Part 25 (1/2)

Again Bartley nodded.

”It ain't a bad country to settle down in, for folks that likes to settle,” said Cheyenne.

Bartley glanced sharply at his companion. Cheyenne was gazing straight ahead. His face was unreadable.

”Now if I was the settlin' kind--” He paused and slowly turned toward Bartley. ”A man could raise alfalfa and chickens and kids.”

”Go ahead,” laughed Bartley.

”I'm goin'--to-morrow mornin'. And you say you figure to stay here a spell?”

”Oh, just a few days. I imagine I shall grow tired of it. But to-night, I feel pretty well satisfied to stay right where I am.”

Cheyenne rose and strode to the bar. After a short argument with the proprietor, he returned with a bottle and gla.s.ses. Bartley raised his eyebrows questioningly.

”Once in a while--” And Cheyenne gestured toward the bottle.

”It's powerful stuff,” said Bartley.

”We ain't far from the hotel,” declared Cheyenne. And he filled their gla.s.ses.

”This ought to be the last, for me,” said Bartley, drinking. ”But don't let that make any difference to you.”

Cheyenne drank and shrugged his shoulders. He leaned back and gazed at the opposite wall. Bartley vaguely realized that the Mexicans were chattering, that two or three persons had come in, and that the atmosphere was heavy with tobacco smoke. He unb.u.t.toned his s.h.i.+rt-collar.

Presently Cheyenne twisted round in his chair. ”Remember Little Jim, back at the Hastings ranch?”

”I should say so! It would be difficult to forget him.”

”Miss Dorry thinks a heap of that kid.”

”She seems to.”

”Now, I ain't drunk,” Cheyenne declared solemnly. ”I sure wish I was.

You know Little Jim is my boy. Well, his ma is livin' over to Laramie.

She writ to me to come back to her, onct. I reckon Sears got tired of her. She lived with him a spell after she quit me. Folks say Sears treated her like a dog. I guess I wasn't man enough, when I heard that--”

”You mean Panhandle Sears--at Antelope?”

”Him.”

”Oh, I see!” said Bartley slowly. ”And that c.r.a.p game, at Antelope--I see!”

”If Panhandle had a-jumped me, instead of you, that night, I'd 'a'

killed him. Do you know why Wishful stepped in and put Sears down?

Wishful did that so that there wouldn't be a killin'. That's the second time Sears has had his chance to git me, but he won't take that chance.

That's the second time we met up since--since my wife left me. The third time it'll be lights out for somebody. I ain't drunk.”

”Then Sears has got a yellow streak?”