Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1943-10-22
CHAPTER VII


horse dropped to all four feet, she
came within striking distance, and
again the quirt dashed out to cut
Chesebro, across the shoulders this
time. Chesebro was too dignified to
run from her; an appraised arm to
fend off the lightninglike quirt was
his only defense.
"Elsa!" I shouted, starting from
our place beside the oxcart. "Elsa!"
But she didn't hear me. Chesebro
was now rolling along the ground,
alive to his danger but as yet un-
able to escape the flashing whip.
ELSA! Stop it! Stop i'll" I Shout
ed, moving rapidly down upon her,
Rogers at my heels.
The rigid arm relaxed, the quirt
slowly fell from her nerveless fin
gers, the quirt which later was to
play so vital part in our tragic
story.
The rage that had stirred Elsa to
a frenzy melted quickly away. Rog-
ers released her and went to help
Chesebro to his feet. Suddenly Elsa
turned into my arms, soft and yield
ing, trembling weakly.
ooh, Barry" she said. A sob
shook her body convulsively. ooh,
Barry-I said that someday I'd pull
off his legs. But that's not enough.
I'm going to kill him instead!"
Chesebro was put gently to bed in
an enormous room furnished in an
Gent black walnut; the high ceiling
and the great length and breadth
of the room gave me the feeling al
most of being in a cathedral.
In an incredibly short time, con-
sidering that this was Mexico, the
doctor arrived.
ut is the heart, yes" he said at
last, speaking English with a strong
rhythmic accent. Hes had an at
tack; it is light, but he shall re-
main in bed for several days. Why
the face like this?" he inquired, in
dicating the bruised flesh. "He did
not fall on the face, no?"
There was enlargement, Doc
tor Cruz" Rogers replied slowly,
''in which he was severely beaten.
With a whip"
"Ah!" responded Doctor Cruz and
shrugged his shoulders discreetly.
went into town with the doctor
when he left that early afternoon.
AS l explained to Huntoon Rogers,
it was best that someone of us
sought out Reed Barton, to tell him
of what had happened.
you're coming out again, of
course, for the EVENING"" Rogers in
quired.
Eyes. l wouldn't miss fiesta.
don't suppose Chesebro's condition
will make any difference in their
plans"
II think not
George Rumble, lingering in the
shade of clump of bananas, came
to life.
81 believe I'll go along with you.
All right is it, Doc?" he asked of
Doctor Cruz.
"You bet," responded the Mexi-
can physician. And so we rode into
town together.
Doctor Cruz dropped me a few
minutes later in side street where
over doorway let into a glaring
white wall was a sign bearing Cheese
bros name. 1t was the SieSta hour,
but l entered its comfortable shady
interior where the heat of the day
apparently had not penetrated. A
youthful Mexican sitting idly at
typewriter looked up, and got quick
ly out of his chair.
"a Sus ordenes, Senor," he said.
"Senor Barton; is he in?" I in
quired in Spanish.
Isl, senior; por esta puerta," he
said rapping gently, then opening the
door into the inner office.
Reed Barton sat with his feet
upon the top of his desk, smoking a
cigarette, and gazing dreamily out
into a small patio where fountain
dripped and ruby throated hum
ming bird was busy among the flow
erS.
Hello, old man." I said.
Reed took his feet from the desk,
got slowly from his chair and
dropped his cigarette into an ash
tray. He held out his hand
81 dropped in just now to tell you
some news"
"What news?"
81 thought you ought to know
about it. Chesebro's had a heart
attack. The doctor has put him to
bed out at Sam Chatfeld's."
"What brought that on?"
ELSA beat him up quite badly
with a whip d while ago; almost cut
him to ribbons. The attack fol-
lowed"
"Well," he said with surprisingly
little show of interest, "it doesn't
mean anything to me, Barry, to
know about it. Thank you, though,
for your trouble"
lovS< 10000