The Skeleton By B Read online

  before the varlor windows. It seemed to him

  buck, papa! Take me for a ride! Make him

  that Big Medicine, gyrating in the open plot

  split the breeze! Is this your hoss, papa?”

  just off the street, was fighting something

  Big Medicine looked down at the boy,

  more than the horse; there was a stern

  and Pink, watching, felt himself choke. There

  preoccupation in his face which betrayed his

  was nothing blatant, no boisterous good riding as purely mechanical.

  humor in that glance. Even his mouth,

  Pink let the boy carefully down to the

  grotesquely wide and teeth-filled as it was,

  ground, got off and straightened his rumpled

  looked tender and wistful and sad, when he

  blouse and tie, smoothed down his tow-

  smiled.

  colored hair—which was very like the hair of

  “I reckon mamma wants yuh, Old-

  Big Medicine—and left his horse standing

  timer,” he said caressingly. “Maybe we better

  with dropped bridle reins, while he went out

  go hunt her up. What’d yuh say?”

  and recovered the shiny tam-o’-shanter. With

  “No siree! I’ll get spanked, sure. Take

  his shirt sleeve he polished it well and set it me for a big, long ride, papa!”

  carefully upon the child’s head, making sure

  Big Medicine lifted his head and that the rubber band was quite comfortable looked around, as if it had occurred to him

  under the chin. It was not much that he could

  that they might excite curiosity if they stood

  do to show his sympathy, but he was grateful

  there longer. But, save Pink, who waited, no

  for the opportunity to lend even that slight

  one was in sight. The horses of the Flying U

  service. He was thinking of the time when Big

  drooped heads at the long hitching pole in

  Medicine had saved his life and had asked

  front of Rusty Brown’s, but not a man was in

  only his friendship in return. Faint sounds of

  the street. He turned, and his eyes met the big, laughter and loud talk came across to them

  blue, sympathetic eyes of Pink.

  from Rusty Brown’s saloon, and he heard

  “You come along with me, Little Happy Jack’s protesting “Aw, g’wan!” The One,” he said. “You’re kinda in on this deal,

  sounds jarred upon his nerves. It was as if

  anyway. I’m liable to want some moral some one had laughed out unexpectedly at a support.” He tried to grin in the old way,

  funeral.

  failed, and turned his horse abruptly.

  Big Medicine gave a last vicious swish

  Roused by the signal, the horse seemed

  downward with his quirt, held the horse from

  to recover his nerve, and to lose, in the same

  plunging forward at the sting of it, spurred

  moment, his temper. There was a struggle for

  him up to where Pink stood waiting, with the

  his head, a jab or two of spurs, a vicious snort.

  hand of the boy clasped warmly in his own,

  The boy clung to his father and grew wide of

  and got stiffly down. Pink glanced sharply at

  eye. He lost his shiny tam-o’-shanter, and his

  his sweat-beaded face, saw that it had come

  little legs waved erratically with the motions

  back to its normal expression, except for a

  of the frantic animal.

  certain grim set to his mouth, and sighed his

  Pink spurred close and held out his

  relief.

  arm. “Give him to me, Bud,” he cried, and

  “You’re a real wolf, ain’t yuh, papa?”

  grasped the child. Big Medicine let him go,

  admired the child quaintly.

  jerked his quirt off the saddle horn, and settled Big Medicine brushed the back of his

  himself to the exhilarating fight for mastery,

  gloved hand wearily across his face and

  while Pink rode around the corner of the hotel

  looked down at him. “You bet I am, Old-

  office, out of sight from any one who might

  timer,” he agreed lightly, He turned and

  appear on the street, and waited with the boy-

  looked searchingly at Pink, took the hand of

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  his boy, and started toward the parlor steps.

  putting flesh and blood back onto ’em and

  Pink let go the other hand. “You go on.

  makin’ ’em look human? Reckon it could be

  I’ve got to build me a smoke,” he said shortly.

  done?”

  Big Medicine hesitated, his foot upon

  Pink stammered and glanced sidelong

  the lower step, looked clown at the shiny tam-

  at the woman. “I—I don’t know.”

  o’-shanter by his knee, twitched his shoulders,

  “My wife has kinda got a notion to see

  and went in. “Don’t be long, Little One,” he

  me try it. This is kinda unexpected—this

  admonished over his shoulder as he turned the

  meeting here. Seems like she didn’t know I

  knob.

  was in this country—but now she’s saw me—

  When Pink went in, Big Medicine was

  —”

  sitting upon a corner of the center table, with

  “John Manderson, you’ve no right to

  his hat pushed back upon his head, his arms

  talk that way before a—a stranger.” The

  folded, and his fingers plucking nervously at

  woman showed a flash of temper in her eyes.

  his sleeves near the elbows. There was in the

  “He ain’t a stranger—to me,” said Big

  room a silence unbearable—the silence which

  Medicine. “He’s my friend. I ain’t got many,

  comes between two and builds a wall but he heads the list.”

  impalpable, impenetrable. Big Medicine had

  “I didn’t know you were here,”

  been staring at his boots; he looked up, admitted the woman, “but I heard something grinned widely and unconvincingly, and that made me think you might be. I—I thought greeted Pink with boisterous welcome.

