The Smithville Times (Smithville, Tex.), Vol. 17, No. 12, Ed. 1 Friday, March 18, 1910 Page: 2 of 8
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Illustrations fey AidreBovfes
flKe wished he rould have come, for
her loneliness began to be insupport-
able.
Toward sunset she put on her hat
and started for the post-office, in the
meantime. Dicksie. at home, had
called McCloud up and told him she
was coming down for the night. He
immediately canceled his plans for
going west, and when Marion returned
at dusk she found him with Dicksie
at the cottage. The three had supper.
Afterward Dicksie and McCloud went
out for a walk, and Marion was alone
in the house when the shop door
opened and Whispering Smith walked
in. It was dusk.
“Don't light the lamps, Marion," he
ttaid, sitting down on n counter-stool
as he took off his hat. “1 want to talk
to you just a minute, if you don't
mind. You know what has happened.
I am called on now to go after Sin-
clair. 1 have tried to avoid it, but my
hand has been forced. To-day I've
been placing horses. 1 am going to
ride to-night with the warrant. 1 have
given him a start of 24 hours, hoping
he may get out of the country. To
stay here means only death to him iti
the end. and. what is worse, the kill-
ing of more and innocent men. Hut
he won’t leave the country; do you
think he will?”
“Oh, i do not know! ! am afraid he
will not.”
“I do not think I have ever hesitated
before at any call of this kind; nor at
what such a call will probably some-
time mean; but this man 1 have
known since we were boys.”
“If I had never seen him!"
“That brings up another point that
has been worrying me all day. X
could not help knowing what yon have
had to go through in this country. It
Is a tough country for any woman.
Tour people and mine were alwaya
close together and I have felt bound
to do what I could to—”
“Don't be afraid to say it—make my
path easier.”
‘'tWmiething like that, though there’*
been little real doing. What this situ-
ation in which Sinclair is now placed
may still mean to you I do not know,
but I would not add a straw to the
weight of your (roubles. 1 came to-
night to ask a plain question. If he
doesn’t leave the country I have got
to meet him. You know what, in all
human probability, that will mean.
From such a meeting only one of ua
can come back. Which shall II be?"
“I’m afraid I don't understand you
—do you ask me this question? How
can I know which It shall be? What
la It you mean?”
“I mean I will not take his life In a
fight—if It comes to that—if you
would rather he should cflne back."
A sob almost refused an answer to
him. "How can you ask nte so ter-
rible a question?”
"It is a quest Ion that means a good
deal to me, of course, and I don’t
know just what It means to you; that
is the point 1 am up against. 1 may
toyrfgkt \y*
By
Whatever he may have done, this
man is your husband; If his death
would cause you a pang, it shnll not
lie laid at my door. We ought to un-
derstand each other on that point j
fairly before 1 start to-night.”
"Can you ask me whether you ought
not to take every means to defend your
own life'.’ or whether any considera-
tion ought to come before that? I i
think not. I should he a wicked worn- .
an if 1 were to wish evil to him,
wretched ur he has made me. 1 am
a wretched woman, whichever way 1
turn. But 1 should be less than hu-
man if 1 could say that to me your
death would not be a cruel, cruel
blow."
There was a moment of silence.
“Dicksie understood you to say that
you were in doubt as to whether you
ought to go away with him when he
asked you to go. That is why 1 was
unsettled in my mind.”
"The only reason why I doubted was
that I thought by going 1 might save
better lives than mine. I could will-
ingly give up my life to do that. Hut
I to stain it by going back to such a
man—Cod help me!”
"1 think I understand. If the unfor-
I lunate should happen before I come
j back I hope only this: That you will
j not hate me because I ant the man
! on whom the responsibility has fallen.
: 1 haven’t sought it. And if I should
\ not come back at all, it is only—
good-by."
He saw her clasp her hands convul-
sively. “I will not say it! I will pray
in my knees that you do come back."
“Good-night, Marion. Some one is
at the cottage door."
“It is probably Mr. McCloud and
Dicksie. I will let them in.”
“You Must Do Your Duty!”
have no choice in the matter, but I
must decide what to try to do If I
have one. Am I to remember first
that he is your husband?”
There w-as a silence. “What shall I
say—what can I say? God help me,
how ara I to answer a question like
that?"
"How am I to answer it?"
Her voice was low and pitiful when
her answer came: "You must do your
duty.”
“What is my duty, then? To serve
the paper that has been given to
me, I know —but not necessarily to de-
fend my life at the price of his. The
play of a chance lies in deciding that;
I esn keep the chance or give it uway;
that la for you to say. Or take the
question of duty again. You are alone
and your friends are few. Haven’t I
any duty toward you. perhaps? I
don't know a woman's heart. I used
to think 1 did. hut I don't. My duty
to this company that I work for is
only the duty of a servant. If I go.
another takos ray place; It means
nothing escept taking one name off
the pay roll aid suiting another on.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
Wickwire.
McCloud and Dicksie met thorn at
the porch door. Marion, unnerved,
went directly to her room. Whisper-
ing Smith stopped to speak to Dicksie
and McCloud interposed. “Bob Scott
telephoned the office just now he had
a man from Orovllle who wanted to
see you right away. Gordon." said he.
“I told him to send him over here. It
is Wickwire."
“Wickwire," repeated Whispering
Smith. "Wickwire has no business
here that I know of; no doubt it is
something 1 ought to know of. And.
by the way, you ought to see this
man," he said, turning again to Dick-
sie. “if McCloud tells the story right.
Wickwire Is a sort of protege of yours,
Miss Dicksie. though neither of you
seems to have known it. He is the
tramp cowboy who was smashed up ia
the w»eck at Smoky creek. He Is not
a had man. but whisky, you know,
beats some decent men." A footstep
fell on the porcb. "There he comes
now. 1 reckon. Shall I let him In a
minute?"
“Oh. I should like to see him! He
has been at the ranch at different
times, you know."
Smith opened the door and stepping
out on the porch talked with the new-
comer. In a moment he brought him
in. Dicksie had seated herself on the
sofa, McCloud stood in the doorway of
the dining room, and Whispering
Smith laid one arm on the table as h»
sat down beside it with his face above
the dark shade of the lamp. Before
him stood Wickwire. The half-light
threw him up tall and dark, but it
showed the heavy shock of black hair
falling over hts forehead, and the
broad, thin face of a mountain man.
"He haa Just been telling me that
Seagrue is looae,” Whispering Smith
explained, pleasantly. “Who turned
the trick, Wickwire?"
"Sheriff Coon and a deputy Jailer
started with Seagrtte for Medicine
ltend this morning. Coming through
Horse Kye canyon, Murray Sinclair and
Harney Rebstock got a clean drop on
them, took Seagrue, and they all rode
off together. They didn't make any
bones about It, either. Their gang
has got lots of friends over there, you
know. They rode into Atlantic City
and stayed over an hour. Coon tracked
them there and got up a posse of six
men. The three were standing in
front of the bank when the sheriff
rode into town. Sinclair and Seagrue
got on their horses and started off.
Rebstock went back to get another
drink. When he came out of the sa-
loon he gave the posae a gun-fight all
by himself, anil wounded two men and
made Ids get-away."
Whispering Sndth shook his head,
and his hand fell on the table with
a tired laugh. “Barney Rebstock." he
murmured, "of all men! Coward,
skate, filler-in! Barney Rebstock—
stale-beer man sneak, barnyard thief!
Hit two men!" He turned to McCloud.
"What kind of a wizard Is Murray Sin-
clair? What sort of red blood toxin
does be throw into h1s gang to draw
out a spirit like that? Murray Sin-
clair belongs to the race of empire-
builders. Hy heavens. It is pitiful a
man like that should be out of a job!
England, McCloud, needs him. And
here he is holding up trains on the
mountain division!"
"Thej are _«ll,up at Orovllle with
the Williams Cache gang, celebrating,"
continued Wickwire.
Whispering Smith looked at the
cowboy. "Wickwire, you made a good
ride and I thank you. You are all
right, This la the young lady and
this Is the man who had you aent to
the hospital from Smoky creek," he
added, rising. “You can thank them
for picking you up. When you leave
here tell Hot) Scott to meet me at the
Wickiup with the horses ui 11 o’clock,
will you?” He turned to Dicksie in a
gentle aside. "I am riding north to-
night—I wish you were going part
way."
Dicksie looked at him intently. "You
are worried over something,'' site mur-
mured ; “I can see it In your face."
"Nothing more than usual. I thrive,
you know, on trouble—and I'm sorry
to say good-night so early, hut l have
a long ride ahead." He stepped
quietly past McCloud and out of the
door.
Wickwire was thanking Dicksie
when unwillingly she let Whispering
Smith's hand slip out of her own. “I
shore wouldn’t have been here to-
night if you two hadn't picked me up,"
laughed Wickwire, speaking softly to
Dicksie when she turned to hint. “I've
knowed my friends a long time, but I
reckon they all didn't know me."
“I've known you longer than you
think," returned Dicksie wilh a smile.
"I've seen you at the ranchhouse. But
now that we really do know each
other, please remember you are al-
ways sure of a home at the ranch—
whenever you want one, Mr. Wick-
wire, and Just as long as you want
one. We never forget our friends on
the Crawling Stone."
“If 1 may make so bold. 1 thank you
kindly. And if you all will let me run
away now, 1 want to catch Mr. Whis-
pering Smith for Just one minute.”
Wickwire overtook Smith in Fort
street. "Talk quick. Wickwire.” he
said; “I’m in a hurry. What do you
want?"
"Partner, I've always played fair
with you."
"So far as I know, Wickwire, yes.
Why?"
"I've got a favor to ask."
“What is it—money?”
“No, partner, not money this time.
You've always been more than liberal
with me. But so far I've had to keep
under cover; you asked roe to. I
want to ask the privilege now of com-
ing out into the open. The jig Is up
so far as watching anybody goes "
“Yes.”
“There's nobody to watch any more
—they're ail to chase, I reckon, now.
The open is my kind of a fight, any-
way. I want to ride out this mau-hunt
wilh you.”
“How is your arm?”
"My arm is all right, and thera
ought to be a place for me in the
chase now that Ed Hanks la out of it.
I want to cut loose up on the range,
anyhow; if I'm a man I want to know
it, and if I ain't 1 want to know it. I
want to ride with you after Seagrue
and Sinclair and Barney Rebstock."
Whispering Smith spoke coldly:
“You mean. Wickwire, you want to get
killed."
"Why, partner, if it's coining to ma,
I don't mind—yes."
"What's the use. Wickwire?”
“if I'm a man I want to know It; If
I ain't, it's time my friends knowed it.
Anyhow, I'm man enough to work out
with some of that gang Most of thera
have put It over me one time or an-
other; Sinclair pasted me like a black-
bird only the other day. They all say
I'm nothing hut a damned tramp. You
•ay I have dona you service—give me
a show.”
Whispering Smith stopped a minute
In the shadow of a tree and looked
keenly at him. "I'm too busy to-night
to say much, Wickwire,” he said, after
a moment “You go over to the barn
snd report to Bob Seott. if you want
to take the ehancea, It Is up to you;
and if Bob Scott is agreeable. I'll use
yon where I can—that's all I can
promise. You will . probably have
more than one chance to get killed."
CHAPTER XXXV.
Among the Coyotes.
Orovllle once marked farthest north
for the Peace river gold camps, but
with mining long ago abandoned it
now marks furthest south for a rus-
tlers’ ramp, being a favorite resort
for the people of the Williams Cache
country. Orovllle boasts that it has
never surrendered and that it has
never heen cleaned out. It ha? moved,
and heen moved, up stream and down,
and from bank to hank; it has heen
burned out and blown away and lived
on wheels; but It Iras never suffered
the loss of Us Identity.
Whispering Smith, well dusted with
alkali, rode up to the Johnson ranch,
eight miles southwest of Orovllle, In
the afternoon of the day after he left
Medicine Rend. The ranch lies in a
valley watered by the Rainbow, and
makes a pretty little oasis of green
in a limitless waste of sagebrush.
Gene and Bob Johnson were cutting
c.lfulfa when Whispering Smith rode
into the field, and. stopping the mow
era. the three men talked while the
seven horses nibbled the clover.
"I may need a little help. Gene, to
get him out of town.” remarked Smith,
after he had told his story; ''that is, if
there are too many Cache men there
for me.”
Bob Johnson was stripping a (talk
of alfalfa in ills fingers. "Thera fel-
lows are pretty sore."
"That comeR of half doing a Job,
Fob. I was In too much of a hurry
with the round-up. They haven't had
dose enough yet," returned Whisper
ing Smith. "If you and Gene will Join
me sometime when I have a week to
spare, wo will go In there, clean up
the gang and burn the hair off the
roots of the chapparal—what? I’ye
hinted to Rebstock he could art reads
foi sometning like that."
