Track's End

ittle Trip out to Bill Mountain's House: after

s letter to the others. When I had finished they al

know what we're goi

he duty of the street commissioner to remove

oke, though the rest of us laughed, pa

dollars even if we wanted to; and we don't want to very much. I don't believe

ose there is in t

of his business back east and brought it out here to start new with. He certainly didn't take any of it away with him, n

office," said Frank Valentine. "I gue

ke and those fellows would know enough to get it out unless they ha

ng anything else. I didn't know so much about men then as I do now, but I could see th

ed for things to shoo

"So have you, and so has Cy. I guess Sours left

ter and a shot-

I guess the best show for us is in Taggart's hardware store. When he went

suppose they are up at the headquarters of the old Middleton gang on Cattail Creek, the other side of the Missouri. The men that went through here with that pony herd last fa

ting rifles, and that he thought there were more in some of the other box

own against an attack if it should come; but I think the next thing is to send a letter out to Mountain's h

t will be best. Write 'em a let

and soon came out with a l

End, Dec

this town. If any of you come within range you will be shot on s

tee of

it, but I reckon they'll 36 understand it. Now, Jud, what d

I answered;

't think any of them are there, but you can take my field-glas

and filled my pockets with bread and cold meat. I thought it might come handy. It was so cold and the snow was so deep that we had decided to go on foot instead

w soon after leaving here, and several times we lost sight of the place we were trying to reach, but we kept o

ind our way back to-night," said Jim. "Let'

that half full of snow. But there was a sheet-iron hay stove in one end

to one that we miss the town if we try to go back

d then we built a fire in the stove. We soon had the room fairly comfortable. The s

do if the storm kept up the next day, and I suppose Jim thought of the 38 same thing; but neither of us said anything about that. I sat up the

supper had been. We were a good deal discouraged. But soon after noon it stopped snowing and began to lighten up. It was still blowing

our backs. We passed Johnson's deserted house and finally came within sight of the town th

here's

en with shovels stood beside it stamping their feet and swinging their arms to keep from freezing. There were faces at the car-window

rdock in answer to our looks. "Just got here after shoveling all night, and want to leave as soon as we can, before it g

both too asto

ing. We're going to take Sours's horses and the cow in the box-car. I just

hot as if it had been on fire. I felt the tears com

was left in charge

Tom, almost as much astonished

hority to meddle

t want to leave them here to st

control of my voice. "Call Andrew back this minute. You'v

going with the re

not," I

d started tow

Burrdock. "This here town is closed up for the winter.

re next March," I said. "Jim, are y

fellow to do much s

dn't catch. I saw Andrew going toward the train, but without any of the an

has ordered me to come, and I've got to go. But it's a crazy thi

as a foolish pride and stubbornness that

good-by

y, Tom,

ay, then tur

the last time:

I w

anding on the back platform with his hand on the bel

again. The door was stuck fast, but I set my shoulder against it and pushed it open. The snow had blown in the