The Texan A Story of the Cattle Country

ebbe-so Purdy keel de pilgrim, den de sheriff ketch Purdy an' she got for git hang-dat pret' good, too. Anyhow, Tex, she don' got for bodder 'bout keel Purdy no mor'. Tex kin keel him all

red. "She dipity sher'ff, an' she goin' try for git 'lect for de beeg sher'ff dis fall. Mebbe-so she lak' for git chanct fo

ou doin' prowlin' around here

h. She don' do no good. Anyhow, A'm hont 'roun' for fin'

raightened: "Say, look a here, if you're up to helpin' Tex Ben

on! Tex, she goin' in de dance-hall. Sh

r out! I hain't a-goin' to fool 'round

up de trail. A'm t'ink som'one goin' for git ke

come to town for to take in the dance, an' I'm a-goin' to. Besides it's a good chanct to do

e arres' if som'ting happen. Mebbe-so w'en de votin' tam' com' 'long de men lak' for hav' Choteau County sher'ff w'at kin mak' de arres' better as de sher'ff w'at kin dance good.

lance toward the dance-hall lights, "an' what ma

of questions the other vouchsafed no further information. Midway of the ascent to the bench the two drew rein abruptly. From above, and at no great

lak' to git de sher'ff w'

got a wife an' nine kids back there in the

im a look of sudden a

ttle. You ke'p de ni

ion Injun!" growled the deputy. "What I mean

you call, de posse, eh? Bien! Com' on 'long den. M

hree riderless horses that stood huddled together. His face paled perceptibly. "Oh, Lord!" he gas

s is, they've got us covered right now. 'Tain't noways percautious to go ahead-an' we don't dast to go back! Bat, this is a hell of a place to be-an' it's your fault. Mebbe they won't shoot a unarmed man-here Bat, you take my gun an' go ahead. I'll tell 'em back there how you was game to the last. O-O-o-o-o! I got a turrible cramp in my stummic

deceet in my belly for li'l w'ile." He swung off his horse and flattening himself against the ground, advanced cautiously from bush to bush. At the edge of the depression he paused and stared at the two figures th

as with a nod Endicott stepped tow

me. I am deeply

her's brows

u-for the gun, and

Endicott pointed to the ground at some little distance

tion. "You shoot heem after de draw! Nom de Die

aw him, and shot, and he fell." The half-br

icott and the girl. After a moment the man stood up and came toward them smiling. "A'm fin' out if she dead," he explained, ca

spoke: "Can you find our horses?" he aske

ak' 'em an' skeep off. A'm git on dat posse

d trial for it. I won't sneak away like a common murderer. I know

puzzled frown. "You mean you lak' f

-" the other inter

' on dem hoss', Sam she git to fink 'bout he's wife an' kids. He don' fink 'bout dem mooch only w'en he git dronk, or git

d toward the spot where he had left the deputy, and as he walked he th

behind a sage bush. "How long you t'ink dat tak' you git

oud! D'you want to git us

oot heem 'cause he ru

at girl? Ain't that Tex Benton

ketch Purdy. An', Ba goss, he shoot

e got Purdy after he draw'd. It's worser than if it was Tex. He might of took pity on us, knowin' about the fambly. But a stranger, an' one that kin git a

be-so you kin' pass back agi

uptly erect. "Ain't got no gun!" he exc

k to me. A'm bor' heem

ke no chances!" He tossed the half-breed a pair of hand-cuffs, and started after his own horse. "Kill him if he makes a crooked move. Te

and idly watched the couples weave in and out upon the floor to

en glance with which he scanned each new arrival-noticed too, that after a few short puffs on a cigarette the ma

the man's eyes swept the faces of dancers and sp

at his watch. "It's time they showed up long ago. I wonder what's keepin' em." Suddenly he straightened himself with a jerk: "Good Lord! I wonder if-- But no, not even Purdy would try that. Still, if he knows I know he tried to dope me he'll be figgerin' on pullin' his freight anyhow, an

ow I'm wise to

es, I told him you must

rigged up with your side-saddl

outfit fer a gal of his'n he said come in o

o?" The words w

ll to keep track of what's goin'

alley, he stared in surprise at the spot where he and Bat Lajune had tied their horses. The animals were gone, and cursing the half-breed at every ste

vagely. "It beats hell what even

adows of the coulee ahead came the sound of voices and the soft scraping

ediately following him were the girl and Endicott riding side by side. Tex saw that the girl was crying, and that Endicott's hands were manacled, and that he rode the missing horse. Behind them rode Sam Moore, pompously erect, a six-shooter laid across the horn of his saddle, and a

nd, his hands grasped the horn of the saddle, his spurs dug into his horse's flanks and sent the animal cras

fer help!" and away he tore, leaning far over his horse's neck, with P

here the girl, drawn close to Endicott, waited in fe

ble words, Bat acquainted the Texan with the progress of events. The cowpuncher l

rn to shoot?" he

il tonight I never ha

to start out with," co

e!" sobbed the girl, "

t. It looks like a ba

e time. And when you insulted him I thought you were horrid! And

wasn't. An' as for me tellin' you about him-

s fell before

wouldn't. But isn't the

t of this a

ser to the cowboy. "Can't you manage to get her away-onto a train some place so she can avoid the

n! Indeed he won't take me away or put me on any train! I got you into this, and I won't budge one inch until you get o

o think." Aloud he said: "Just you leave things to me. I'll get a line on what's what. But you both got to do as I say, an' no augerin' about it neither. It looks from here as if things could be straightened out if someone don't go to work an' ball the jack. An' as

re they lock him up. An' when the excitement dies down you find me. I ain't a-goin' to lose sight of her-see." The hal

and, thundering up at full gallop, formed a closely packed circle about them. Recognizing the deputy who

y's hair to prickle at its roots; "about some an' sundr

I nev

a guard-an' I'm the guard. D'you get me? 'Cause if there's any misunderstandin' lingerin' in them scrambled aigs you use fer brains, I'll just start out by tellin' the boys what a hell of a brave arrest you pulled

nd Tex,' I says to myself, I says, 'he'd be worth a hull posse hisself.' Jest you go ahead an' night-herd the lady. I'll tell her myself so's it'll be official. An' me an' th

equent I didn't mean what I was sayin', which I misunderstood myself complete. But as I was goin' on to say, mom, the State of Montany might need you fer a witness in this here felonious trial, so if you'll be so kind an' go to the _ho_tel along of Tex here whom he's the party I've tolled off fer to guard you, an' don't stand no monkey business neither. What I mean is," he hastened to add, catching a glance from the

ords and, detaining a cowpuncher to ride on either side of