Oliver Strange - Sudden Westerns 03 - The Marshal of Lawless(1933) (37 page)

 
          
“Now
whoever would ‘a’ guessed he had all that conversation concealed in him?” was
his comment. “Would yu say he was blessin’ or cussin’ us?”

 
          
“I
gather he was askin’ the Great Spirit to make our trails pleasant, to confound
our foes, an’ give us plenty cattle, bosses, an’ wives,” was the marshal’s free
translation.

 
          
“I
hope the Great Spirit don’t hear that last bit. I don’t want no wives—none
whatever,”

 
          
Pete
had said.

 
          
A
recollection of this remark reminded Green of something else. “The bride an’
bridegroom
is
due back from Tucson,” he said. “Yu’ll
have Andy to chatter with, an’ there’s allus Durley.”

 
          
Pete
grunted. “Andy’s slid back into his early childhood agin: can on’y speak one
word—Tonia,” he complained. “Oh, I know she’s wonderful—he told me so hisself,
‘bout a million times. Durley’s as bad, though he can say two words—Red Ace.
Holy cats!
yu’d
think he’d took over the White House
at Washin’ton. No, I’ll have to win me a parrot, if yu must go, an’ won’t let
me trail along.”

 
          
“I
have it to do,” Green said gravely. “An’ it’s a one-man job, ol’-timer.”

 
          
So
the day came when Andy and Tonia stood on the veranda of the Double S
ranch-house to take farewell of the man to whom they owed their happiness.
Reuben Sarel, Strade, and Pete were there, and all were loth that he should
leave. But he had met every protest with a slow shake of the head, and now, as
from the saddle of the big black, he looked at these good friends, there was a
suspicion of sadness behind the smiling eyes.

 
          
“I
don’t see why you have to go,” Tonia told him for perhaps the twentieth time
that morning.

 
          
“I
got a rovin’ disposition,” he evaded. “Allus did wanta find out what was the
other side o’ the hill.”

 
          
The
girl gave a gesture of despair. “But you will come to see us again?” she
pleaded.

 
          
At
once she was reminded of that first time she had met him, sprawling outside the
Red Ace. Little creases came in the corners of his eyes, and the firm lips
softened under the disarming grin which made a boy of him again, as he replied:

 
          
“I’ll
shore be back—for the christenin’.”

 
          
The
End