The Argosy, Vol. 75, No. 4 — page 106: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

808 five dollars of the money he had brought West. He had about forty coming to him in wages. And he was under the cloud of suspicion which must be removed at any cost. He had to have money. He reached the shelf above the spring. Looking out from that point, he could discern the dark figures of the cattle, a slow-moving herder on his pony, then several nearer figures which he suspected were cowboys wrapped in blankets and sleeping soundly. He made his way down. “Who’s that?” a sleepy voice de- manded. “ Radford,” he replied, going toward the bulk that lifted slowly from the saddle-pillow and blanket-bed. “ Say, Red, you heard Silsby speak of the Cochinino Mine. Where is it?” “Shut up!” Red replied, disgusted at being waked for no more pressing reason than to converse on mines. “T won’t!’’ Radford returned with a fierceness that had its effect. “ I am going to know where that mine is if I have to shoot you to find out.” “Lord! Pretty, you—” “ Where is it?” Ted persisted, drum- ming systematically on the foreman’s ribs. “Quit that! You knock the wind outa me! It’s *bout fifty miles west uv the fur side of the Mesquite Range. Leastways, thar’s where it wuz when it wuz a mine,’ Red answered, more agreeable as he waked more com- pletely. “What do you know about it? Gill’s just tried to put a hole in me because he thinks I’ve got a deed to an interest mat.” “That’s funny!” Red exclaimed, _ thoroughly aroused by the mention of the owner of the Double X and his strange doings. ‘“ All I know is, ‘twas ‘bout the biggest frost to three men that ever come a kitin’ from the horny hand uv fate!” Radford had no chance to try his hand at interpreting Red’s unwonted oratory. Some one rose in the dark- THE ARGOSY. ness beyond and began to growl. It was Silsby himself. “Ye kin take it from me that the Cochinino ain’t sech a frost. That big bonanza’s right next to it—the Bonita. Las’ time I seen Al Watson out yan- der he wuz so excited he wuz jes’ ’bout dippy. He wanted me to put up some money to git hold uv the old Cochi- nino claim.” “When was that?” ‘Ted began to feel the excitement heat his blood. If he had the deed, as he suspected, and if the Cochinino should prove to be of value, it would enable him to set about proving himself worthy of Nata- lie le Fevre’s love. “Lemme see! ago this—” Ted did not listen. Eleven years ago was before things began for him. It did not occur to him that the events in which he had been so disastrously in- volved could have had their inception at so distant a period. ““Where’s this Al Watson?” asked. ‘Twas ‘leven years he He recalled the picture Natalie had. shown him. She had pointed out her uncle, and they both recognized the figure of Nick Bullen. The third must have been Al Watson. Radford remembered him as a rough- looking customer in high boots, flannel shirt, a shaggy beard, and an expres- sion of discomfort as if he felt he did not appear to advantage with the dapper Frenchman and Nick Bullen in his best clothes. Locating this Al Wat- son might be the surest route to learning all about the Cochinino Mine. “Search me,” Silsby replied. “I heerd somethin’ ’bout him gittin’ in a shootin’ scrape. Guess he done the killin’. Mebbe he went to the pen fur all I know.” “Look here, Silsby,’’ Radford be- gan, leaning toward the ranchman so that he could see his face, “ what would you say if I told you I had a deed to an interest in the Cochinino Mine? ”’ Silsby looked sharply at his new puncher. | EOPMICGLOOOKS (E@)