Evening Star Newspaper, March 5, 1922, Page 60

‘young fellow, smiling pleasantly. THE PERFECT DAY—- R. TUBS WHEELER sat on don’t get‘to Grindsione tonight.” said {ming strongly. s | the little man. the shady porch before hi: store. The store was perched on a wide ridge separating and | “Po you kno: overlooking two great valleys. From *he west. a mile of brown river, the Rio Grande, made a dead set at this ridge turned southward. at right angles, and presently swerved to the south- east, leaving behind it a perpendicu- lar bank thirty feet high and half a it mile long. It was some eighty yards from Mr. Wheeler's feet to the precipice, and | 22 HEER Mers & in those scanty yards a single track railroad, the wagon-road and the big Dona Ana Mother-Ittch crowded, fol- lowing the river's curve. Far down the narrow highroad a shod hoof rang on a stone. A string of horses swung jauntily into sight. A tall horseman lolled easily In his saddle. “Humph! That fool, Spud Wallis!™" ‘Wheeler sniffed. The fool, Spud Wallis. drew rein before the store. He was a tall, raw- boned, broad-shouldered man with a berry-brown face aud twinkling blue eyes. “Know where the Tumble-T wagon i=7" asked Spud. “Left this morning for o0’ Rocks.” said Mr. Wheeler shortly. Mr. Wallis rolled his eye at the sun. “Y can terrapin along up there thix evenin’. After dinner,” he added point- edly. Point | EE T MR TUBS WHEELER spoke accus- M ingly: “Now. young man, you just natchelly mosey right along out of this!” “Why, Mis-ter Wheeler! An old- timer like you, and grudge a body a meal's victuals.” “Meal's victuals be blowed!"” said ‘Wheeler wrathfully. “I ain’t going to have you making up to my girl.” “Oh-h! 1 see-ee! Gertie?" said Spud. He looked up. frank-eyed. ¥, that's a good idea. TI'll go see her right away now Mr. Tubs Wheeler towered tiptoe. “Look here, Spud—T ain't got any- thing against you, as a man, but a fellow that wants a wife has got a right to get some stuff together first.” “Well,” drawled Spud reflectively, “what's the matter with my little bunch of cows?" “That's just it. You don’'t know nawthin’ but cows—and cows is nix, nada. That day's over. Summerford, Joe Haskell, Herron—they got {nrmsi for themselves ready for the big ditch. Look at Joe Haskell, now. He's ot as fine a piece of land as there is | in the bend. And when there's no! work for him on the farm, he goes| teamin' on the dam. There's a fore- | handed man.” i “Yes. Joe stacks up pretty fair— But Joe Haskell don’t figure in this case” said Spud. “He likes some- | Lone elss er than he does Gertie." | Who® demanded r. Tubs Wheel- | er. sharply “Why. just himself. So we'll leave him out of the question. And Her- ron?" Spud said consideringly. “H'm- m-! Well. really. & “Well, what about Herron? Don't you ever take a drink?" Spud slid from the saddle. “I don’t care if T do,” he said. “You banshee!" cried Wheeler. His| scowl ended in a broad grin. “Come| along with you.” H ‘When they refurned to the porch.' Spud Wallis sank into a chair. A touring car stood in the deep road { comes on the 5:40 train and we have | before you go?" urged Wheeler. between track and ditch. Two men were on their hands and knees peer-; ing under. A sound of elinking stee}! came through the heated air. “I suppose when that good road gets through to the dam, the cars'l| be thicker'n flies,” said the young| man disconsolately Wheeler chuckled. “Do you think they'll build that good road down there, where there’s no room, and only a matter of years till the river gnaws the bank away? No, sir-ee! The Dona Ara Ditch'll go through the hill bm:kl of my house, and the good road will g0 over my hill—that's what. And they'll pay little old Tubs Wheeler a; “Sure we'll help you,” said Wheeler. w where you had it lagt?" “Oh, yes,” said the youth, leading the way. It Is somewhere Detween here and wheve we tinkered up the machine I took it off and laid it on the running-board—on this side. setting was loose and I was agraid I'1 lose the stone. Deuced careless of me. See, here's where we stopped It's somewhere between here and the car. “I hope 80, Robert,’ panion. I'd rather buy you another ring.” “It isn't s0 much the value of it, Mr. Dwyer—though it cost a pretty penny, 1 believe,” said Robert. “But —it was poor old dad's. “Oh!" said Dwyer, less brusequely. aid his com- I ‘Then I forgot about |cisively. 