Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1946-08-02

NAA aAiS ttShe ioiiu uIOppeu sun
denly to his hip. Stenhart shrieked,
crumpling against the wall.
Don't let him kill mel" he
painted.
Jim started forward but Jane was
ahead Of him; she caught at Sher-
wins sleeve. She took no notice of
the others; she seemed to see no
one but this one man.
Tel me-" she whispered, her lips
white, tell me it isn't truel"
SherWin put her hand away and
stood alone, facing them.
IT'S true that I'm the man they
want" he said harshly, land it's
true" he raised his hand and point
ed at Stenhart, Its true that I
came here to kill him."
Jane shrank away from him;
without word she recoiled. Their
eyes held each other a moment long
er but there was no answer In hers.
He saw her shrink and shudder.
There was terrible silence; the
others stood staring, dumbly. Then
Stenhart backed farther away, white
and shaken.
Hell kill NEEDN'T let him come
near mel" he cried Historically.
Sherwin turned and looked his
scorn at him. I'll not kill you
here" he said coldly. His face was
white and drawn; he did not look at
Jane again but at Jim. "You can
give me up" he said harshly; II
came to tell you so. There's a re-
ward" he added bitterly. "Sten-
hart here might like it,"
Fanny Sewell's head dropped: she
sobbed chokingly.
jim INTERVIEWED. He stepped In
front OF Jane and took Sherwin by
the unwounded arm. "Comel" he
said sternly.
Sherwin cast one quick look of
anguish at Jane, turned without
word and went.
AS he went Stenhart collapsed
into chair, but Jane did not even
glance at him. She stood with her
back against the wall, staring In
front of her with unseeing eyes. He
had dared to make love to her and
he was convict! Her head swan
and her mouth was dry, but she
said nothing.
Outside the house, Jim had his
hand on Sherwin's arm.
Melt away" he said grimly:
you saved me and you rescued my
sister-Pn do nothing, nothing at
all. Melt away!"
They stood still in the broad day.
light. 1t was afternoon now, and
some doves were cooling in the trees.
Sherwin turned gravely and looked
at Keller. his pale face flushed
little.
Il don't want to make such a
claim upon your generosity" he
said stiff1y. Better give me up"
Jim swore little. I'm not that
kind" he said; then his eyes trav-
eled toward the distant windings Of
the road. He took out his field
glasses and searched it as far off as
he could see. He made out dark
patch moving on the upper road.
You 60 and stay with Mac until
dark; that's the sheriff up there. Aft
er dark you can get off,"
Sherwin said nothing; II he want
ed to make plea in his own de-
tense he saw it was useless, he was
judged. Yet there was something
about Jim that was so likeable he
could not be angry with him.
We're not so far from the border
after ALL" Jim added casually. "I'd
head that way-if I were you"
Sherwin looked up. You're gen.
erous, I appreciate it."
Jim turned away awkwardly. He
was half way to the house when he
turned and spoke over his shoulder.
I'm relying on you not to stay
around Las Palomas," he said grim
ly.
SherWin nodded; it was the only
thing Jim had said which Infatuated
him. 1t made him feel his position;
he was an outcast-spared because
he had done something for both of
them, the girl and her brother. Her
last look at him had repudiated him
as completely as Jim's words; they
both believed him guilty. The girl
would marry Stenhart!
oaNeSiiiy ilC iduSileN dlOuu, harsh.
ly. What a mad fool he had been.
He might have killed Stenhart un-
der the trees that morning. 1t was
useless to play fair with a snake.
His eyes swept the wide slopes of
the ranch. The men had stopped
hammering; it was near supper
time, and he could see groups of
them down by the corrals. In the
water under the bridge he saw the
big white horns of drowned steer;
there had been too much to do to
recover all the bodies for cremation.
Presently he too might be found ly-
ing in some creek, starved on his
long hike for freedom. He had not
moved from the spot where Jim had
left him when he heard old Mac call
to him.
Come in here, I've got something
for you to eat," the old man said
brusquely. holding open the door OF
his own room behind the kitchen.
Sherwin saw that he had a good
meal spread for him and a knapsack