  I’d come and see, and—and let you know

  “Why, hello, Little One. Come in. This

  that”—she glanced quickly at Pink, standing

  is—Mrs. Manderson, Mr. Perkins. My wife,

  by the door—“he ain’t dead. He wants me to

  Pink.”

  get a divorce and marry him. He—he thinks

  Pink took off his hat and bowed hazily.

  more of me than you do, John Manderson!”

  He felt the tight-strung atmosphere, and he

  Big Medicine smoothed the hair of the

  was confused by the utter calmness of Big

  boy, and looked at her fixedly. His big,

  Medicine. The woman—when he dared lift his

  protruding blue eyes were unpleasant, staring

  lashes to look at her—had been crying. Her

  like that. She stared back at him. “It’s for you handkerchief was a tight little wad of white

  to say,” she added, in a softer tone. “You—

  held in her hand, which was drawn up into a

  you made a mistake when you———” She

  fist. Her hair was mouse-colored and straight

  stopped short, glancing again at Pink.

  and fine, and her mouth rather sweet. She was

  “Oh, go on an
d say it—he’s my friend,

  slim and pink-cheeked and wistful, but there

  I told yuh once.” He, too, looked at Pink.

  was something about her which Pink did not

  “What she means is that I shot a fellow and

  quite like.

  pulled out. I’m from Oregon, not Arizona. I’m

  “I didn’t get spanked yet, but I will

  on the dodge, for I naturally supposed I’d

  when you go away,” whispered the boy killed him. By cripes, I meant to! The best uh solemnly, sidling toward Pink.

  shots hit crooked oncet in a while, when

  Big Medicine stopped drumming upon

  they’re excited—and I reckon I must ’a’ been,

  his forearms and caught him by the blouse.

  to do a punk-job like that. It seems the doctors

  “No, yuh won’t,” he said, and looked patched him up ag’in. Here, Old-timer,” he meaningly at the woman. “Say, Little One,”

  broke off suddenly to the boy. “You take this

  he began suddenly, in a tone reckless of two bits and go up to the store and buy results. “Had any experience with skeletons?

  yourself some candy. Make ’em give yuh your

  How do yuh reckon a fellow would go to work

  money’s worth, kid.” He set the shiny tam-o’-

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  7

  shanter upon the boy’s head, and Pink opened

  stranger—“and him standin’ not more’n

  the door to let him out—opened the door and

  twenty paces upstreet from me! Why, by——”

  let in another, a tall, lean man with shifty eyes.

  It was the woman, staring at him,

  Big Medicine stiffened, his hand to his

  fascinated, stirred by the brute strength of his hip. Pink had stepped directly before the anger, won by his very ferocity, who stopped newcomer, warned instinctively of the crisis

  his headlong speech. “I’ll stay with you, John.

  upon them. Big Medicine moved to one side,

  He followed me—he has always followed

  and Pink moved also. Big Medicine stopped,

  me—John, I can swear that is the worst, only

  laughed harshly, and twitched his shoulders.

  you didn’t know and yon wouldn’t wait to be

  “All right, Little One,” he surrendered.

  convinced—but I like you best. I’ll stay with

  “We’ll continue the conversation—seeing it’s

  you, and I won’t get my freedom. I——”

  so pleasant!”

  Big Medicine turned, swallowed hard,

  The tall man had backed against the

  and looked at her. “Molly—Molly, darlin’—

  wall, and his face was a sickly white. He did

  —” He hardened again. “Oh, what’s the use?

  not speak at all.

  Yuh got tired uh me once. Yuh did, or yuh

  Big Medicine turned harshly to the wouldn’t ’a’ spoke to him at all. I believe woman. “Did yuh come together?”

  yuh—there wasn’t nothing but temptation, but

  She sprang up and went close to him.

  if yuh cared like yuh claim yuh do, there

  “John, you know we didn’t! I—I wanted to

  wouldn’t uh been that!” He got up, took a step

  find you. Little John kept talking about papa,

  toward the door; and the man who had

  and—and I dreamed every night of you being

  followed moved farther along the wall, eying

  sick and alone and in trouble—with men him watchfully, his hand to his gun. Big hunting you like an animal. I couldn’t stand it.

  Medicine grinned wolfishly.