1 Joe clung to the horse's tall and acted as rudder. * ¥ k *x «EATS all'where that Joe Haskell 1 grumbled Wheeler. “Maybe he went over the ridge. That's it— couldn’t make his horse go by youg The | car, 1 reckon.” Mr. Dwyer snapped his watch de- “Robert,” he said, “we can't wait here any longer. Mr. Wheeler will doubtless find your ring. He can Oh, we're | wire you at Grindstone when he does. If he doesn't—well. we can come back day after tomorrow, if you prefer. “For we can't stay here long. | But we've got to be traveling.” “I suppose 80,” sald Robert reluc- tantly. “Mr. Wheeler, I shall depend on you and your friend to keep up the search. I have decided to double that reward—make it an even thousand. That is about all the ring Is worth; Love, Humor, Mystery,- ' Adventure in the Real West pa,” said Gertie, tripping demurely through the corral gate. ‘“Congratu- | lations! I'll expect a new dress." jerk. “Wake up, you.fellows! there, will you?" SRt 2 Down the slope from the Point of WHEELER gave the pair a wither-| Rocks, across the draw, came a wild ing look. “Spud Wallis,” e safd, | rider in a whirl of dust Beyond and “go flag that train! There'll be no little tender partings, please.” “We thought of that,” sald Gertie. blashing and laughirlg. *Good-by, Spud —again!” “Good-by, Gertie—again! There’s * said Spud. *“Come on.” Spud waved his hat back and forth across the track. The engine whistled twice In acknowledgment. “Oh, I wanted to tell you. No ise for you to try to buy that place of Montoya’s boy,” sald Spud as the train slowed up. Spud swung on the smoker step. *Some one bought it a month ago. a little behind him another horseman raced at top speed. He was shooting at the first man; he was forcing him obliquely along toward the car. Scat- tered far behind, spread in a strag- gling fan'aeross the draw, a dozen cowboys rode furiously after. A yell came from behind; the horse wran- gler, frantically urging his horse, tore down to the var; a tow-headed boy, wide-awake now and pop-eyed with excitement. He screamed: “Got a gun? gun?" “No—what's the matter?” The answer came in gasps. “Train the Got a HE USHERED HIS GUESTS IN, WITH A BLACK LOOK FOR THE YOUNG COUPLE AS HE PASSED. |“In that case, we'll stay till the last possible moment.” Sifting the sand through his gloved fingers, he looked up at Wheeler. “You see we have to meet a party at Grindstone to sign up an important mining proposition. He to be there. Phew' But it's hot! “It's going to be some job." Wallis. “There’'s a heap of sand. Look now—T got a mount of horses up here. squandering all over the country. I'li round ‘em up and put ‘em in the pen first, before they stray off. right back. along. yoeu want to make ‘em drive on the other side of the road.” He did not come back at all. “Reck- on some of his horses quit him,” said Wheeler, wiping bis dripping brow. on. This way, * % ¥ ¥ said | jiffy. 1 I'll be|and we want to be on time. Any wagon that comes | Robert." but T wouldn't lose it for twice that. And if you don't find it—well, keep looking f - it till we get back and TI'll give you a,hundred apiece any- way—keep wagons off and all that’ “But you'll havé an early dinner e can throw something together in a Joe'll be back by that tin Dwyer shook his head. “Thank you very much, but we'll just wash up and g0 on. We have lunch with us. The road, we hear, is very slow and sandy, Come, The car drew up before the store. Spud leaned over the rail. “Find it?" ." sald Wheeler. “They're going ntlemen.” He ushered his guests in, with a UT half an hour after Spud's de-!black look for the young couple as parture, from his farm. In the corral he found Joe Haskell rode down |he passed. He came back out at once. “What's all this? Gertie, go in the good big price for a right of way.lgpua's mount, and on the porch ha|house this minute and start dinner. Maybe the railroad’ll have to move, | found Spud himself in joyous confer-| too, some time. And when Mr. Big 014 He-Ditch comes here, Mr. Ditch'll make a big cut—or a tunnel, maybe— through my old ridge—and there’s an- other right of way. Four—count ‘em —fou . “Jo-ve. Mr. Wheeler. yuh suhtenly are a wondah!” Spud drawled. “And; you want Gertie to have a man that'll| clpher out plays like that? What's} the matter with that car?’ he in-) quired as the automobile, started, ! then stopped again. i “Lost something, I guess—see ‘em goin’ back down the road all stooped over. Lets go see.” But Wallis dreamily considered the country beyond the river. “See how the river makes a big ox- bow loop opposite here?’ he mused. “Looks like the roads and ditches would throw in together and build a wing-dam. slant-wise, where the river heads this way and turn it right across that neck of land—maybe dig- %ing out some for a starter—and leave this place all safe and hunky, a mile out of danger and lots of room. 1t ought to be cheaper. Only one patch of land to buy, and that all grown up to tornillo and cottonwood saplings.” * x x * \\,’HEELI‘-R’S jaw fell. “Cracky, they could éa that!” he ex- claimed. “That ground, now—it be- longs to old Pablo Montoya's boy. I'll just go over there and buy it tompor- row—then I'll be fixed, either way. Well, I'm sure obliged to you, Spud.” said Spud “Oh, that's all right,” 3 generously. ‘“Let's go and see what's lost.” * “The strangers met them at the car. One was a middle-aged man of slight build and severe but prosperous