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Show I W. OPENED BY MISTAKE ,- 'Sr '',T.1'&. ! By NAN LORD and CHESTER KANE 4 I,N Tuesday morning the mail-S mail-S coach brought in tho well'Sub- , stantlatcd rumor that Buckton H had really been located again this H I time in the foothills beyond the Star-Y H range. By noon on Tuesday and this H! despite the fact that Buckton had been fl dclinltely located five times In the last Hl two months, without ever being taken j in tho flesh Sheriff Bull galloped out H "' of Phillipstown with a posse ot seven m behind him. Phillipstown may not be M Strong on population or culture or H commerce, but when it comes to send- H lng out a sheriff's posse in good shape H at short notice, Phillipstown is there! M y Just before sunset on Thursday they H came upon Buckton. H Buckton was sitting, hunched into H a miserable ball, just as he had fal- M len when the spunky little black mare H dropped dead six hours before. He H was the God-forsaken wreck of a man, B i hardly over thirty. H What clothes he still owned were H I tattered; scantily covered bones llter- M ally protruded through the rents and H holes. His hat was crownless; the H straggling beard of weeks gave his M ' gaunt face much the look of the tra- M ditional "wild man." His thin hands H i wero clenched over bare knees. His H ' checks cracked suddenly Into a smile m nothing less than ghastly. H j "You've got me, Bull," ho said, "I H j never thought you had wits enough H ; for the job, but you've got me. Go B ahead with your fun. What do you M l want?" M ' Pell, the Phillipstown grain and M feed man, took the liberty of laugh- M lng. Bull's official dignity came back, H" and ho straightened up suddenly. H "I've got a warrant here for your H arrest, Buckton," ho said. "In fact, H I have four of them, but the last's H tho one I'm going to use. They H charge you with horse-stealing and H cow-rustling. One of 'em's been sworn H out on a complaint of smashing down H a bank-clerk In Kinaville and taking H threo hundred dollars from him In H broad daylight. Hero they are, if y' H want to read 'cm." K "I'll take your word for It, Bull." HT The weird smile came again. H. "Then" H! The derelict hitched to a little more l Kprl&t yoaturo uad faced tho man. H ! - - -w "Bull," ho Bald, "I'm not going with you. I'm not dead sure about tho law, but you know blamed well you're out of your own county and " And just there Menken, seven-foot giant of tho posse, keeper of Phll-Hpstown's Phll-Hpstown's most ornate saloon and leader ot tho councllmon, roared in: "You bet you ain't goin', Buckton! You're goin to stay right here and stay put! We've had too darned much trouble with you, anyway, these laBt two months, an' too much expenso. You ain't worth cartin' back, an' you'd be worth less when you got there. Where's that rope, Tom?" Tho red-headed member of tho pease tossed from his saddle a good ton yards of braided leather lariat Mon-ken Mon-ken caught it and held It up silently. Buckton, still squatted on the ground, regarded it apathetically. But Bull whirled swiftly on the saloon-man with: "What d you think you're doing " "That'll be all right, Dickl" Menken grinned. "We talked It oyer before we started, and wo came ready. You're all for law in tho book Btyle, old man, and we're all awful up to date; but I reckon the day ain't gone by when hOBB-thleves don't get what's coming to 'em In proper style. And if this cuss don't deserve hangln' " A six-throated yell drowned hia voice. It was a yell of distinct approval, ap-proval, too, and the yellers were quite as well armed as Bull and Bull, incidentally, in-cidentally, was no fool. Ho straight-oned straight-oned up abruptly and cried crisply: "Say! This Is all noncense! We're goin' to take Buckton f- ":, and he'B goin to be tried right . " "Cut it out!" said t" , red-headed member, as be Bwung r.vn and Bwag-gered Bwag-gered over to Buckton and regarded him contemptuously. "Git up!" The derelict clamored with difficulty to his feeL "Got any prayers you want to Hay?" inquired the auburn-haired. "No!" The word came in an amazing, amaz-ing, unexpected roar. "I said 'em long ago!" "Then" He caught deftly nt the noose and grinned