Brother Black Sheep

MPLETE NOVELETTE

By Joseph Hall

r nwc la atf tradrs.

(aald Shorty Plommer. laying r hi* * ad die horn and rol *-

1 in brown paper)

the tneaallMt one that over eowa on the Loneaotne L was HI call Dawaon. Old Tom nerer did know himself why * t hombre on, and aft*: he n, why he kept him. 1 afTt been because old Toni sorry for the coyote, flndtr.' >’ round out here on the e one, day afoot and without no modi cloth ee and nearly Leaatways Tom loaded him up hehlm on old Firefly and brought Into headquarter* and fed him and when the poor nut had got * Ufa Into him agei". put him to tmUl he could do somethin' fo,He was a sort of u little kind of * - without po meat on hi* bone*, was always seemin' to be lookin' behind him without doin' It. didn't know nothin' about prnchin' co-i and he couldn't ride for shacks. Bat old Tom died him up with some cloth ee hi had around the place and gave him a gentle mount ai.d an saddle and told him be had to work UntiL Old Tern is a queer kind of a duck that*way, and It looked like he'd took some kind of an Idea that he'd take this here worn and make a man out of him, which there's better men than old Tom has Ml down

kind of Job* before.

Bight from the first he wasn't none r in the bunk-hoase. He didn't

e none with the boysHe Just slept with 'em.

♦ilespm with a man can be done In lots of ways—Tre slept with gamblers and murderers, and there was a r over on the Rio Madre that saved my life one cold night by givin' me half of his blanket. But this guv didn't do nothin' but Jest use the bunk-house for a place to sleep In. and them punchers was the same aa pieces

of furniture to him.

Well, after he'd leans', to ride nome. and began to pick up a little bit. old Tom went to him one day and

"JeT,” he says, “I guess you've done •paid roe for them clothes and that grub and such, and * ain't got no more right to Insist m your work in’ for me no longer. Ic. up to you abcut stayin'. You can take It or leave It. The Jcb Is yours if you want It at IS dollars a month.** surprisin', but that guy Jumped at the Job like a starved pup ahunk of porterhouse. He hadn't :ed a Wt interested, but he perked rp contlderab'e. and thanked old Toro and said he’d be glad to stay on Mth without no wage* at a!. bu Tcm won't stand for that. "I wouldn't h*ve no man worfcln' for me for nothin,”* be says. *men, that works for nothin' ain't worth It* So that'r the wv Jeff Dawson gets booked up as u permanent filter w'.ui the Lonesome 1* But he ain’t sa more sociable as a regular than he was aa a transient. He’s sort of dllfldent, 1 guees, and It shore did seem sometimes like he was trym’ better, only he couldn’t. He Jest naturally didn't seem to trust nobody. Most every Saturday the boys ridtu In to Reldlng to have a little, go over to the Ruby Light ai d swap He? with £ } fellows from down to me Solltc d over rt the old Double R, bu: Jeff don't never go over there none for about three months after he cone* to the ranch. By that time he'd kind of quit Kickin' Scared, ar 1 some of the boys has tried tc coax a little life Into that carcass of his. Come a pay-day they always has little somewhat of a jollification, and that time they persuaded Jeff to coma

tjnng.

You know how It most usually Is In arrow town on a Saturday. Most all of the outfit] are tn town, and -bore r p’ •«o depots, and lu them dnys theie usually plenty of games runnin', i'jsad maybe a dance-hall or two where Tguy could Umber up and shake hln ipurx around a little bit. Well’ that’s jpia kind of a place Bolding was, and was shore a real live UUle town on iturday. The rest of the week It ^ras pretty quiet, with nothin’ but the igaenger train from El Paao cornin' Rtiugh about i P. M. and two or ffee raj usee tied to the racks along iln street.

there looks like a good time twmin with a stampede. Jeff is lined up down to the end near the door walUn' plsea. Slbn Buraby. the barkeep. is fakin' the orders, and Slim is sure a cat on a Arizona day huntin' shade, settla* and bottler and pausin' with everybody. 311m is the most popular bartender between San Antorx and Albuquerque, and he's known as a square guy all ov.t the cow oooBU-y Slim gits down the line at last and ik] Jeff what his 1* goln' to be. and Joff don't answer for a minute and looks like he's goln' to nut out the door. The boy* ain’t payin' attention, though, and don't notloe it —nobody bnt Slim. Slim is smilin' his regular old smile which don’t fade noae, but be Is lookin’ mighty close at Jeff. “You're a stranger, ain't your he aays friendly. “Guees you're with the L bunch. Seen you come In with them Glad to know you. Welcome to our city. What's It goln' be. friend r He Is a till smilin', and Jeff Hn«' of perks up and smiles back, and Slim Jest kind of leans over the bar with a towel like he's goln' after a wet place down to tht end, bat he ain't after no wet place at all. He leans over close to Jeff away from tho others and whispers something to him

low.

