The Twins of Suffering Creek

. Presently he reached out his long arms and clasped his hands behind his head. He lay there on his stretcher bed, still very sleepy, but with wakefulness

ll the busy thought of his long night's vigil. Further rest became impossible to a man of his temperament, and he sprang from his blankets a

inite plans. Only all his thoughts of the previous night warned him

ims. He was hard, unimaginative, and of keen decision. And overnight he had arrived at one considerable decision. How he had arrived at it he hardly knew. Perhaps it was one of those decisions that cannot be helped. Certain

losely inquired into. The blundering efforts of Sunny Oak were so hopelessly inadequate in the care of

he excellence of their intentions. Besides, in this case it was so useless. These two children were a nuisance,

his focus. That personage was rarely far from it, and he needed very little prompting to bring the outlaw into the full glare of his mental limelight. He hated James. He had

e man which now drove him to a decision of the first importance. And such was his satisfaction in the interest of his decision, that, for the time being, at least, poker was robbed of its charm, faro had become a game of no consequence whatever, and gambling generally, with all its subtleties as he u

far too involved and deeply hidden. The only possible chance of estimating the truth would be to question his associates as to the

ed it was the possibility of something having happened to his mare Gipsy. Toby Jenks might have had a wild idea that Bill had made his "pile" on the "crook" and was "gettin' religion." Sunny Oak, whose shrewd mind s

ld, even when thoroughly drunk, have accused Bill of any leaning towards sentimentalism or chivalry. The idea that he cared two cents for what became of Scipio, or

having decided, he, equally frankly, declared that "the proposition was up to him." This was his silent ultimatum, and, having del

have been to describe him as a sort of driving force to a keen brain and hot, passionate heart. Whether he possessed any of the gentler human feelings only his acts could show, for so ha

ining-room at the store, with Minky sitting opposite to him. The storekeeper was telling him

t. I would sure. There was three fellers, strangers, lookin' for a hand at poker. They'd got a fine wad o' money, too, and were ready for a tall game. They got one w

ddenly lifted from his pl

'em––the stran

in the dining-room was oppressive. "I've never see 'em before, an' they didn't seem like talkin' a he

ill, between noisy

es

flies settle on a greasy

don't like strangers who don't seem ready tongue

" Bill set

y no

e, the boys has got to cash their stuff, and I'm here to make trade, so––wal, I jest got to fill

erious, and suggested a deep train of swift thought. Prese

erin' it 'ud be sa

y no

trangers?" B

fully. "I ast a few questions of

did the

. Nobody se

dibly. And Bill

o' Zip?" the storekee

N

at mare o

ws drew together in an ominous frown, but he mad

he was gett

nod

t on thoughtfully, "if he don't turn

't fig

st was appare

nd or––somethin's got to be do

ur

nny's jest

ur

neither," the storekeeper went on, his mind l

N

'll cost m

could have detected any

hat claim worked for

shr

be gettin' b

f he d

u m

Bill now. His interrogation

. Ja

s was startling, even to Minky, who was used to the man. However, he waited,

nd an' see how Sunn

nd began to cut flakes of

ent's pause. "You need to do some thinkin'

nty thousa

cked the tobacco in his pipe. "An ele

's face became

s––if they

st

nd he puffed at it vigorously

obbin' ain't good enough, nor big enough, to run his gang on. He needs gold sta

to light

ust where the rats can't gnaw it. Later we'll think things out. Meanwhile there's one thing sure, we don't need strangers on Suffering Creek. Th

Commercially it appealed to him enormously. The profits under his primitive methods of dealing with the matter were dazzlingly large, and, in consequence, the business became a dominant portion of his trade. Nor was it until the quantity of gold he bought began to grow, and mount into thousands of

he needed. Then worry set in. History might easily repeat itself on Suffering Creek. James' gang was reported to be a large one. Well, what if

from the rest, and, for several days, Minky had sought an opportunity of unburdening himself to his friend. Now, a