malevolently. "D'ye wanter stand on a hoss, or d'ye wantor bo yanked up straight and gentlo-maalyT gentlo-maalyT vjV "I " Buckton gulped. Bull, pistols notwithstanding, went forward with a stride. "You-all!" he thundered. "You ain't goin' t' take this man out of my hands and " Tho seven took to shouting again and the sheriff all but rubbed his eyes. He had known very well that sentiment was very, very much against Buckton; yet he had most certainly cer-tainly believed that tho soven representative repre-sentative men of Phillipstown whom ho had picked for tho rldo wore standing stand-ing for law and order. Carter, the cold-eyed one, remarked: "That man's going t' swing, Dick. You just look away and forgot it. It'll bo over quick. ,Yer ropo ready, Tom 7" , "Umum." i "Then" ' "Say! Hold on a minute!" Bull's face was almost startled as ho fumbled fum-bled in an Inner pocket. "Just a second. I'll Bubmlt, I suppose and I'll arreBt every man Jack of you when we get homo, but " Ho fumbled further; and ho produced pro-duced a much-soiled envelope that seemed to havo gono through many stages of the United States mall service, serv-ice, and he handed It to tho wretched Buckton with: "Here! That camo to town for you a month ago, when we were chasing you around Duncan'B ranch. I I said I'd deliver It In person." It had been rather a grim joke at the time; It was a far grimmer one now, and Bull set his teeth and stared at Buckton and wondered if thero -was no earthly line of reasoning that could be advanced to save the situation. Buckton, however, was paying him no attention whntever. One glance at tho envelope and the captive's eyes narrowed In a sudden wince. His dry tongue came out and moistened his cracked, hairy lips. HIb hand shut over tho envelope until the thing was crushed into a crinkled mass. And then Buckton's face grow stony. He tore tho thing open carefully brought forth a folded sheet of note-paper, note-paper, written from end to end in a line, thin hand. His head dropped low, until tho unlovely chin all but touched the ragged chest. Buckton read on and on nnd on, oblivious to all else in tho world. At last he raised his head abruptly and, folding1 tho sheet, replaced It carefully in the envelope. He .held It forth and thrust It Into tho hand of tho astonished sheriff with: "Will you do mo ono last favor? It ain't very' much. Won't be any trouble to you." "Well, if they's anything" "Just stick that together again, Bull, with a piece of paper or something. Then mark it 'opened by mistake' and drop It in the mail-box in town. The address is on tho back, and it'll 60t to where it camo from." Ho I paused a little and "clasped his hands behind his back, In calm defiance of the coming fate. " 'Opened by mistake. mis-take. Understand? Yes? Woll, then go on, and be dnrned to you all!" Buckton waited, motionless. Bull seemed rathor staggered as the group crowded about him and stared curiously at the letter, "Well. I'll do that, Buckton" tho sheriff began. "Aw' Let's seo If " Menkon laughod as ho snatched the little envelope en-velope suddenly and hold It aloft. Buckton started forward with an oath, to be stopped short by Carter's gun. Bull, too, made a move toward the saloon man, but tho latter waved the letter over his head and cried: "Well, we'll make an Investigation, Bull. Maybe this hero's more evidence, evi-dence, or maybe " Ho broke off again and drew forth tho sheet. As ho did so Buckton shouted shrilly: "Put that back, Menken! Put that back, I say! It you don't and I live, I'll kill you; and it I die, I'll come back from hell and haunt you every' day of " "Girl In tho caso!" Carter observed facetiously. Menkon, who owned latent dramatic tendencies, had cocked hlraaelf jauntily jaunt-ily side-saddle on his horso. Tho little note-sheet was extended now, and Menken's full-throated voice roared forth: "Listen! Hore sho goes: "My dear sonny boy " "She's sure fond of him. ain't she?" the red-haired ono ohuckled. Menken read on gleefully: "My dear sonny boy: "Do write and toll mo what is the matter. It Is over a month now since I havo heard from you. Tho las letter you wrote the ono with tho fifty dollars and tho money-order for one hundred came on your birthday, and