Sundown Slim | Page 8

they's some got a taste; then some's jest wet,
but this here is fine! Felt like jumpin' in and drinkin' from the bottom
up when I lit here. Where do you live?"
"On the Concho, thirty miles south."
"Any towns in between?"
Corliss smiled. "No, there isn't a fence or a house from here to the
ranch."
"Gee Gosh! Any cows in this country?"

"Yes. The Concho runs ten thousand head on the range."
"Had your supper?"
"No. I was late getting away from the ranch. Expected to make
Antelope, but I guess I'll bush here to-night."
"Well, seein' you're the first boarder at me hotel, I'll pass the hash."
And Sundown stepped into the house and returned with the half rabbit.
"I got some coffee, too. I can cook to beat the band when I got
somethin' to cook. Help yourself, pardner. What's mine is anybody's
that's hungry. I et the other half."
"Don't mind if I do. Thanks. Say, you can cook?"
"Next to writin' po'try it's me long suit."
"Well, I'm no judge of poetry," said Corliss. "This rabbit tastes pretty
good."
"You ain't a cop, be you?" queried Sundown.
"No. Why?"
"Nothin'. I was jest wonderin'."
"You have traveled some, I take it."
"Me? Say! I'm the ramblin' son with the nervous feet. Been round the
world and back again on them same feet, and some freights. Had a pal
onct. He was a college guy. Run on to him on a cattle-boat. He writ
po'try that was the real thing! It's ketchin' and I guess I caught it from
him. He was a good little pal."
"What became of him?"
"I dunno, pardner. They was a wreck--but guess I'll get that coffee."
"How did you cross the Beaver Dam?" inquired Corliss as Sundown

reappeared with his can of coffee.
"So that's what you call that creek back there? Well, it don't need no
Beaver hitched on to it to say what I'd call it. I come through last night,
but I'm dry now."
The cattle-man proffered Sundown tobacco and papers. They smoked
and gazed at the stars. "Said your friend was a college man. What was
his name?" queried Corliss, turning to glance at Sundown.
"Well, his real name was Billy Corliss, but I called him jest Bill."
"Corliss! When did you lose track of him?"
"In that wreck, 'bout a year ago. We was ridin' a fast freight goin' west.
He said he was goin' home, but he never said where it was. Hit a open
switch--so they said after--and when they pulled the stitches, and took
that plaster dingus off me leg, I starts out huntin' for Billy. Nobody
knowed anything about him. Wasn't no signs in the wreck,--so they
said. You see I was in that fadeaway joint six weeks."
"What did he look like?"
"Billy? More like a girl than a man. Slim-like, with blue eyes and kind
o' bright, wavy-like hair. He never said nothin' about his folks. He was
a awful quiet kid."
John Corliss studied Sundown's face. "You say he was killed in a
wreck?"
"I ain't sure. But I reckon he was. It was a bad one. He was ridin' a
empty, just ahead of me. Then the whole train buckled up and
somethin' hit me on the lid. That's all I remember, till after."
"What are you going to do now? Go back to Antelope?"
"Me? Guess I will. I was lookin' for a job cooking but the pay ain't right
here. What you lookin' at me that way for?"

"Sit still. I'm all right. My brother Will left home three years ago.
Didn't say a word to any one. He'd been to school East, and he wrote
some things for the magazines--poetry. I was wondering--"
"Say, mister, what's your name?"
"John Corliss."
"Gee Gosh! I knowed when I et that rabbit this mornin' that somethin'
was goin' to happen. Thought it was po'try, but I was mistook."
"So you ate your half of the rabbit this morning, eh?"
"Sure!!--"
"And you gave me the rest. You sure are loco."
"Mebby I be. Anyhow, I'm used to bein' hungry. They ain't so much of
me to keep as you--crossways, I mean. Of course, up and down--"
"Well, I'm right sorry," said Corliss. "You're the queerest Hobo I ever
saw."
"That's what they all say," said Sundown, grinning. "I ain't no common
hand-out grabber, not me! I learnt things from Bill. He had class!"
"You sure Will never said anything about the Concho, or his brother, or
Chance?"
"Chance? Who's he?"
"Wolf-dog that belonged to Will."
"Gee Gosh! Big, and long legs, and kind of long, rough hair, and deep
in the chest and--"
"That's Chance; but how did you know?"
"Why, Billy writ a pome 'bout him onct. Sold