"Whiskey," says Jeff Well, we had a real pleasant time, and got back to the ranch about midnight. Jeff had limbered up a powerful lot, and had got to be almoct human. He actually sets Into a UUle game of draw and loses *20 hwllout baitin’ a eye. After that Jeff gets to be a good puncher, and old Tom raises him to SlsS, which he has j,' for une thataway. There's some ss of meat stlckin to t of his again, and he’s, plumb entirely quit lookin' behind him wh< ain't nobody there and abyin' to one de when you come up on him easy. He gets to be a regular visitor down to Beldlng, too, anu that's how be happens to get to seeln’ that here biscuit-shooter down to the Empire restaurant. She ain't a bad-lookin' heifer at that, havin' a unusual quantity oi black hair and white tinted eyes aud things. She shore Is a real attractive specimen of feminine allurements thataway. There was several weeks passed by dprtn' w' ch Jeff rides around after cows ana digs post holes ana fixes windmills like he was in a and every chance he gets he dolls himself up In a new silk lavender shirt he’s bought up to the Ranchman's Favorite Drygood (tore, and bivorac* down to the Empire re.».lurant. Annette, that's the Mscult shooter's name, gets to be knowed as girl, and there’s pleas*-.tries passed in the bunk-oouse am* around the corral with allusions to the kind ss he's makln' of himself. 'ouidn't have made no difference, mrse. ail men. includin' eow-puccht-rs, being made with a weaknew. for cloth In' not cut for pants that sways, only It begins to te. In Jeff's He ain't satisfied with goir' to Beldlng cn Satnrdajs, and be gins to rido over there In the middle of the week, gettin' back to the ranen along about daylight and not bein’ worth a cuss the next day. Old Tom don’t like that a heap. So Tom was patient, but in about a weelafti - supper one night be calls him down about hla work, and Jeff is surly and Impolite. So old Tom tells bin, he can get along without him after the next payday, which comet the next

Saturday.

There’s one thing I ain’t told you about, and that's a letter that Jeff writes up to the Mountaineers Hotel a couple of weeks before. He writes that letter right after a 'alk he's had with Annette. She's gettin' tired of Beldlng There’s other places In tho wcrld where she's' been, and she allows her looks is pltmio wasted lu thorn desert parts. So she Inform* Jeff she’s gettin’ ready to blow, and It’s about all over between them un less he’s prepared to cotfte along and be a sport, which requires more or lies

cash.

Jeff Is all cut up. him havin' planned to take his queen out of the hashers

ootnee down to cases with him that Ume, bat Jeff aays ‘‘all right." and goes on out to the bunk-house and finds a place on the gallery off to end. It’s still daylight, and he 's by himself, so he takes a letter oit of his coat pocket, which he's go the night before over to the poetofflte beldlng and reads It ovej. Friday old Tom goes Into town la the backboard, like he does ev ry !o get the money for his p :yroll and other expenses out on the He doesn't get back ranch till about rundown, and he '-at Ms old tin box in the saf In the office and goes on oat to bui per. Along about elevent thirty hat night. Slim Buraby, over at the Ri by *' ‘ in Beldlng, looks at his wa :h and begins to untie his long, whte The Rnby Light has b- in pretty quiet all evenin’, and the list convivial cltisen of Beldlng has le': a hour before. He got his apron 1 alf off when there was n sound of h of-; beau outside, and a oewpony stops In frent of his place. Elim reties 1 la apron and picks up his t-nral. In about a minute Jeff con.'« bj himself. It’s shots a strange time of night for a lone puncher to be gettin' town, but BUm. don't bat a eye. Jeff has got on his chape and spurs, he has also got on that there lavender shirt and a boiled collv that he wears when he -alia on Annetoc. By the time Jeff has got his foot on the rail. Slim Is sllppln' him the bot-

tle.