I was very, very glad to hear from you and thank you for .the) monoy. "Have you left your position In Phillipstown and gone back to Laramie? Lara-mie? I think maybo it is as well, because be-cause you 8a!d the Laramie people were good to you and tho position was certain, even If the pay was a little less. But you use your own Judgment, Judg-ment, my dear little boy, becauso you're your father's Bon and father always knew what was right and did it, and you are his own boy." Mrl Menken cleared hlB throat, his voice had been dropping away noticeably notice-ably with tho laBt few words. Menken Men-ken looked "almost furtively over tho crowd for the tiniest fraction of a second and tho crowd lookod back rather bewildcrcdly. Whereat Menken continued, 1bs jovially: "Everything Is tho same here aB it has always been. I am just about the same, too, though Dr.1 Harris said last I ft week I looked some bettor, though worried. Mr. Welch was asking about you day before yesterday. Ho said, whenever you get ready to como back, you could have your old place in the store. He said ho couldn't pay any more than eleven dollars a week, but ho said ho alwayB does that Insburg is bound to be tho biggest town In Indiana within twenty yearB, and that whoever gTows up with his store, will be among the foremost citizens. It made me wish so much that you were back, Neddy. I thought of you all night and wondered It you wouldn't be better home. "This should reach you by Thursday. Thurs-day. Please write as 60on ns you can and tell mo about everything. Good night, my little son. "Mother." Menken had read his way to the end. Just now his eyes dropped, and, without commont, he replaced tho letter let-ter rather carefully and tapped hla knee with It. Nor did tho group seem inclined toward hilarious comment. Carter omitted a little snort and stopped. Tho red-haired one essayed a contemptuous con-temptuous chuckle, and It died out In rather sickly fashion. The last puff of wind had died away now, and tho silence was Intense. Out of it came long, whistling, wheezing broaths from the derelict big, rasping rasp-ing gasps of pure, infuriated pain. Then: "Give that letter back to Bull!" Menken returnod it silently. "And vou'll swear to send it off. Bull?" "I'll Bure send it off, Buckton, but " The sheriff looked at the dry ground for a little while. "But " "But what does it mean?" the cap-tivo cap-tivo cried. "It means Just what It Bays! It means that my mother's hack homo in that littlo town in Indiana, waiting for the black aheep of tho family to como back and show that ho Isn't a black sheep! It means ob!" Buckton looked them over almost wildly, and when he spoke tho words seemed hardly addressed to tho lynch-lng-group. "My mother brought mo up with the Idea that I couldn't hit anything less than the Presidency," ho said. "I was the only boy, and dad died when I was little. Sho scrimped and scraped and kept me in school and put mo through college when sho and the girls didn't have enough to eat She sent me to New York; and when I made a flzzlo there, Bho got mo back home and took mo in her arms and told me it'd be all right, and I'd only havo to try over again, and that ovorybody fell down first time and did better for it Sho tried to start me right in tho town back home; and when I got sore on it, sho was the ono that raised the cash I i God knows how! to send mo out t here, to try a new country and make , a big hit!" His voice mounted ;, higher and higher. '"That's the kind a of a mother I had, aud by the Al-r Al-r mighty, Bull, she's going to believe t to the end of her days that I did make I that hit!" 1 Bull was squinting at him. The t ragged, whiskered wreck leaned for-1 for-1 ward, and his glittering eyes grvew t more intense. ? "I came on here, and I didn't make good," he said. "I tried everything, and I hit nothing. Then I got a chance to steal a horse and sell him, and I did and I sent back the money and j told mother I was In a good Job. Aftor that I saw a chance nt rustling part of a herd, and I cleaned it up quick and aent the money home. And after that" Ho stopped again and licked his ! lips. i "I guess that's all," he said huskily. "But I want to tell you this: "My I mother's