The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1943-01-14

he stopped snort, biting MS WCrQS
off clean. He saw that the man
lounging in the kitchen chair had
turned white under his heavy tan,
and he saw something else. He saw
a tiny red pool on the floor close
to one of the chair legs, and noticed
the spaced drops falling down into
it.
Cal said,. ''I'm putting my gun
away, stranger; all right?" and hol-
stored it with Cody watching him
narrowly.
Then he stepped up close to Cody
and stood looking down at him.
Hurt bad?" he asked.
NO." said Cody.
Cal stopped down and took his gun
away from him.
Ann Lee, her eyes enormous, hot
spots of red on her burning cheeks,
was on her feet again and staring
at the man who had just used her
so, and she, too, at last saw the
whiteness through his bronze, and
the slowly dripping blood into the
tiny glistening pool
81 shot him and I am glad!" she
exulted.
Aunt Jenifer came to Cal Round
trees side, bending over the man in
the chair.
Children shouldn't be allowed to
play with shooting irons" said Aunt
Jenifer mildly. They're always
getting hurt. If you boys, Mr..
Roundtree, will get Mr.. Bill Cole
Cody to a bed, and if you'll bring
me some boiled water and clean
sheet or pillow case, well try to
mend him up. I don't think"
"Mr. Who?" demanded Cal
Roundtree. Who'd you say he is?"
He calls himself Cody, William
Cole Cody, and
Roundtree ran his fingers through
his hair, then along the rim of an
aching jaw. He frowned down at
young Cody. You Cole Cody?" he
demanded.
Cole Cody, tride dizzy and sick
ish, demanded,
Might I ask if it's any business
of yours? I'm not asking your pedi-
gree, am I? Suppose you leave me
alone"
You're nice kid, like hornet, +"
Cal snorted. But I got to know.
Unless you're ashamed of yourself,
and I reckon you ought to be on gen.
eral principles, you tell me whether
you're William Cole Cody or not!"
Cody regarded him speculatively.
Not bad sort, it struck him, this
nosy individual. Further, he was
in no mood for lot of empty jab-
Der. Nor had he any reason to deny
himself. So he said CURLY,
''Me, I'm Cole Cody. William Cole
Cody. Just Cody for short. Now
what? Want to do anything about
it?"
Cal Roundtree stood rubbing his
bruised jaw.
eyes, I do" he said, having duly
meditated. 1.-TWO things. I want to
get your shirt off, see how bad you're
hurt and mend you up again. That's
one thing. The other is, want to
make you welcome to the King Cole
Ranch. Old Early Bill told me to
watch out for you, to treat you like
home folks. That's two things. May
be later on we can make it three:
when you're all well again, I'd like
powerful well to take you out be-
hind the barn and. beat you clean to
DEATH"
He stuck his hand out.
Shake, Cody" he said. "Old
Early Bill says so. You're well
come; like the old Spanish used to
say, the place is yours"
Cody looked up at him and slow
smile twitched at his lips and
warmed his eyes, and his hand
went out to find and clasp Cal
Roundtree's. And Ann Lee stared
at them with all her might. As, in
deed, did Rance Waldron.
So Cal got young Cody as far
along as chair In the living room
the same old chair in which Early
Bill had sat just before he lunged
up, to die standing upland yanked
up his shirt tail and sought his
wound.
Ann Lee came close after them.
stood a moment looking down at
the white flesh, the ugly blood
smear, the raw, gaping wound-and
ran out of the room, out into the
patio, to the old green bench in the
sunshine-and sat down, her fingers
twisting in her lap, her eyes travel
ing out beyond the girding wall, into
far blue distances. She saw three
tall pines standing on gentle knoll
they filed her vision for a time
she was not conscious of them at
all just then, but they managed
somehow to catch and still her fugi-
tive eyes. No one had told her yet
that out there, under those old pines,
Early Bill was taking his long siesta.
She had overheard that funny
man, Calhoun Roundtree, with the
funny name, muttering-Just what
was it he had said, all to himself?
Something about old Early BILL
could break his neck for him, duck
ing out on me like this-I bet a
man somewhere he's laughing his
old head off,
Old Early Bil-dead-she had
never seen him-She stared unsee-
ing at the still, tall pines, not know
ing where old Early Bill was, and
yet thought of him-laughingl
ST could love you, Early Bill"
whispered little Ann Lee, clasping
her hands very, very tight 81 could
love you with all my heartI Oh,
why didn't you wait for mel"
ITn DE CONTINITEnl