ap- pearance, with a panama hat. gold- rimmed eyeglasses. and close-clipped and grizsled mustache. He wore a duster and long black driving gaunt- lets. The other was a much younger man. His stalwart six feet were ar- rayed jn white flannel, his shirt- sleeves were rolled up. his collar turned in. His face was smooth shaven; he had wide. honest brown eves under heavy brows; his mouth was small. red and well shaped. Curly chestnut hair showed under his care- less cap: his hands were soft, white, plump and perfectly cared for. “I beg your pardon, gentlemen,” he said. “I have lost a very valuable diamond ring. Could we get you to Felp us look for it¥" . ‘We will pay you well for your * prompted the older man. said the tim "“Of course—certainly.” ‘Whether we find it or not,” added the other. “Oh, but I say, old chap,'we must find it. I can't afford to lose that ring, really.” “You stand to lose enough to buy Jou a box full of pretty rings it we ence with Miss Gertie Wheeler. Joe glowered from the step. “Well! You two seem to be enjoy- ing yourselves,” he said. “Yes—don't we? It's right cooi and pleasant here” said Spud. His eye wandered to the busy scene down the road. “What's up?’ said Haskell, follow- ing Spud's gasze. “Lost something?” Spud explained. Joe sniffed; his black eyes snapped. T'm going to hunt for that ring.” he declared, and stalked down the sunken road to join the search party. “Now; there goes a nice boy." said Spud, admiringly. “Plumb full of ginger. Good looker, too. And thrif- ty—my! Never see him laxe around when there’'s a dollar in sight. Al- ways up and doing. Why, he left camp this mornin’' at break o' day, whilst I was poundin’ my ear. ‘A little more sleep, a little slumber, a little closing of the eyes to sleep’— that's my motto. Did you notice, Ger- tie, he dldn't even say good morning to you? Someway he didn't seem right pleased.” After much searching, Joe marched back. Spud hailed him cheerfully. “Find it, Joe?" Joe shot him a triumphant look. +No, but you sure missed out, old- timer. They paid us ten dollars apiece. I'm going to lope down to Willit's ana have a screen sent up to run the sand through.” He strode on to the corral. -“Spud Wallis.” said Gertie, as soon as Joe was out of earshot, holding out something. I know you like a book. You're up to some devil- ment.” “Gertrude Lucreti: id Spud, “1. scorn to deceive you. I am." Joe whisked around the corner on 3 fat and flery black. He was a crack horseman, and not averse to proving it. Nearing the car the horse snorted, shied, and stopped, all a-quiver. Joe plied whip and spur. The black swerved suddenly across the acequia bridge, then took off on the other side with a tremendous bound. Joe leaned over and wrapped his hand in the rein to turn the horse from the bluff; the rein snapped: pitching mightily, the black held straight on to the river. One plunge—two—at the third, horse and man went over the thirty-foot bank into the Rio Grande. The ,sound of a terrific splash rose to the silent porch. Gertle gasped. Spud smote his knee in yexation. “There!” he said, “I told him this morning not to do that!" “Spud! He'll be killed! “Him? No! The water's deep un- der the bluff. We might go look.” He picked up Joe's hat as they raced to the bank. ,“Wish T could ride like that,” said Spud. They were in mid-stream, swim- _i l 1 1 Spud! You're a triflin’ scoundrel. ‘Where's Joe?" “Gone to Willet's, after a screen.” “How'd he go—over the ridge?” “He went down the river.” “What?" Spud explained amd Wheeler's bad humor disappeaged in laughte: “Well, that's a good one. We'll have to tell that to the strangers. You might as well stay to dinner, Spud.” “No,” sald Spud. “I'm feeling bad: If you'll leave me put my horses in your pasture I'll go up.to Rincon on the passenger and see the doc. Oh, say, Mr. Wheeler. If I make good as & business man—better than Joe, say —or as good as you—you'll have no further objection to me as a son-in- law, would you?" “Now, Spud Wallis, don’t you pes- ter me—" “That's a bargain, then. outdo you and Joe—-" “Drat you, yes—atid welcome. Let's If T can o tell the gentlemen about Joe and | his horse.” The gentlemen amused. “He'll get well paid for it, at least." said Robert. “A thousand if you find the ring—a hundred aplece anyhow— that's the bargain. Here's my card. Wire me at the hotel at Grindstone. Good-by.