sick. She'll never get well. She may live a year or five years. . T Bho mustn't ever know how or - wnore or why I shuflled off, and she's : got to die believing that her only son was tho only real article that ever lived. D'ye understand? I'vo been ; keeping up the impression by stealing, ; and, if it's made her any happier, I'm . glad of It! I'm glad of it! I'm a bad , egg; and If I had it to do over again, maybe I'd be a better ono, but " He tore opon the neck of his ragged shirt and barod his neck to the grisly noose. Not a man of them moved. " "You'll see that that's mailed, Bull?" i "I certainly will, but " "And mark It 'opened by mistake ' and don't sign your name. Mothor t might come and " He choked for c an instant; then: "Here! Come on and got it over with, will you? Have 5 some mercy on a man!" t Still there was no perceptible move-" move-" ment. The red-headed member avoided looking at the lariat. Instead he t turned and walked away a few paces 5 and executed, in private, his trick of rolling a cigarette with, ono motion of one hand. When the cigarette was 1 lighted, he Btudied the landscape east- ward. Bull looked at tho ground and chowed hard at hlB mustache. Carter ' dropped his gun into its ornato hoi-Bter hoi-Bter and examined the trees. The others oth-ers pursed their lips and Bpat or smokod or coughed, as pleased them. Nono of them looked at tho prisoner ; save Menken. Menken, howover, slid down from his horse after Bomo two minutes and walked very ulowly toward Buckton. Ho contemplated the noose, and finally lifted it and cast It away from the neck. "What d ye do if you got back homo? Go to work in the store?" ! Buckton gasped. "Ye would, eh?" Menkon scratched his head and smiled In a way that j Menken very seldom smiled. Menken, ' In fact, was thinking of the mother he had last seen In Darmstadt, Hesse, j some forty years back. I "S'poBin' we hadn't found you s'posln' the cayuse hadn't petered 7" i he said. "You might 'a' got to Wator-tank Wator-tank 10, over tho ridge there, eh?" "Yes." . ! "Might 'a' stopped In Walkins Falls j and got a shave and a decent suit of clotheB, If you'd had tho price?" Buckton's eyes brightened queeriy. "Yes." "Anyway, If you had the price and a horso and twenty-four hours' leeway, lee-way, there ain't a sheriff could get you," said Menken pensively. "Ain't any doubt about that. Say!" The group turned suddenly. Menken Men-ken was Angering a handful of money, and a twenty-dollar gold piece seemed , to have separated Itself. "It's a funny coincidence," bellowed J I Mr. Menken, "but it Just occurred to I J me that every blamed one o' you fel- 5 I lers owes mo ten dollars. I'm short jl I just about now. r"ay up!" J'j He didn't wait for them to come to yA him. He went to them. That was ono n ' of tho secrets of Menken's moderate (A ! wealth. He went to Bull, and Bull i h handed him two five-dollar coins. He j, tj passed to Carter and Carter scowled t and parted with a gold eagle. Ho k fi mado for the red-headed gentleman. i; who waB prepared and shot a yellow ' r. piece at him. . , In the course of two minutes Men- ; A ken was back at Buckton's side and !; , whispering as ho proffered the collec- j, tion: 5 1 "You know the trail over the ridge, V U but you don't know Bull's mind. Beat i ' I 1 it!" fe S 1 "But " M "Shut up!" !- Menken walked away to his own horse. He loosened tho short tether , ; and twisted It around the pommel ' j swiftly. He headed the animal to- I ' ward Buckton and slapped it sharply. ) ' The little beast started on a quick ! lope. Sho did not stop, moreover; ; j for as Bho passed Buckton, Buckton ' swung into tho saddle and drove in i what remained of hls lonely spur. " j' And Bull turned suddenly wlth: Jl ''Menkon, you blasted Idiot " 1 Menken took him firmly by the K j , shoulder and faced him eastward. V t "Say!" he bellowod. "Did you ever, E In all your eternal days, see such a K ! swell reflection of tho Bunset as a X M man getsover on those bills? Look J, S '9 Keep on looking!" ufl And somewhere behind them, sharp afl little hoofs clicked rapidly, method- . l lcally, as a mare hit the Btony trail Sjifl over the ridgo to Walkins' Falls. ja (Copyright, The Frank A llutucy Co.) fgj |