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Updated: June 5, 2025
B'en here so long he resembles a horned toad more'n anything else." This from Sucatash. De Launay paused inside the door. "I wonder. Are there any more old-timers left hereaways?" "Oh, sure. There's some that dates back past the Spanish War. I reckon 'Snake' Murphy he tends bar for Johnny the Greek, who runs this honkatonk he's one of 'em. Banker's another.
"Maybe the old lunatic thinks he's run onto French Pete's strike," grinned Sucatash. "This don't look very likely to me." "Gone to Maryville to register it, I suppose. That accounts for his leaving the burros and part of his stuff. He'd travel light." "He better come back heavy though. If he aims to winter in here he'll need bookoo rations. It'd take some mine to make me do it."
Then he suddenly whirled about and scuttled down the stairs as though the devil were after him. Solange remained standing, puzzled. "That is queer," she said. "Why is he frightened? I did not mean to startle him. I suppose he is shy." "No. Just locoed, like all them prospectors," said Sucatash. "Furthermore, he's ornery, ma'am.
After assisting in packing the horses, he mounted and rode down the cañon while Solange and Dave resumed their journey in the opposite direction. Sucatash, as soon as he had passed out of sight, quartered up the side of the cañon where sheep trails promised somewhat easier going than the irregular floor of the gulch.
With an oath, Sucatash savagely dashed his signature where De Launay indicated, and then rushed out of the room. The soldier took another piece of paper and resumed his writing. When he had finished he folded the two sheets into an envelope and sealed it. Outside, Sucatash was heaving the lashings taut on the last packs. De Launay came to the door and stood watching the final preparations.
The others merely chuckled and nudged each other. Solange sensed that two considered her request merely a wild joke while the other was afraid. She slowly drew from her bag the yellow poster that De Launay had sent back to her by Sucatash. "You would be within the law," she pleaded, spreading it out before them. As they bent over it, reading it slowly: "See.
Her eyes were half closed now. "Will you kill him, monsieur? If you do, you may have of me anything that you ask!" The words were faltered out in utter weariness. For one instant De Launay's eyes flickered toward her, but Sucatash had already sprung to her side and was easing her to a seat on the edge of the bunk. Her head drooped forward. "Ma'am," said Sucatash, earnestly, "you got me wrong.
De Launay came up to the horse while, as yet, there had been not the slightest indication of any hue and cry after him. This he knew could obtain for only a short time, but it would be sufficient. Sucatash, against the lamp-post, lolled negligently and rolled a cigarette. He did not even look at De Launay, but spoke out of a corner of his mouth. "How'd you make it, old-timer?"
She also recognized the wisdom of taking precautions against their being snowed in. Thus the party broke up in the morning. Sucatash, before departing, took his rifle and a full belt of ammunition and fastened it to the girl's saddle. "If Dave gets gay," he said, with a grin, "just bust him where he looks biggest with this here 30-30."
It was fully an hour after they had gone before he mounted and rode after them. By this time Solange and Sucatash had reached the rim and were well on their way through the down timber. More by luck than any knowledge of the way, they managed to strike the game trail, and wound through the impeding snags, the cow-puncher taking the lead and the girl following listlessly in his wake.
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