™ They climbed fnto the car and whirled gayly away. Mr. Wheeler puffed into his in- closed courtyard with an exultant whoop. B “You, were greatly Spud! We found it!" he “you're | shrilled jubilantly. Spud appeared at-the corral gate. “Got the ring, eh? That's good. Who found it—you or Joe?" “Neither one. Feller came along the track trampin’. He asked us what we'd lost, and I up and told him be- fore I thought. He came on down and it wasn't fifteen minutes before he found it. “Shucks! That's too ba in hopes yau or Joe'd get i I was ' Wheeler's eyelid fluttered on his’ cheek. “We ain't complaining any, Joe and me. . We let him think it was ours and we dug up two hundred dol- lars and sent him hiking up the road:" “You're the schemers,” said Spud, admiringly. “Where's Joe?" “He's gone on home. Hufty, Joe is —hufty at you. KEight hundred and twenty dollars—pretty good morn- ing’s work, I think. You'd just as well have been i on it” “Only eight hundred, isn't it?” “They paild us twenty in advance, Spud,”. said Wheeler triumphantly; “you see now why I don't make you welcome pere. Whilst you was phil- anderin’ around Joe was on the job.” “But I'm not huffy,” objected Spud, placidly, “and Joe s “There'll be other days for Joe. Most train time,.Spud—so long! I'm going to tell Gertie the good news.” “Qh, I heard abodt it all right, pa- hcldwn)’-lrbbbor! Bi]l Panky! Ten thousand If I only had a rifle!” whirled back toward “Go to the sta- shouted back The train gathered Wheeler ran alongside, red-faced, and | dollars reward! shouted up to Spud. The wrangler “Who bought it? the chuck wagons. Spud looked down at him benevo- | tion—telegraph!” lently. over his shoulder. “I did,” he said. “Go to the station, hey?” The wagon road ran beside the; Whalen. “In front of that scrap? 1 track across the Bend. Spud wa.|guess not! Cap you turn around in gratified, where the desert road lef:|this sand. Bill> Lord! Look! Look!" the river, to observe a touring car; The first pursuer gained on the he toiling up the sandy slope that led to | fugitive. He was reloading his re- | the desert. volver as he passed from sight be- | At Rincor Spud hunted up Charlie|hind a little ridge. The outlaw | swerved to meet him. 'The pursuer { flashed into the open, still loading his gun; the outlaw closed in, shooting. He fired once—twice—three times: the luckless cowboy clutched at the saddle horn, fell over along the | horse’s neck. hung for a second and jrolled off in the deep sand. | Yells of wild rage, a popping of guns filled the air. Unheeding, the assassin rode close to the body and deliberately fired again—once—twice. Bullets puffed the sand about him, but Simpson, his particular crony.* When the train started again both were passengers. Simpson carried 2 long repeating rifle tucked under his arm. At Rincon the railroad leaves the river, climbs painfully up Lookout Hill, and strikes across the desert. Spud got off at Hess, the second sid- ing: Simpson waved joyous farewell from the car window. The Tumble-Tee wagon was in plain sight on the mesa beyond Lookout Draw, a great dust rose from the cut. ting-ground beyond. Spud set out for |he swooped down from his saddle, a two-mile walk to the wagon. | came up with the gun of his fallen Where the first curve of the road foe, turned and thundered across to hid them from Wheeler's Messrs. | the car. He leaped off, he scrambled Dwyer and Whalen drove the car un-|toward the car, gun in hand. der an overhanging cottonwood and; “Hit her up!” he commanded, jump- halted. They opened the tool-box and i ing in. “Give her all you got!" The laid the tools on the running board{car leaped forward. “Climb over in in business-like fashion: but they ifront, vou little fellow spread robes out in the shade and| “The car lurched and bounded across compoted themselves for a peaceful;the gullied draw. Bullets whined sleep. overhead; the nearest cowboys were Long afterward a man on foot came | not more than two hundred yards up the railroad track -through the|away. quivering heat. He was roughly clad| The outlaw prodded Bill with a gun and bore a Mitle Lundle on a stick.|muszzle. “You'll have us in the ditch! He clambered down the embankment | 8it up, you, or I'll blow you to King- and thrust a coarsely shod, plebelan|dom Come!" foot into Mr. Whalen's immaculate b “Wake up, bo" he said gruffly, nd pay for your night's lodgin'!" sat up and rubbed his eyes. ell, * k% x FOR Bill was trying to duck. : Dwyer was scrunched on the floor ‘ln front. Mr. Whalen, in the tonneau. was trying to squeeze himself be- tween two sultcases. Mr. {/BIlL. did the hicks come through?" | “Two hundred—hundred and eighty| Thus admonished. Bill sat up. On { net,” said Bill crossly. “I tried to rib) the smooth road beyond the draw ‘em for more, but the young one made ; the car gathered speed and shot ahead such a squeal that I took what I coyld | with a roar: the shots and shouts get. Come now, let's get out of this.” i grew fainter. “That's not so worse,” sald Dwyer.{ As the fleeing car topped the first “Makes about twenty-one hundred.|rise the avengers, with one accord, Fairish clean-up for & boob country | jogged soberly back in little groups like this, starting from a shoe string.” | of twos and threes. . Dwyer removed the number plate,; Even more remarkable was the con- 11l 41372, and substituted Ky. 1330.'duct of the murdered man. He “It's just as well,” he sald. “We've brushed himself, rubbed the sand worked that gag for all the traffic|from his hair, took up his sombrero, will bear. 