The Ely miner., 1943-03-11

of Tom Cough. Maybe you knew
him?"
Maybe" he answered.
Friend of yours?"
"Who wants to know?" Waldron
cooked up his brows.
Been in town all day, Waldron?"
Rance laughed. There were two
ways to take a thing like this; he
had his choice. Rather than recog-
nize the broad implication seriously,
he elected to greet it as funny.
"I'd like to get along with the
game, Mr.. Cody" he said, sounding
now like a man who meant to re-
main patient as long as he could,
but whose patience was fast running
out. mo, I haven't been in town all
day. l rode in about two o'clock. !"
Cody heard Cal Roundtree's snort.
"Now, Cody" said Rance, and
chose to laugh again, 'Fu thank you
to get out of here"
Cody obliged him.
They had progressed as far as the
lobby when a sharp, petulant, ca
ger voice called,
''You, there, Roundtree! Cal! I
want word with you"
The speaker, wiping his mouth as
he came out of the bar behind them,
was youngish man In high lop-
sided boots, with a bristle of scrub
by little black mustache, coatless,
with his sleeves rolled up on a pair
of brawny, hairy arms, with large,
dark and strikingly intelligent eyes.
Cal explained to Cole Cody, "It's
DR.. Parke Evans. They sent for
him over to Rim Rock as soon as
word of a shooting got out, Doc Joe
for once not being on tap here in
Bald Eagle" and turned toward the
Rim Rock doctor.
Anything private, Doc?" he
asked. 81 got friends with me"
Eyes. It's private. And I'm in
a hurry"
He led the way, rolling down his
sleeves, to the stairway leading up
ward from the lobby, and Cal
climbed along after him, wondering
as others wondered, what Parke Ev-
ans could want with him. Half way
up the staircase he called down to
Cody,
"Stick around, Cody, and wait for
me. won't be long; then well ride
out to the ranch together"
So Cole Cody waited. He stood
leaning against post, smoking a
thoughtful cigarette, gazing abb
stractedly at the Frightening glitter
of the stars hanging over the hills
trimming the valley.
Cal Roundtree came out. He
looked to be in daze; he was like
a man walking in his sleep. His
eyes were wide open; they stared
straight at Cole Cody; their express
sion, or lack of expression, rather,
did not alter.
Hello, Cody" said Cal duly. He
stopped and removed his hat and
ran his fingers through his hair.
Slowly his eyes narrowed to nor
maIcy, but there remained queer,
troubled look in them. "Come ahead,
kid" he said. Lets go get our
horses. Let's pile out of here for
home"
The two strobe along side by side
and got their horses. They swung
up into their saddles and headed
down the road. By starlight moth
ing could be made of Calls face, but
his heavy silence was disquieting.
Cody however held his peace. If a
man wanted to keep his thoughts to
himself, that was his affair.
ST got to do bit of thinking"
said Cal presently. "And I can't!
I'm all tangled up; I'm ratified like
no man ever was before. I got to
tell you something, Cody; got to
tell somebody or III bust, and I'd
rather it was you. But I don't know
how much to spill and how much to
hold back. Because I can't tell it
all, get me? I got to hold part back!
Maybe I'll go get somebody to cut
my tongue out. Shut up minute,
and let me think; let me anyhow
try to think"
They rode for ten or fifteen min
utes, out across the floor of the val
ley, striking into the little rolling
hills, before Cal spoke again.
Like I said, Cody, I can't spill
the whole sack o. beans, though l
wish to God I could! And I could
kill that hyena-laughing old Early
Ein Cole-only the son-a-gun's dead
alreadyI Whoa! There I go again.
Well, here's what I can tell you,
and you better pull leather whilst
you listen good, else you're apt to
fall out'n your saddle"
And here is what Cal Roundtree
held himself free to tell:
DR.. Parke Evans had led the way
upstairs to a locked room; he had
unlocked the door, motioned Cal
Roundtree to go in, had then closed
the door and stood outside, guarding
against any interruption. On the
far side of the room, with his back
turned, a man was standing. The
lamp was turned low; Cal did not
make out at once who it was. But
when the door had been closed, the
man moved to the table where the
lamp was and turned up the wick.
He goggled as his first stroke of
bewilderment smote him. Here in
the flesh, looking very much alive
and in fact as he had looked for
the twenty years Cal had known
him, save for a terrible grimness
on his face, was old Doc Joe.
Doc Joe lifted a sudden warning
hand to forestan any explosive ut
terance from the astounded Cal
Roundtree.
mo loud talking, CAL" he said
incisively.
CaI SWALLOWED