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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (March 31, 1927)
HEPPNER GAZETTE TIMES, HEPPNER, OREGON, THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 1927. PAGE FTVE What's Gone Before. Frank BMon. from Albany. New York. reaches Benton, Wyoming, then 1868 western terminus of the Pacific Railroad. He had been ordered by physicians to seek a climate "high and dry. He is robbed of most of his money in his hotel and loses his laat twenty dollars at monte in "The Big jent, a dance nan and gambling resort in the "roarinir" town of Benton. Edna Montoyo, companion of a gambler. is oeuevea ny rranic to nave cajoled htm purposely into the game. Broke, disconso late over his discovery that "the lady of the blue eyes," as he calls her, is what she is, and Anally humiliated over his glaring "greenness," Frank repulses Edna when she begs him to go away with her, sobbing ly telling him that she had made a mistake in letting him lose his money. He goes to take a job with George Jcnki, a teamster in a wagon train about to leave for Salt Lake City. Capt. Adams, a Mormon, is in charge o the wagon train. Rachael Adsmi. an attractive young wo man, one of his wives, is In the train, as is Daniel Adams, his loutish son. When Edna, who has shot, but not killed the gambler, Montoyo, comes a fugitive in "britches" to join the train, Daniel tells his father that Bhe is seeking Jenks and lieewon. Capt. Adams shouts, "No hussy in men's garments shall go with the train." Daniel, by a spectacular gun play, foils Montoyo's attempt to take Edna back with him. Under Jenks' and Edna's instruction Frank practices Bhooting is told to "aim for his feet to hit his heart." This follows a clever exhibition of Bhooting by young Daniel, who is angered by Edna's interest in Beeson. Into the Night CHAPTER X. A meeting between My Lady and me brought on, not long after, the expected crisis. As we talked, sud denly I saw Daniel nearing, striding rapidly, straight for us, a figure por tentious in the fading glow, biinging the storm with him. She saw, too. Her eyes widened, startled, surveying not him, but me. "Please go. I'll keep him." "It is too late now," I asserted, in a voice not mine. "I am her first and I'll go when I get ready." "You mean to face him? I knew it. You will play the man! Watch him close! He'l give you little grace this time. But remember this: I'll hover, never, never marry him. Ra ther than be bound to him I'll deal v,-ith him myself!" "It won't be necessary, madam," sud I a catch in my throat; for while I was all iciness and clam miness, my hands cold and my tongue dry, I felt that I was going to kill V.i m. Daniel charged in for us. I did not touch revolver butt; he did not. He barked first at her. "Go whar yu belong, yu Jezebel! Then I'll tend to this" The rabid epithet leveled at me I shall not re peat. "Be careful what you say, Dan iel. No man on this earth can speak to me like that." All his face flushed livid with a sneer, merging together yellow freck les and tanned skin. "Can't, can't he? I kin an' I do. Now yu git. I've stood yore fast-an'-loose plenty. I mean business. Git! W har yu'll be safe. I'll not hold off much longer." "No more of that, you brute," I roared. "If you have anything to say, say it to me." He whirled. "Yu! Why, yu leetle piece o' noth in' yu shut up!" By sudden reach he gripped her arm; to her sharp, short scream he thrust her about. "Git I I'm boss hyar." And at me: "What yu goin' to do? She's prom Ited to me. Git, yer?elf, or I'l stomp on yu like on a louse!" I forgot instructions. I disregard ed every movement preliminary to the onset! Bullets were too slow and easy! I did not see his revolver; I saw but the hulk of him and the intol erable sneer of him, and that his flesh was ready to my fingers. And quicker than his hand I was upon him, into him, clinching him, clinging to him, arms binding him, iegs twining around his, each ounce of me greedy to crush him down and master him. The shock drove him backward. We swayed and staggered, grappling hith er and thither. I had his arms pin ioned, to bend him. He spat into my face; and shifting, set his teeth into my shoulder so that they champed like the teeth of a hcrse, through shirt and hide to the flesh. We toppled together, came to the ground with a thump. Here we churn ed, while he flung me and still I stuck. The acrid dust of the alkali en veloped us. Again he spat, fetid sprawled upon him, smothering his So there I stood, amidst silence, gaping foolishly, breathing hard, my smoking revol ver in my fingers. flailing arms; gave him all my weight and strength; smelled the sweat of him, snarled into his Bnarling iace, close beneath mine. Once he partially fresd himself and buffeted me in the mouth with his fist, but I caught him while strug gling, tossed and upheaved, dimly saw that as by a miracle we were sur rounded by a ring of people, men and women, their countenances pale, alarmed, intent. Voices sounded in the dull roar. Presently I had him crucified: his one outstretched arm under my knees, hia other arm tethered by my two hands, my body across his chest, while uis legs threshed vainly. I looked down into his bulging eyes. " "Nuf. Cry '"Nuf!" I command ed. '"Nuf! Say "Nuf!" echoed the crowd. He strained again, convulsive; and relaxed. "'Nuff!" he panted through bared teeth. "Lcmme up, Mister." "That settles it?" "I said ' 'Nuf'," he growled. With a quick movement I sprang clear of him, to my feet. He lay for a moment, baleful, and slowly scram bled up. On a sudden, as he faced me, his band shot downward I heard the jurge and shout of men and women, to the stuning report of his revolver ducked aside, felt my own gun ex plode in my hand (and how it came there I did not know beheld him pin around and collapse; an aston ishing sight. So there I stood, amidst silence, gaping foolishly, breathing hard, my revolver smoking in my fingers and my enemy in a shockingly prone pos ture at my feet, gradually reddening the white of the torn soil. He was upon his face, his revol ver hand outflung. He was harmless. The moment had arrived and passed. I was standing here alive. I had killed himl Figures rushed in between. Hands grasped me, impelled me away, through a haze; voices spoke in my ear while I feebly resisted, a warm Baity taste in my throat. "I killed him. I didn't want to kill him. He made me do it. He snot first." "Yes, ye9," they said soothing gruffly.' "Shore he did; shore you didn't. It's all right. Come along, come along." Then "Pick Beeson up. He's bad hurt, himself. See that blood? No, 'tain't liis arm, is it He's bleedin' internal. Whar's the hole, Wait he's busted something." They would have carried me. "No," I cried, while their bearded faces swam. "He said ' 'Nuf he shot me afterward. Not bad, is it? I can walk." As they hustled me onward the world had grown curiously darkened, and I dimly wondered whether I was dying myself. Across a great dis tance we stumbled by the wagons and halted at a fire. 'You're all right." Jenks appar ently had looked me over and was ministering to me. "Swaller this." The odor of whiskey fumed into my nostrils. I obediently swallowed. Hands were rummaging at my left arm; a bandage being wound about. "Did I kill him?" I besought. "Not that! I didn't aim I don't know : ow I shot but I had to. Didn't I?" "You did! He'll not bother you ag'n. She's yourn." That hurt. "But it wasn't about her! He bullied me dared me. We were man to man, boys. He made me ght him." "Yes, shore," they agreed and they were not believing. They still linked me with a woman, whereas she had figured only as a transient occasion. Then she hers-j'f, My Lady, appear ed, running in bv atnlesa and aj.-pei-ling. "Is Mr. Beeson hurt? Iiadly? Whtre is he? Let mc help." he knelt beside ms, l.er hand grasped mine, she gazed wide-eyed p. d imploring. 4 No, he's ah right, ma'am.' "I'm all right, I assure you," mur.,bled thickly, an 1 helpless as a babe to the clingin; of her cold f'i,g3rs. The group about me dissolvt-d. Jenks seated himself close beside me. "Your arm woi t trouW? you," he said. "Jest a fl -sh wound. You two can eat and rest a bit, and if you set out 'fore moon-up you can easy get el'ar. We'll furnish mounts and grub and anything else you need." "Mounts!" I blurted. "'Set out,' you say? You mean that I we should run away? I'll not leave the train and neither shall she, until the proper time. Or do I understand that you dipown us?" "Hold on," Jenks bade. " Tain't a auestion of disownin' you. But you've killed one o' the Mormons, the wagon boss's son; and when he comes in the n.ornin' demandin' of you for trial by his Mormons, what can we do? We'll take the chance on sneakin' you both away.and facin' the old man." "I think we'd best, go," I agreed. "It's the only way." And it was. We were twain in menace to the outfit, and to each other, but inseparable. We were yok ed. The fact appalled. It gripped me coidly. I seemed to have bargained for her with fist and bullet, and won her; now I should appear to carry her off as my booty; a wife and a gambler's wife. Yet such must be! "Moon'll he up in a couple o hours," Jenks said. "I'd advise you to taka an hour's start of it, so as to get away, easier. If you travel straight scuth'ard you'll strike the stage road in the mornin'. When you reach a station you'll have ch'ice either way." "I have money," she said; and sat erect. For the first half mile we rode With out a word. What her thoughts were I might not know, but they sat heavy upon her, closing her throat with the tor ture of vain, self-reproach. That much I sensed. But I could not re assure her. My own thoughts were so grievous as to crush me with ach ing woe. This then, was I: somebody who had just killed a man, had broken from the open trail and wag riding he knew rot where, through dark ness worse than night, himself an outlaw with an outlawed woman at the beBt a chance woman, an adven turing woman now the spoil of kill ing! (Continued next week) Copyright by Edwin L. Sabin. MAKING THE FARM PAY - - By Old Man Economy IVE ALWAYS LIKED THE LOOKS OF YOUR I u li r i-r-e ENGINE, HANK It5 50TRIN AND NEAT VITH ALL GEARS ENCLOSED., IT'S A REAL LABOR WERjlM. Vz USE IT FOR PUMPING VATER, SEPARATING CftEAPLVASHING CLOTHES, GRINDING FEED AND A DOZEN OTHER JOBS IT DOES NT COST MUCH TO RUN IT AND IT NEVER NEEDS REPAI R5 BECAUSE ALL V0RKIN6 PARIS RUN IN A BATH OF OIL If r ! I 1- Kzk r V . m si l u m l n p" Peoples f Hardware Co. 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