United States or Zambia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
She nodded without apparent interest. What might transpire now seemed a matter to be viewed with indifference. "It's time for me to go," Harris said. "I'll hold the bunk house. Good luck, Billie we'll hold 'em off." He turned to Waddles who still worked to make a loophole through the blank wall. "If it gets too hot put her outside and tell her to give herself up.
The frightened horse struck at him, numbing one leg with the blow of an iron-shod forefoot, then reared and wheeled away from the thing which sprang at him, but Waddles retained his grip in the animal's mane, his other hand clamped on Morrow's ankle. The rider leaned and struck him in the head.
He crossed over to see if Harris was down; that would account for the sudden cessation of shooting from the hills back of the house. The raiders in the lower field were riding swiftly for the far side of the valley. One man knelt near the head gate, then mounted and jumped his horse off after the rest. Waddles put the whole force of his lungs behind one mighty cheer.
I regret," he says, "that our different social position prevents our meeting frequent, for you're a worthy young dog with a proper respect for your betters, and in this country there's precious few of them have that." Then he waddles off, leaving me alone and very sad, for he was the first dog in many days that had spoke to me.
Harris held him there, unwilling to take a chance lest the other might be feigning unconsciousness. But Slade was out of the fight. The sheriff struggled to his feet as Waddles tossed Morrow back from the door and slammed it shut. He closed with Morrow but the man eluded him. He dared not shoot with friends and enemies struggling all about the black pit of the little room.
Sometimes, indeed, you may see his small eye twinkling on a slaughtered friend, whose carcase garnishes a butcher's door-post, but he grunts out 'Such is life: all flesh is pork! buries his nose in the mire again, and waddles down the gutter: comforting himself with the reflection that there is one snout the less to anticipate stray cabbage-stalks, at any rate.
At last Waddles swung into the tune of it and as they buried the poor cowboy far out on the lone prair-ee she noted the difference at once, and more clearly than ever before she divined the reason why cowhands were apparently so devoid of sentiment, refusing to be serious on any topic, passing off those things nearest to their hearts with a callous jest.
"There was three come out. But the light was poor and all. Maybe they did aim to surrender. It's hard to say. But if they did why, some of the Three Bar boys read the signs wrong. Anyway, there won't be any trial." They rode to the sheltered box canyon where Waddles had left the pack train. A little later Bentley's men rode up and five minutes behind them came Carp with the rest.
Slade's eyes came back from the two men at the window and rested on the badge. "So that's it," he said with evident relief. "A real arrest when I figured it was an old-fashioned murder you had planned. What do you want with me?" Waddles had reached down and removed Morrow's gun. "A number of things," Carpenter said. "Obstructing the homestead laws for one." Slade shook his head and smiled.
He's one smooth hombre Slade." Harris rose and headed for his bed roll and the girl sought the shelter of her teepee for a rest. All was quiet near the wagon till Waddles boomed the summons to feed. After the meal a youth named Moore mounted a saddled horse that was picketed nearby and rode up a branching gulch, returning with a dry cedar log which he snaked to the wagon at the end of his rope.
Word Of The Day