waldron stepped in, just
across the raised threshold, and
stopped there looking about him,
taking in everything at a sweeping
glance. Then his look centered prob
ingly upon the man in the chair.
''This the King Cole Ranch?" he
said. you're Mr.. William Cole?"
''Shut the door, Rance" said Ear
ly Bill, and all of sudden his
voice was quiet and all but toneless.
One speaks of a poker face; well,
his voice now was a poker voice.
Rance Waldron closed the door,
pulled his hat off and came closer;
standing at the side of the chair he
put out his hand. Early Bill took
it slowly, let it 60 with degree of
alacrity.
"You never saw me before" said
Rance Waldron, puzzled. "How did
you know me?"
"Oh, I saw you once, two-three
months ago, Waldron. Four months
ago, maybe. You mightn't remem-
Der. Me, don't forget. Over at
Bantam Springs, it was"
Until he finished speaking it was
hard to make much of his face, what
with the effect of the flicker of the
fire, an affair of light and shadow
commingled, and with his broad hat
brim pulled low. Now he lifted his
head and showed his hat back and
looked up into his kinsman's eyes.
Even so for another moment
Rance Waldron remained puzzled
for the Bill Cole of tonight wasn't
even the Bill Cole of a couple ot
days ago, what with the unshaver
cheeks and the sunken look to them
and the great gauntness about the
eyes. But Early Bill could never be
anything but Early Bill, when yol
looked closely, and with a star
Rance recognized him.
"But-but-" Rance suffered. ga
Bantam Springs, that night! o
course I remember. There was ;
card game-we had a few drink
together-But didn't know who yol
were! I didn't know your name
they just called you Bill-Why didn'
you tell me?"
Better get move on and brini
that jug, Cal," said Early Bill, an
left the young man utterly to his owl
devices.
But Cal Roundtree didn't bulge
he stood stock still, staring in fasc
nation at the visitors face. Ranc
was bare-headed; the fire gloN
seemed to make his face ruddie
and ruddier until it grew bright rec
Or was it just the fireglow, Cal wor
dered? Yes, Rance Waldron was RI
membering! That poker game {
Bantam Springs! An old man,
stranger, sitting in! What run {
luck the old fool had had! He ha
been so clumsy; he seemed onl
halfway to know what he was d,
ing; he fumbled with the cards whe
he shuffied; he made crazy bets ar
lost-and yet, by some miracle,
the end he won everything in sigh
And Rance Waldron lost his shi
that night; lost more than he cou
afford to lose, expecting with evel
new hand to clean the old fool dow
to his bootheels; had lost more ths
Just money, because he had lost b
head, too, and had flown into "a,
and had said things-Just what h;
he said? And the old fool W;
Early Bill Cole, keeping his nan
hidden the way he did an ace in t
hole-and all the time Early B
knew who Rance Waldron was!
But this CONSERVATION, holdil
him tongue-tied and at utter 10:
was only momentary. He was
young man of parts, was Rance WI
dron, hard to down and harder
keep down. Of a sudden, startli
both Early Bill and Cal Roundtre
he began laughing
Bill Cole, you old heller!"
shouted when he grew articula
SGT might have known at the tir
that it was you! I've heard abe
YOU all my life, the sorts of things
man might expect from you-or
he'd never know what to expect
He sobered. me, didn't show
very well that night, did /? Cue
must have been halfway drunl
and your style of playing dro
me crazy-and to top it off, l i
pretty nearly every cent / had
the world. Just you wait until ! c
get into another game with you!"
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