Casey Ryan

uck drivers who hauled ore to Lund and were sometimes unable to make the trip in one day. Casey, having adapted his speed to that of the decrepit car of the show people, was thankful that they

r would hold out under the

had "beefed a critter" that had broken a leg that afternoon running among rocks. Casey shuffled his responsibility and watched, in complete content, while the sho

emed to him quite pronounced. The cowboys obligingly built a bonfire before the tent, into which the couple retired to set their stage and tune their instruments. Casey lay back on a cowboy's ro

cket, the future which he had planned for himself swam hazily through his mind. He was fed to repleti

ng, a banjo in her hands. Casey gave a grunt and sat up, blinking. She sang, looking at him frequently. At the encore, which was livened by a clog dan

n it was over to the last twang of a banjo string, Casey took off his hat, emptied into it what silver he had in his pockets and set

edy blue car, was not a vague bloodless vision, but a real person with nice teeth and a red-lipped smile, who called him Mister in a tone he thought like music. Now his dream lady sang to him, talked to him,-I consider it rather pa

had decided to turn back to Vegas, which was a bigger town than Lund and therefore likely to produce better crowds. They even contemplated a three-night stand, which would make possible some very

ar while yours is gettin' fixed, and you can give a show there. You'd draw a big crowd. I'd make it a point to tell folks you give a fine s

that rode with Casey and said they never felt right afterwards. Casey, he's a dog-gone good driver, but he used to be kinda hard on passengers. He done more to promote heart failure in them two towns than all the altitude they can pile up. But nobody's going to hold that against a good show that comes ther

eve a car could be and turn a wheel, and the Barrymores recognized the handicap of its ap

ted his promise to see the Barrymores through. There was a train, to be sure, that passed through Lund in the middle of the ni

of this, unless you have known old and popular stage drivers, soft of heart and hard of fist. Then remember that Casey had spent months on end alone in the wilderness, working like a lashed slave from sunrise to dark, trying to wrest a fortune from a certain mountain

en or fifteen dollars, as hides go. In the stress of pulling out of the mud at Red Lake, he had forgot all about the dead animal in his tonneau until his nose r

. The man who owned that store also owned the bank next door, and a little place down the street which was called laconically The Club. One way or another, Dwyer mana

hen he owed a man. He paid before he was asked to pay, and that was enough to make any merchant love h

king account? It's open yet, with a dollar and sixty-seven cents to your

check book. I guess you can fix it so I can get what money I want in Los

. Glad you made good. But you'd better let me put part of that in a savings a

before you go in the bank. I'll pay yuh," he grinned, "when yuh come back with some money. Ain't got a cent on me, Dwyer. Give it all away. Twelve dollars and somethi

th a receipted duplicate deposit slip for twenty-four thousand eight hundred dollars, a little, flat check book and two hundred dol

eck book and the bank notes away where he had carried the check, and walked out with his hat very much

store he met an old acq

to do in a case like th

of The Club wiping thei

lders was mo

r in his mind. She had her arms clasped around a large paper sack

it'll carry us on to the next place, wherever that is. Jack says he must have a new tire by some means or other, and he was counting on what we'd make here. And up at that other place you've mentioned the mumps have broke out and they wouldn't let us show for love or money. A man in the drug store told me, Mister. We certainly are in a hole now, for sure! If we could give a

ings, and the handshakes and all, as a matter of fact he had thus far talked with Bill, the garage man, with Dwyer, the storekeeper and banker,

gazing at his face with eyes that said

mebby," he temporized. "There's a church of some kind

e'd only have to pay five dollars for a six-months' theater license, which would let us give all the shows we wanted to. It's a new law that I

I was here," Casey admitte

l certainly be a godsend to us to be able to give our show. We've got some crutches amongst our stage props, and some scar patches, Mister, that would

ath to see me goin' around on crutches." He cast a hasty thought back into his past, when he had driven a careening stage between Pinnac

could offer her money, do anything save what she wanted, the show lady disappeared. Casey turned and went back into The Club, remained five minutes perhaps and then walked very circumspectly across the street to B

ome to dinner, thought it a great joke on Lund and promised to help the benefit along.

Can-n yuh pla

, b

banged him in the eye. He said sure, he'd be a cripple for the lady. He'd be anything once, and some thin