“Howdy, SUm.” he says. In spite of his fancy flxln's Jeff Is lookin' tired and haggard around the eyee, and there's a, lot of dust In his votes. Ke don': look at Slim, pouring out a big drink and liftin' her restin' his cl toys on the bar, loanin' hla chin In his hands thatawaj-, and whle Jeff la talcin' another drink he's givin’ him the once over pretty keen. “Kind of late, ain’t you. JeffT" allows 811m Judicious and Inqulsl’Jve. eighty near Jumps, but 1 catches himself and pours out another couple of fingers. “Yes," he says "I got a late start ' The whiskey Ir gettin' Into his blood and he don't look so haggard and hunted. He even looks at S'l n over is glass “What time does the eastbound trait come through Slim-' he asks

“Twelve five,” aays 81 up and roUln' a dgaret. "You ate' flggerin' on leavin' me Lonesome L none are you, Jeff?” Jeff finishes his dr.nk and begins to pour out another one. Tberaatet a sound except the whiskey gurglte’ oui of the bottle and splashte' into the glass. Jeff boldin' the bottle a little too high, and his hand shakln’ Jest

a trifle.

"I got a telegram today.” says Jet' alow, "sayln' my old man is about check out Tnat'a why I’m In such a rush. The eanbound stops at Beldlng. don't she, slim?” Slim <a lei.nln' on the bar agate, smokin’, and there ain't nothin' about Jeff that's got by him. ‘Shore she stops” says the bar

fcbod alg months, ain’t J Slim starts out even sad eommonpUe*. but his eyew don't never lean that puncher's face. "Yea, Jest about six months. Slim.” Jeff Is foolin' w<th one of his spurs with his toe, splnnto' It round and he don’t look up. 811m goes on: "You remember that first day when you Wowed in here with the LoneL outfit? Well, I knowed you right avay that day, and you knowed me, and you was Jest about to beat It when I got down there handed yon the glad word. Ain’t that right? It’s been two years since you Been me. but you knowed me. J you was sca-ed of mo. like all c are scare 1 of every other con, overy other man they've knowed In id that they knows Is onto them havin' done time. Listen to me. ‘ Id, I got somethin' to dope you." Well. Jeff listens. Thera wj ■hole lot of difference In the loot* of them two, 1 canto' over that theie bar to the light, talkin'. That Slim Bars by don’t, look like no criminal He’s got s fine fare, that there barkee^ has, end yon can ask any mas to the cow country what he thinks of »in and hell tell you there ate ' ■er feller nowhere*. He's got a thin face with a high forehead and good-lookin' noa* and a mouth that’s Just a slash In bis face when he ain’t smilin', which is ontuuaL When that there amlle Is gone, his month Is hard aa Iron, and strong aa

hen?

ver there, across the poH.-hed wood. Jeff's face was kind of good lookin' since he'd picked up; handsome, I guess, you'd call It. but unlike site. You might call it weak, but maybe It was Jeat kid dish. Slim says: "I slipped you that word that day sjn. because 1 knowed you had a right to your chance and It looked like you was hlttln' right trail. That's a good bunch you was flockin' with. Them boys are all eoiid gold, and old Tom, he * the prince of 'em all. This here is a good country to get to makr a new start. Back yonder ifa different. There ain't nowhere you can go that some pigeon ain't seeln' you sorner or later, and then—you can't blame a man for not wantin' to hire a Jail-bird. i’t Agger you out right away, but after you left I looked you up. You was sent up fo. forgery. You had a clean record up to tuen, but you’d been up against a rut of hard luck, and there was a skirt. If I re And vou stomped and slipped a guy's name to a paper be hadn't

signed.

Old 811m stops to roll a clgaret, and Jeff Is Jest i.landin' there with his head down, twirito' that sptr with

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trusty there, kid. Pd form there Fean when you come, and I booked you asd got your record. I your sentence—three yean. It shore did seem light to me. brt I knowed that three years wasn't all. Them wax Jeat the years you'd get Inside It was after you'd get out that hell would start." Slim reaches out and puts his hand rer on Jeffs shoulder thataway and

■ays:

"Now. kid,” aays he, “you ain't goto' to leave Beldlng fib the twelve-five. I ain’t goner let you. That about yer old man dyln' Is a lie. You can't put that by 8Um Well. Jeff flushes up some and he quits splnnto' his spur and atonds up away from the bar, but be don't loot to the face. He can't somehow, them bine fires that's burnln' In the bazkeep’s eye*. OH Slim’* mouth le plumb hard, tro, with the smile r.U wiped off thataway. "I was willin’ for yon to have your chanca aays Slim, and his votce shor- Is plumb refrigerated, “and I ain't no stoolpigeon. But !*m a lawt bid In' cltisen, son, and I won't stint) for nothin' 'ike this. Tom Blodgett la a friend o' mine. He's shore been a friend to you. He's done you the biggest fhvor any man ever done another. He's give yon a chance and you're payin' him back, rewardin' hi/ thataway, by stealin' his money. I know, see? He takes the money to the ranch today. He shows it to me In here before he left—mostly them big yellow boys Pm an ex-con, kid. but that shore don't go none with me. Well, Jest for a minute U looked like that mere puncher was goto' to fight it through. Kls face was plumb the bar light, and he looks Slim now In the face, mean, plumb me n, and he's shakln' all over Hite he's got a chill he's so mad and htv Is blazin'. But old "Him Is so darn cold slandin' there and bestin' Jeffs eyes down with that look of bis that the kid can’t make no headway, and to a minute he weakens

and d ag’ta’ tib bar, re*chin' for the bottle. "All right. Slim,” he says low, “go ahead and call the sheriff. . I had my chanc". ard I was too big a darn fool to bang to It. It ain't no use nohow. 1 guess I'm Jest a nat'ral-born crook.” Old Slim don't say a word for a minute. He Jest stands there and rolls another clgaret and gives the kid the once over plumb careful. Som-. of the hardness kind of goes out of his ftce and his mouth rJn't quite that straight, thin line It has been. After he's finished rollin' his smoke and has licked It and Ut np, he begins to talk again: “Listen to me kid,” he says, gentle, like he’s talkin' to a nervous "You aln'tn goto' to leave Beldlng tonight on no 12.06 train You're goto' to git on that there eayu/e of yours out there at the rack and light out for the old lonesome L. “Yon and c.e Is the only humans on earth that knows about this here little slip you've gone and pulled, and ' guess maybe, yon ain't altogether to blame for that. I’ve heard considerable about a lady. Hd. which she is some palaverer thataway and quit* accomplished In aettln’ out the ham 1 believe It was a skin that sort of started you that other waant It? (Continued on page <)

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Well, when we got Into town Jeff | and maybe settle down out there with

Be loggia' behind some, but the boys waited for htoi, and the whole gang tw to rooet at the Rnby Light bar. a Finks aud Will Butte and LongShank Ftrguson end Windy Os tram, th be ain’t spoke but 33 words in or. tire Hie by actual count, is a* their note-paint obstreperous con rival xrhoE we arrives

a up. and

a couple of cows and some leased land and raise some calves and maybe other things. AH that there, of course. It a kind of hasy dream, with only $35 a month to start on and all, an! when this sudden movin’ notion ootaes to life to Annette's brain, that there

Uttle pipe of his goes out.

But he persuade* her to wait a while and then he write* this letter. IT* thuraday night when Tom

'WeU, I gue«s 111 be movin' then.’ aUowa Jeff, shovin’ his glass away from him. He puts his hand to his pocket and brings out a twenty-doll*, gold piece one of them big yellow boys. He see's what he's done too late and his face goes funny but he threw her over on the eounc *r. Slim starts to make the change bur It looks like he’s havlag trouble, and bonds ’.he double eagle back to Jeff. "I ain't got the change, Jeff,” he aays “You can Just owe the house for the drinks tonight and pay up when you git back." Jeff acts like he's goto' to object, but he don’t and Jest slips the money back Into his pocket. He makes othir mistake there, because he let U go too quick and It made a noise when It hit what else was in hla pocket. 'All right. Slim." he says. “Don't me forge; it, and If I don't never come back. I’ll shore send It to yon.

So long.

Jel# turn* around and starts ou’.

tm Slim calls him bark.

"Hey. Jeff." he says, “you got tots if Urns. There ain't nobody up to the depot this time o' night nohow, and IYU .be plumb entirely ten- some. I ain't no-ways sleepy yet, and I want to have a UUle chatter will you tba*-

away before you leave,”

WeU, tor about a minute It lacked like Jeff was goto' to object, but he turned around and came bark. 611m seta tho bottle back on the bar la Iront of Jeff and slide* him a glass. Then he leans back to hla old place with his elbows on the bar and

arri hla chin to his fist.

"You been out here la this country

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