  I thought you would be haunted by what you

  “Aw, don’t get none alarmed,” he

  had done—or thought you had done. I wanted

  taunted. “I’m leavin’ yuh for her. She likes

  you to know that you aren’t a—a murderer,

  yuh, even if she does deny it. She’ll get free

  after all. I——”

  uh me, all right. You oughta——”

  “And I want to say that I’m damned

  “John, you don’t care for me! You

  sorry I ain’t,” Big Medicine cut in, putting out never did care. You don’t know how to love a

  one hand to keep her from him. “Yuh thought

  woman! If you cared, I’d stay——”

  I’d be haunted, did yuh? Well, let me tell yuh, Big Medicine looked at her steadfastly.

  by cripes, that was the only thing made life

  “No,” he said heavily, “I reckon maybe I don’t

  look good to me—when I thought I’d killed

  know how to love a woman. There’s some

  him. Aw, what do you know about men? things I do know tolerable well, though. One Lemme tell yuh, there’s times and is that it’s a blame poor plan to swap circumstances that makes killin’ a pleasure.

  skeletons. I got one, and I’m used to it. I know That was one uh them. And let me tell yuh, I’d

  just the kind uh hurt it can give me. But if I

  rather face the gallows, right now, than see

  took yuh back, Molly, I’d have another one on

  him standing there in front uh me, alive when m’ hands—and I don’t reckon I’d find it none

  he’d oughta be dead! Think of it, Pink! Me,

  easy to live with. Good God, girl! Could you

  the best shot in Oregon—me that dropped that

  bear to live with me and have the thoughts uh

  hoss uh yourn stone dead at a hundred yards

  him comin’ up between us all the time?

  with my six-gun, and him on the jump—and

  Maybe you could do it, but I couldn’t. You’re then to make a mess uh killin’ that”— he

  crazy—plumb crazy to talk about it. Yuh

  swung his arm passionately toward the don’t know me—yuh don’t know any man. I

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  do!” He opened the door with a jerk, went

  he did not look where he stepped, fell over a

  out, and would have slammed it shut behind

  stone. Big Medicine handed the reins of his

  him; but Pink was following close behind him,

  horse to Pink, went back and picked lip the

  watching over his shoulder to see that the

  boy, brushed the dirt from his clothes, helped

  stranger inside made no hostile move.

  him find the candy which had spilled from the

  Big Medicine went straight to his bag, straightened the shiny tam-o’-shanter, horse, gathered up the reins, and then stopped.

  and gave him a hasty kiss before he started

  “Say, Little One,” he said, in his him off again. He stood still in the path and ordinary tone, “I got a roll uh money here that looked after the boy until the parlor door

  I wisht you’d take back to her. She’s liable to opened and received him. Then he turned,

  need it. I been carryin’ it on me in case I had reached gropingly for the reins—and Pink saw

  to drift suddent—but I ain’t killed nobody,

  that, for the second time in their acquaintance, after all”—he laughed unpleasantly—“so I his cheeks were wet and his eyes awash with won’t have no use for it. You hand it in to her, tears.

  will yuh?” He fumbled inside his shirt, drew

  Big Medicine twitched his shoulders,

  out a flat package, and gave it to Pink.

  gathered up the reins, and took hold of the

  Pink went back, opened the door, and

  stirrup to mount. “I reckon I’ll ride on out to thrust the money into the hands of the woman,

  camp,” he said simply.

  who was
crying again and dabbing at her eyes

  When he was in the saddle, he turned

  with her handkerchief. “He wants the kid to

  and grinned, desolately, down at Pink. “Say,

  have this,” he said briefly, diplomatically shut Little One,” he remarked grimly, “ain’t it hell, the door before she could reply, and hurried

  the way these here skeletons keep rattling

  after Big Medicine.

  when yuh think yuh got ’em hog-tied and

  He found him halfway to the store,

  helpless— and won’t quit when yuh tell ’em

  leading his horse, while he gravely chose bits

  to? Women—and memories—they sure play

  of candy from a striped bag which the boy was

  the very devil with a man!”

  holding up to him with that air of importance

  He struck backward with his spurred

  which belongs exclusively to childhood.

  heels, and went galloping away, past the

  “That’s enough, Old-timer. I’ll get saloon, and on down the street. Pink watched toothache sure, if I eat any more. You pike

  him whip around the blacksmith shop and

  along now and give mamma some. Here, let

  leave only an uneasy dust cloud to tell of his

  Pink have a piece, first. That’s the stuff. So-

  passing; then he led his horse slowly over to

  long, kid. I got to go, now.”

  the hitching pole in front of Rusty Brown’s

  The boy ran off down the path, smiling

  place, tied him thoughtfully, and went in.

  over one shoulder at his father—and, because