Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1943-01-15
W.Nu. RELEASE

like the wind! But, Senior! The first
thing, 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 if I'm
going to live, what the heck would
I want bed for? Now get out of
here" A wry grin twisted his hard
old lips, and he added, "I'll 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
horse tied to any of the hitching
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 towns
stark ugliness.
These were the two men for whom
Early Bill had sent. They we're alike
in many respects and in some were
like old Bill Cole himself, though
they never could measure up to his
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 it was as
though he, too, had never known
home life, they lived at the hotel,
had their three meals together, and
did their porch-sitting in the two
chairs which the community con-
coded were their particular property
by right of homesteading.
They were sitting brooding, smok-
ing ruminantly and digesting their
hearty breakfasts when the Mexican
boy from the King Cole Ranch came
racing into town. He saw them as
he turned into Main Street, and be-
gan yelling at them before they
could hInr word that he said.
"Hmf!" grunted Doc Joe. "Some-
thing must have bit him."
cts that half-breed from Early
Bill Coles place" the Judge said,
with his shaggy brows perked up.
"And he's riding old Bills favorite
saddle horse. Must be something
wrong, Joe. Else Bill wouldn't let
any breed that ever lived fork Slim
Jim"
Gaucho slung himself out of the
saddle and poured out his story in a
deluge of words. The two old men
didn't stir, didn't say thing until
he had finished. Then Doc Joe said
quietly, Take it easy, Gaucho. Now
tell me-" And this time he got the
essentials. He and the Judge re-
garded each other with poker faces,
and for a time no one spoke.
Gaucho, jerking about, started to
tell the whole thing over when Doc
Joe interrupted him.
Here's four bits, kid" he said.
"You go buy yourself drink. You'll
want to let your horse blow ten min
utes. Then you ride back to the
ranch and tell your boss that we're
coming. Pronto, kid"
Isl, Senor," said Gaucho and
touched his hat and moved away.
And still the two old men sat as
still as the ancient hills behind Bald
Eagle. They didn't look at each
other again.
The Judge cleared his throat;
sounded as though some of that
dust had settled in it. He tossed his
cigar away, only half-smoked though
it was, and gnawed off hunk OF
his plug cut.
Looks like the old buzzard must
be in pretty bad shape, and knows
it," he offered. well, the old fool
didn't have much longer to live any,
how. l always told him I'd outlive
him; fact is, we've got a bet on it."
II know" muttered Doc Joe. He
looked his cigar over carefully, but
instead of throwing it away started
chewing it. Same with him and
me; we've got bet Five hundred,
like yours"
Then he did stand up and hurl his
cigar clean across the street.
'1'n 60 get my little old black
poison bag" he said cheerily. "You
better fetch pen and ink and papers
and any other legal junk a dying
man might want" Then he let out a
whoop, calling back Gaucho Ortega
,,,ho