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Page 102
"Is he in that wagon?" Slim repeated angrily.
Polly caught hold of his arm.
"What's he hiding for?" he demanded.
Slim pulled his gun and covered the opening. "Come out, you
coward," he shouted. Polly caught Slim by the right wrist, so he
could not fire.
Bud leaped from the wagon, drawing his gun as he did so. "You
sha'n't call me a coward," he shouted to Slim.
Polly ran behind Bud, and, reaching her arms about his waist,
held down his hands, depressing the muzzle of his revolver. Slim
danced up and down in the excitement with his revolver in his
hand. Polly kept calling on both of the men not to shoot.
"Let him alone," shouted Slim excitedly. "Let him alone, Miss
Polly. He's only four-flushin', and I ain't gun shy."
"Now, look a yeah, sonny," he cried to Bud, "if that squirt-gun
of yours goes off an' hits me, an' I find it out--well, I reckon
I'll have to spank you."
Bud tried to break away from Polly, begging her to "Let go."
The girl laid her hands on his shoulder, gazing pleadingly into
his flushed face. "Don't, don't," she cried; "it's all right.
Slim knows all about it. He knows I love you, and he wouldn't
hurt any one that I love, would you, Slim?"
Polly smiled at the Sheriff, completely disarming him.
Shoving his gun back into the holster, Slim grinned, and said:
"I reckon I wouldn't."
"We've been engaged forever so long now, waitin' for Bud to get
rich, and now--and now it's come."
Her face radiated her happiness. Bud showed his alarm, motioning
her to be silent, but Polly rattled on: "Bud's been saving and
saving, 'till he's got over a thousand dollars and--" Slim could
not contain his indignation at the deception practised by the
boy.
"You derned thief," he shouted. Then he plainly showing his
annoyance at his lack of repression.
Bud's hand dropped to his gun. "You--" he began, but Polly
stopped him with a gesture, looking from one to the other of the
men, dazed and frightened.
"A thief. Bud a thief? What does it mean? Tell me," she
gasped. Turning to Bud, she demanded: "Bud, you heard what he
said?"
Dropping his head, fearing to look at either of them, he muttered
sullenly: "He lied."
Slim checked his first betrayal of his anger and kept himself well
in hand.
"Oh, Slim," pleaded Polly, "say you didn't mean it."
Simply and sadly Slim answered: "I didn't. I reckon as how I'm
some jealous, an'--an'--I lied."
His voice dropped, and he turned aside, stepping away from the
young couple.
Polly was still in doubt. Slim's actions were so strange. It
was not like this big-hearted, brave Sheriff to accuse a man of
stealing without being sure of his charges. Then Slim's accusing
himself of lying was entirely at variance with his character.
"I'm sorry," she said. "Please forgive me. It was all my fault.
I didn't know that you--"
Slim held up his hand to silence her.
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