'Twon't be safe to work | mounted his horse, captured the 1o0se it again till we get up in Oklahoma.” | hprse left by his late assassin and led “V ell, get: a wiggle,” admonished | him to camp. The horse wrangler B!l He climbed Into the tonneau, |rode out to meet him. whkich was erowded with three suit-| 4“Spud Wallis, you red hellion.” said jeered | brakes. and stopped the car’with a|his shoulde: Look on any high-and-mighty airs about | l l I i | ! | l 1 l ! | “Well, you needn't pu' Chauffeur Bill became the spokes- man. “Fifteen hundred dollars™ “That listens pretty good. Come again. You hadn't ought to wry to hold out on an old man that way,’ said Hank sorrowfully. *“l got the guns. Try once more.” “We can scrape up a little more, it—so am L. The robber laughed. “I really ought (o shake you fel- lows down for your change,” he said apologetically, “but I haven't the heart to do it, the way the play come. You done me a good turn, and I'm grateful! You just carry me along |between us” admitted Dwyer, re- till 1 get a horse and we'll call it !luctantly. “But it will leave us bare. square. But If you got any guns|Wae need some expense money." you'd better dump ‘em overboard.| “You give it here,” returned Hank Guns make me nervous.” {mplacably. “Expense money be “Shrimp’s got one,” said Bill. “Toss | blowed! Give me two thousand even, it out, Shrimp, as the gentleman tells |and it's a go. But you got to go back you. the way you came. Mr. Dwyer produced a dainty affair [and I need room. The boys won't in silver and pearl. lynch him—not with you bringin’ him The outlaw gave a cry of delight.|in that way. They'll tike him to “Oh, what a cunning little thing!” [Dona Ana for you. That's my last he cooed. “Don't throw it away, Mr.|word. Take it or leave it.” * Shrimp. Tl sew it on my hat. No— The money changed hands. Under I'll use it for a scarfpin.” He thrust | Hank's gun, Panky was trussed up his own gun in the holster and put with suit case straps, his hands bc- the new one in his pocket. “Now |hind his back, and was assisted into we'll go 'long, all nice and cosy,” he{the car. Then his ankles were said. strapped together. Whalen took the The Point of Rocks lay far behind; | steering wheel with Dwyer beside the rallrosd was close to the left. In him and the two Bills in the tonneau. the north, Lear—section house, water- | The car turned back toward the Point | tank and telegraph shack—grew larg:;of Rocks; behind it, Hank climbed to against ythe sky. They crossed the|the railroed track and howled a railroad track and plowed through trucuient farewell. stretch of sand. J I Mr. Panky chatted freely, mainly “We follow the vailroad as far llllbollt Hank. His companions, being Lear,” ordered Panky. “The tele- in high spirits, met these lively sal- graph operator keeps a saddle horse. | lies with laughter and applause. Afte Maybe he'll loan it to me. :a few miles, however, Mr. Panky Just out of Lear, they dipped down lapsed into sulky silence. in a draw; Bill slowed to cross a deep * x x ¥ and narrow wash. “Hapds up! Stop her:” A COOL breeze tossed the wayside PP mesquites; a far mountain notched black and sharp across the red sun, the car came again to Look- out Draw. It chugged up the sandy slope, it turned across the plain to the chuck-wagon. A horseman trotted out to meet the car, waving his arm. “Gee whiz® Ain’t you got no sense?” he cried in an angry voice. “Get away with that devil-wagon. You'll stampede these cattle. Go 'way round, if you want to get to camp. ‘Whalen made a wide detour, driv- ing slowly over the grass hummocks; dusk had fallen when he reached the wagon. By the bright fire stood a battery of steaming Dutch ovens and pots and a vast kettle of coffee, sending out a savory incense: in the firelight, a broad semi-circle of cowboys sat EN feet away a rifle barrel poked 1rom behind a washed-out bank. It was pointed at Bill, but in a half second it swung to cover the tonn “If it ain't Bill Panky! Don't move a hand!” To steady himself in crossing the gully, Mr. Panky’s bands had gripped at seat and stanchion. He now rigidly held that strained position. The car stopped astride the ditch. A man stepped cautiously from the washout—a little man with a long 30-10 repeater. He Jooked very much indeed like Mr. Charlie Simpson. He held the musslie of the long rifle with- in a foot of Mr. Panky's ribs. “Put your hands on the back of the 1" he ordered. “Shut your Mr. Panky did this. The little man | reached forward gingerly for Mr. I'm goin’ north— | ——By Eugene Manlove Rhodes gged, luughing and talking, or with plate ard knife and for all ready, strangers! Come The hail came from Cole, the fore- man,-as the car stopped | “Weve got yovr train robber! jcalled Whalen triumphantly. “Here's | your Bill Panky.’ The semi-circie went suddenly hushed and still Cole rose and came forward {“Bully!” he said heartily. “Good for you! There's a big reward offered for him—ten thousand, I think. You're in luck. Where'd you get him? “Another man captured him," ex- plained Whalen, modestly. “and turned him over to us to bring in” He | tugged at the strap on the captive's legs. ““I'll tell you about it later.” He tovk the prizoner’s elbow, Bill assisting from behind, and helped hin to the ground. Dwyer followed | “Gosh, my feet are asleep,” marked the prisoner. to a v He shambled a step into the firelight ndo my arms, somebody Cole unbuckled the strap: the out- law hobbled straight to a tin plat- i st silence and cup. Cole spoke in a pained and shocked voice. | “Why, this isn't Eill Panky. This is old Jim Hendricks, aud he isu't worth twenty dollars a dozen to un. - one.” + *“But he killed a man here'™ Cole shook his hhad. *“We was jus playing moving-picture cowboy Whalen’s heart stood still. Drwye felt a cold faintness creeping ove: him and leaned heavily against the mud-guard. “But our m-money gurgled Dwyer. “All we had—ga\ it to the man that caught him?" A drawling voice rose from the fir/ { “What sort of a looking man? Littie sawed-off runt, red eves and brindlcd mustache?” i “That's him:" “Oh, it's all right then!” =ald the voice. “I told him to do that” Spud. Wallis, the speaker, rose and loitere: over. “I'll take care of the money You just make a little list of the rings you've iost lately, Mr. Whalen-— your poor old dad’s rings. Jot dowu the nam and amounts, near as u remember. and 'l fix it all up for ax far as the money holds out.” Bill stepped into the car grasped the steering-wheel firmly “Home, Jeems!” Le xaid | And thus Spud got the girl! (Copyright. 1922. Ail rights reserved ) and Panky’s six-shooter. Getting it, with a little audible sob of relief, he cocked it, backed off a step and laid the rifie behind him. “Get out!” he said. “Keep them hands up! Turn around. Back out!" |CAPITAL SIDELIGHTS Panky meekly submitted while the little man frisked him for weapons. “What—in—hell—is—this?" said the little man, in a rising crescendo of UST now a considerable amount of first-class embossed and en- graved stationery is being used, J astonishment. when he came to the a5 the! eime oFf & mumber of little pearl-handled gun. “Turn X around, Bill, let's havs a look at|Eovernment stenographers and clerks you!” in various establishments is Leing “Why, it's old Hank!” said Mr.|consumed in preparing long lists of P{?;‘:;_,(.. old Hank~ The little|€xecutive papers which officials in the many offices of the government are trying to get permission to throw in a waste paper sack. The law provides that a particular department desirous of getting rid of papers for which it has no further use shall submit copies of all docu- ments and forms to the Library of Congress for advice as to whether isuch records appear to have any his- torical value. If the Library of Con- gress reports that they have no his- man sat down on the bank. He had a wizened, freckled face and a stub- by red mustache, which now bristled to a snarl. “Old Hank—him you bul- lied and run over, and cheated out of his share on that Lordsburg money. Well, well! What a joyful surprise! 1 see this ortermobile a-coming. and I thinks I'll just pick up a little piece of money—and here 1 got the drop on old Bill Panky, and ten thousand perfectly good dollars reward for him, alive or dead. T hope this will always Yo a leason to us’” 5 torfcal value, the head of the ex- Mr. Panky laughed uneasily. You ecutive department transmits to Con- wouldn't do old Bill dirt like that, |Bress lists and copies of such useless old fellow.” papers and documents, which is re- “Yes, I would,” said Hank, posi-|ferred to the joint committee on tivel. disposition of useless executive pa- “I got a big bunch of money hid out, Hank—TI'll whack up even with you—honest T will." 0, you won't. You want a chance to put me to bed with a shovel—that's what you want. Here's where I get even with you for keeps. I'm getting old, Bill—and that ten thousand will sorter ease my declinin’ years.” i} “Maybe I was too rough on you," admitted Mr. Panky. “But I'll make it up to you. You keep the guns, Hank—take what dough this bunch has, if you want it—we'll get some horses and hit the brush for my hide- pers. This committee investigates the feasability of the disposal of such use- less papers and makes a report to both House and Senate, and about 1,500 copies of that report is then printed. This joint committee has executive functions, and its recom- mendations automatically go into ef- fect. * x kX . lHERE's another example of lost in the federal federal budget motion new service. The system exclusive right of passing,upon i ou'll hit the back track for Dona retorted Hank, ferocious®y. “Back out that car, you feller, and turn