saving many buildings during the conflagration.
Washington, October 25-
P. H. Conger, superintendent of the Yellowstone National Park submitted his report to the Secretary of the Interior today. He says that hunting has been practically suspended, and deer and elk are no longer killed. He regards the salary paid assistant superintendents as too small. He suggests that the law dividing the responsibility of the government of the park between the War and Interior departments be changed so as to place the park under the interior department. The hotel built by Rufus Hatch amp; Co. is completed, and is represented as commodious and well kept.
St. Petersburg, October 25-
Arrests of Nihilists continue daily. Today a number of students were arrested and upon the person of one of them was found a manifesto headed “Executive Committee to the Czar.” The document demands general amnesty for political offenders, entire freedom of the press and speech, and a parliament elected by the people. Unlessthese demands are complied with the writer threatens rebellion, vengeance upon the nobility and the death of the Czar.
“Hear Johnny’s been coming around after Josie,” Virgil said.
“Yeah. It’s her house. She’s told him she don’t want to see him, but he comes around some anyways.”
“Going to do anything about that?”
Wyatt smiled.
“Morgan maybe done it for me,” he said.
“Oh?”
A freight wagon pulled by six sweat-darkened mules labored past, heading east up Allen Street. There were three whiskey barrels standing upright and lashed side by side to the back of the driver’s seat.
“I was up in Tucson couple weeks back, with Winders, about that new shaft extension on the Mountain Maid. I knew Johnny’d been after Josie about letting him back in, so I asked Morgan to keep an eye on her. You know Morgan wants to be a tough nut like his brothers.”
Virgil smiled.
“He is a tough nut,” Virgil said.
“Like his brothers,” Wyatt said.
“ ’Cept maybe a little too quick sometimes,” Virgil said, “proving it.”
“Hell, Virg, you remember when you was his age.”
Virgil grinned again. “I was never his age. What’d he do?”
“Well, Josie told me that Morgan came by, said he was going to sort of sit around for a while, case Johnny showed up and bothered her. So she gave him some coffee and they sat in the living room and they talked. You know Morgan.”
“He could talk to a sage chicken,” Virgil said.
“Yep, and then sure enough, Johnny comes knocking at the door and Josie lets him in, and there’s Morg sitting there with his coffee. Well, Johnny says, ‘What the hell is he doing there?’ And Morgan says he’s keeping company with his brother’s girlfriend. And Johnny tells him to get out of his house, and Josie reminds him it ain’t Johnny’s house. It’s her house paid for by her father, and Johnny says it don’t give her the right to live in it and be a slut for the Earps. So Morgan knocks him down, and Johnny gets up, and Josie says Morgan was annoyed as hell. ‘I’m losing my goddamned punch,’ he says, and knocks Johnny down again, and this time Johnny stays down for a while, and when he gets up, sort of tottering, Morgan runs him out the front door.”
“Good, Johnny wasn’t packing,” Virgil said.
“Wouldn’t matter if he was,” Wyatt said. “He wouldn’t jerk on Morgan.”
“You never know,” Virgil said. “You never know how far you can push somebody.”
A single rider with a big hat and a checkered blue shirt rode a lathered chestnut horse up Fifth Street and turned the corner. He reined and got off the horse in front of the Oriental across Fifth Street from the Crystal Palace. He led the horse down to the watering trough in front of the Arcade and let him drink. Then he brought the chestnut back and tied him to the rack in front of the Oriental and went in.
“Josie thinks it’s Johnny doing most of the talking about Doc holding up the stage,” Wyatt said.
“Be a way to get at you,” Virgil said.
“Sort of roundabout, ain’t it?” Wyatt said.
“Johnny’s a roundabout guy,” Virgil said.
Wyatt nodded, as much to himself as to Virgil. Below the window, three whores walked up Allen Street toward Sixth Street carrying groceries. