s not human.

He clenched his huge fist and knocked her down.

She was on the ground when Susie came out.

"Mother!"

The woman blinked up at her.

"I slip. I gettin' too fat," she said, and struggled to her feet.

Elsewhere, with great minuteness of detail, Meeteetse was describing the
exciting incident of the night, and what would have happened if only he
could have laid hold of his gun.

"Maybe they wouldn't 'a' split the wind if I could have jest drawed my
automatic in time! As 'twas, I put up the best fight I could, with a woman
screamin' and hangin' to me for pertection. I rastled the big feller
around in the road there for some time, neither of us able to git a good
holt. He was glad enough to break away, I kin tell you. They's no manner
o' doubt in my mind but them was the Great Northern hold-ups."

"But what would they tackle _you_ for?" demanded Old Man Rulison.
"Everybody knows _you_ ain't got nothin', and you say all they took from
the old woman was a flour-sack full of dried sa'vis berries. It's some of
a come-down, looks to me, from robbing trains to stealin' stewin'-fruit."

"Well, there you are." Meeteetse shrugged his shoulders. "That's your
mystery. All I knows is, that I pulled ha'r every jump in the road to save
them berries."

XX

THE LOVE MEDICINE OF THE SIOUX

Still breathing hard, Smith hunted Tubbs.

"Tubbs, will you be ready for business, to-day?"

"The sooner, the quicker," Tubbs answered, with his vacuous wit.

"Do you know the gulch where they found that dead Injun?"

"Yep."

"Saddle up and meet me over there as quick as you can."

"Right." Tubbs winked knowingly, and immediately after breakfast started
to do as he was bid.

Smith's face was not good to look upon as he sat at the table. He took no
part in the conversation, and scarcely touched the food before him. His
disappointment was so deep that it actually sickened him, and his
unreasoning anger toward the woman was so great that he wanted to get out
of her sight and her presence. She was like a dog which after a whipping
tries to curry favor with its master. She was ready to go to him at the
first sign of relenting. She felt no resentment because of his injustice
and brutality. She felt nothing but that he was angry at her, that he
kept his eyes averted and repelled her timid advances. Her heart ached,
and she would have grovelled at his feet, had he permitted her. In her
desperation, she made up her min