her around.” He reached back for the rifle. = “You can't do that Sim—simpleton,” said Panky. “They'll send you ‘to the pen for that Lordsburg job.” “They'll let me cff light. me givin® myself up and bringing you in,” as- serted Hank confidently. “They want you, Bill. You'll swing for that con- ductor you got. They'll give me two or three years at most—maybe a full pardon. And you'll be hung till you're I—dead—dead 11 give you all the money I got cached, Hank.” “You'll give me a shot in the back. To hell with your money R PANKY wilted. He was trembling. He cringed. “Take me to Grind- stone, then, Hank,” he pleaded ab- jectly. “The Tumble-Tee outfit will lynch me if you take me back that way. I—I killed a man down there this afternoon, Hank.” appropriations to support the various other functions of the government. The other day William Tyler Page, ment of supplemental estimates for the contiugent fund of the House— and he had to send it to the budget bureau, which transmitted it to the ter. Then the President, in turn, ‘wrote another letter, sending it along to the Speaker, and it finally reached the House appropriations’ committee. All this instead ‘of Mr. Page walking a few steps down the corridor from his own office and handing the esti- mate in at the committee room. ‘The explanation given is that the estimates from Congress, while not the budget bureau, are sent there so that the budget bureau may have a general, rounded out view of the en- tire estimates of cost for running the government. Critics of this waste motion point out that it would be ety oJ» that right, you fel-|much simpler for the clerk to simply “He aid sald Whalen. “Cold- send a carbon copy of his estimates to the budget bureau for their in- blooded. - Shot him twice after he was formation. down. We saw it. Then he made us bring him up hege. Don't you be afraid of us. We're with you—we take you in the machine wherever you want to go.” * * ¥ % 6] TNCLE JOE” CANNON. eighty-six years old, elected to Congress specifically reserves to Congress the own expenditures when it is \'olinK! clerk of the Hous, prepared a state-: President, with an accompanying let- | subject to alteration in any way by ! only when there was the most posi- tive assurance that nothing of im- portance would be transacted. House Leader Mondell has thus established an attendance record that cannot matched by any of his colleagues. * % % % OUSE LEADER MONDELL al has another record. | be i | jdaily a great deal more mail than jany other member. Tnis is paruy {due to the fact that he is the only member of the House from the gre {state of Wyoming and that his con- He receives stituents come into comtact with every phase of federal activity— reclamation, land office, geologic: {survey, bureau of mines, rural educu- ition and sanitation, pensions and veterans' bureaus, ad infinitum Besides this Representative Mondell |is a recognized authority on the pub- |lic land law, and this brings him au extensive correspondence from all {public land states. Since becoming {floor leader his mail has naturally greatly increased fromi people in all |the states who have suggestions on pending or proposed legislation. Then, 100, he referce in Wyoming post office matters, and o is consulted on all Of the very many matters affecting more than 700 post |offices. Representative Mondell has established a strict rule that every |letter received must be answered. Uf | course, form letters are resorted tu and used whenever possible, but his office averages more than 150 dictated letters a day. =% %= \WITH the passing from Congress i of close of the present session, Speak Gillett will be the nestor of the House. “Uncle Joe” is rounding out twenty-three terms, or forty-six years, which have not been cousecu Itive. Speaker Gillett is serving\out | nis fitteenth term, or thirty years. of | continuous service. * x “Uncle Joe” Cannon at th * x 7OU can't legislate in any way to absolutely accidents. A good proof of this was seen the other day when the site for the pro- posed national archives building was under discussicn in the Senate. Sen- ator John Sharp Williams of Mississippi said: “Two essential | conditions shall be complied with The first is that the bullding ftself ishall be fireproof—not wliegedly fireproof, not fireproof according to any inrusance company’s report, but firgproof sure enough like the old Treasury building, which, by the way, is ope of the most magnificent specimens of architecture in the world today. There is hardly any- thing in ancient Greece that exceeds it in beauty or in substantiality.” And ,the very next day there was a se- | rious fire on the roof of the Treasury | building. prevent cares and a goodly hamper. “You fellows drive awhile. I'm go-. ing to try some beer and a little Take the first right-hand road. It's fifteen miles shorter than following along the ‘railroad, they say, and