"Tell us about that fight, Gordon.”
"I w ill if you will give me something
to eat and have this horse taken care
of. Then, Bob, 1 want you to ride into
Orovllle and reeonnolter. This Is mail
day and f understand some of the hoys
are buying postage stumps to put on
my coffin."
They went to the house, where
Whispering Smith talked as he ate. Boh
took a horse and rode away, and Gene,
with his guest, went back to the al
falt'a, where Smith took Hob's place on
the mower. When they saw Hob rid
ing up the valley, ‘Whispering Smith,
bringing In the machine, mounted his
horse.
“Your man is there all right," said
Foil, as he approached. "He and John
Rebstock w ere In I he Blackbird sa-
loon. Seagrue isn't there, but Harney
Rebstock and a lot of others are. I
talked a few minutes with John and
Murray. Sinclair didn’t say much;
only that the railroad gang was trying
to run him out of the country, and he
wranted to meet a few of them before
he went. I just imagined he held up
a little before nte; maybe not.
There's a dozen Williams Cache men
in town.”
"But those fellows are not really
dangerous. Bob, though they may be
troublesome," observed Smith, re-
flectively.
"Well, what’s your plan?” blurted
j Gene Johnson.
“I haven't any. Gene,” returned
Smith, with perfect simplicity. "My
| only plan is to ride into town and
j serve my papers, if 1 ran. I've got a
deputyship—and that I'm going to do
right away. If you. Bob, or both of
j you, will happen in about 30 minutes
j later you'll get the news and perhaps
j see the fun. Much obliged for your
feed, Gene: come down to Medicine
Bend any time and I’ll fill you up. I
I want you both for the elk hunt next
fall, remember tlrat. Bucks is coming,
and I? going to bring Brown and Hen-
son and perhaps Atterbury and Gibbs
and some New Yorkers; and Mc-
Cloud's brother, the preacher, is eom-
J ing out and they are all right—all of
I them."
The only street in Orovllle faces the
[ river, and the buildings string for two
] or three blocks along modest bluffs.
I Not a soul was anywhere In sight
j when Whispering Smith rode Into
town, save that across the street from
| where he dismounted and lied his
horse three men stood in front of the
Blackbird.
They watched the new arrival with
languid interest. Smith walked stiffly
over toward the saloon to sise up the
men before he should enter it. The
middle man of the group, with a thin
red face and very blue eyes, was chew-
ing tobacco in an unpromising way.
Before Smith was half-way across the
street he saw the bauds of the three
men falling to their hips. Taking
care, however, only to keep the men
between him and Hie saloon door.
Smith walked directly toward them.
"Boys, have you happened to see Gene
or Bob Johnson to-day, any of you?”
He threw back the brim of his stetson
as he spoke.
“Hold your hand right there—right
where It is." said the blue-eyed man
sharply.
Whispering Smith smiled, hut held
his band rather awkwardly upon his
hat-brim.
"No." continued the spokesman, “we
ain't none of us happened to see Bob
or Gene Johnson to-day; but we hap-
pen to seen Whispering Smith, and
we’ll blow your face off If you move
it an inch."
Smith laughed. “I never quarrel
with a man that's got the drop on me,
boys Now. this is sudden but unex-
pected. Do 1 know any of you?" Ha
looked from one face to another be-
fore him with a wide reach In bit
field of vision for the three hands that
were fast on three pistol butts. “Hold
on! I've met you some.where,” ha
said with easy confidence to the blue-
eyed man with the weather-split lip.
“Williams Cache, wasn't It? All right,
we re placed. Now what have you got
in for me?"
"I've got 40 head of steers in for
you," answered the man in the middle,
with a splitting oath. “You stole 40
head of mv steers in Hint round up,
and I'm going to fill you so full of lead
you’ll never run off no more stock for
nobody. Don't look over there to your
horse or your rifle. Hold your bauds
right where they are."
"Certainly, certainly!”
“When I pull, I shoot!”
“I don’t always do it, but It Is busi-
ness, 1 acknowledge. When a man
pulls he ought to shoot — very often it's
the only chance he ever gets to shoot.
Well it Isn't every man'gets the drop
on me that easy, but yhu boys have
got it," continued Whispering Smith
In frank admiration. Only 1 want to
say you're after the wumg man. That
round up was ail Rebstoek's fault, ami
Rebstock is bound to make good all
loss and damage."