no ‘worse.” * ® * X THEY were a long hour climbing the sandy slope to the level of the desert. . Then they enjoyed a substan- tial Juncheon from the hamper. Bill opened his suitcase, shaved carefully, and attired himself fn joyous apparel. His spirits rose accordingly. “Bloole!” he said, throwing the dis- carded garments into a mesquite bush. “Home, Jeems'” : It was past mid-afternoon when they drew near to Hess. At the round- up wagon, half a mile to the right, the cook’s fire blazed brightly; beyond it a few riders held a bunch of cattle near the trampled round-up. The horse-herd grazed beside the road, guarded by a youthful wrangler, seemingly asleep in the saddle. A hundred yards farther on the car came to the rim of Lookout Draw and turned down the steep and sandy.| slope. Halt-way ~ down Bill threw the Hank surveyed the prisoner with ferocious joy. “That settles you. I get the rew! 't the same—alive ' | the horse-wrangler, “them fellows'll be at the north pole by sundown.” In the kidnaped car conversation 1 languished. or dead, Anm hat's more, if you “Pull her up, son,” advised the new | open your ugly head for just one passenger. e've made our get-|more word, T'll kill you right now and here. I mean it.” His fingers twitched along the tifie barrel. -By the car, the three partners had been holding & whispered conference. away. Just let her trundle along. There, that's better.” He was a powerful bulk of a man, great of body and bone; he filled the eve. 1In his left hand he held his|Now Dwyer came forward. He was enormous high-peaked Mexican som- |very pale, but the light of greed was brero of thick red felt, heavily braid- | in his blinking eyea. ed with silver; the other hand; care-| “Walt—wait a minute,” he faltered. lessly holding the six-shooter, rested | “We want to make you a proposition. easily on his thigh. A massive head | We -happen to haye with us a con- sat on a bull-neck. * His features were | siderable sum in ‘ready cash. You heavy but not ll-ahaped; his mouth jcouldn’t very well rob us on your way was tensed to a grim straight line; |to tell the court you wanted to re- his mustache was black and long; his | form. But why should you go to the eyes were black and hard, his brows | penitentlary? Why wouldn’t you have heavy and black, the thick tangle of |[us pay you a.good cash percentage hair jet-black; his great red-brown right here, and let us have the re- face was streaked with sweat and |ward, while you go free?” dust. wThey might send you up for a long He turned his attention to Mr. Rob- | term, you know. ¥ou never can teil,” ert Whal “What's the matter, | urged Whalen. “Why, you might get brother? Got a chill?” ‘Mr. Whalen picked up spirit. “Great Christopher K. Columbus!” he answered; “I'm schred!" Chauffeur Bill flung a remark over sick and dle there” “How much?’ Hank did not move his little glowing eyes from his cap- tive. “I never did care much for thc| penitentiary, nohow.” Abeen absent just five days, and then fifty years ago, never goes to the movies. “I went once some years g0, Representative Cannon said,! “and they hurt my eves, so I didn't| 0 any move.” * % % % * ¥ k X REPRESENTATI\'E THOMAS M. BELL of Georgla received & let- | ter from one of his constituents ask- |ing him to send him u diagram of EV. JAMES SHERA MONTGOM- ', perpetual motion machine. Rep- ERY, chaplain of the House, is a resentative Bell appealed for as- man’s man gnd eéxtremely human. In | sistance to Joel Grayson, the pre- going down the aisle of his church|siding genius of the House docu- one Sunday recently he saw a very ment room. Joel scratched his head prominent man, who is a-noted na-|a minute, then grabbed a big bunch tional figure, in one of the front pews of keys and marched Representative apd shook hands with him, asking: | Bell down into the sub-basement or ‘How do you feel today?" “Rotten— |catacombs of the Capitol. There he I lost = lot at poker last night,” came | dug out five large votumes, choc- the surprising answer, which would |ablock full of all sorts of diagrams have rebulfed most clergymen, but|and machinery and parts of ma- not Chaplain Montgomery. “That was | chinery. They were five annual re- the most sincere reply I ever re-|ports of the bureau of aeronautics. ceived,” he commented to members of | “He probably won't find any per- Congress later. “It showed hoW |petual motion machine there,” Mr. human that great man was.” Grayson told Judge Bell, “but iU's . L A ] | the nearest thing to it. Those books will keep him busy for u long time hunting for it, and maybe he’ll for- get whatever fool notion he had in his mind.” Representative Bell franked the five big books out to the man interested in perpetual motion. QUARTER of a oemtury of servioe in Congress will be rounded out by Representative Frank W. Mondell of Wyoming on March 4—and during all those twenty-five years he has PR ':-1-