“You'll make good my share of it
right now and here," said the man
with the wash blue eyes.
"Why. of course," assented Whisper-
Ing Smith, "if i must. I must. I sup-
pose I may light a cigarette, hoys, be-
fore yon turn loose Hie fireworks?”
"Right It quick!”
T.aushing at the humor ol the situa-
tion, Whispering Smith, his eyes
beaming with good nature, put the
finger and thumb of his right hand
into his waistcoat pocket, drew out a
package of cigarette paper, and. ban-
tering his captors Innocently th#
while, tore out a sheet and put the
packet back. Folding the paper tn his
two hands, he declared he believed his
tobacco was in hts saddle-pocket, and
asked leave to atop across the street
to get it. The trick wsa too transpar-
•at. and leave waa refused with scorn
™ RIGHT CARE
Is taken here to see that your pres-
cription is filled just as the doctor
would have it and the drugs
are pure
This makes It a Guaranteed
Prescription
SEARCY DRUG
COMPANY
DRUGS AND JEWELRY
Statement of iAo Conet,t,on of
7j/ie J’irst 7fationcit !/3an/c
of Smithvilto, at Smitfiuitte, Zfexrzs,
Jit tAc Close of ^Justness. Jan. 3/. /9/0
HKSOl’KCKS
Loans and Discounts .
V. S. Bonds......
Weal Estate........
Furniture and Fixtures ,
Cash and Exchange . .
Five per cent fund.....
$73,935.97
10,000.00
1,750.00
2,000.00
. 26,033.00
500.00
$115,1 IS.97
LIABILITIES
Capital Stock.....525,000.00
Surplus Fund .
Undivided Profits
Circulation . . .
Deposits . . . .
O o/j us its CdanAs
12,500.00
1,270.54
10,000.00
65,900.12
.__433.31
__ 9115,118.97
THEO. SMITH. Cashier
A. T. WILKES, Asst. Cashier.
Why We Solicit Your Patronage
We slaughtor only first-class fat cattle. Keep
our meats cold, perfectly sound, thoroughly
clean, handle with care, prices right, weights
correct, and a greater variety of every and all
kinds of meat than elsewhere. Prompt and
courteous treatment to all. Give us a trial.
Special Prices for Meat in Quantities
Phone 42 C. W. COCKRILL
Dr. Hickman W. M. COBB
!?,, ™fiaae8 NOT ARY
of Women ana Chronic
Diseases. Office over
Bank of Smithville
28 years experience.
FARM LOANS
Vendor's Lien Notes Bought
Times Office
SMITHVILLE, TEX.
ROGER BYRNE
Dealer in
Fine Wines, Whiskies and
Cigars
Keeps reliable, first-class liquors
, tor medicinal purposes. The cele-
brated Spring Hill whiskey and old
California wines. Milwaukee. San
Antonio and St. Louis bottled beer
Medicated bitters and mineral
waters.
Main and Front Streets, Smithville.
Continued ou page Seven
Volunteer Cultivator
We nri-jinntrd this Ivpe of
Cultivator twenty-hvr y .rs ngo, It up- ^ ^
pciilt'd to tin* practical 'armer, Croat ins Mich nn
enormous demand that nearly every mnnuf.u tun
ly every tnnnufactat
•••<:.......... ••• too United St ilus t*i
u plicate It. St.II its nriiina!eactaiva
solely by us make it Ur superior to .,ny
ors. \ ou will, tlioruforu, p t tho
of farming implements
tempted to duplicate ft.
features owned no ' * __ .................
of its imitators. You will, therefore, u« t tho
best results by bujiny the original VOLUNTEtR.
The Vidor Riding Cultivator
In also n world heater. If vour dealer doe* not
supply you, write u* dircit (or special pm us.
Sixty-Seven Yearn of “Knowini
Into Every One of _
Every P. ^ O. Implement In Racked hy an Unqualified Gn
lor everything lh.it is bust in Implr fluent*. R n«<uH »
P&rlin & Orendorff Impl<
Hammered
[r:\ntco. Wo are headquarters
Id Vi-hiclra.
it Co.
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The Smithville Times (Smithville, Tex.), Vol. 17, No. 12, Ed. 1 Friday, March 18, 1910, newspaper, March 18, 1910; Smithville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth877177/m1/2/: accessed June 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Smithville Public Library.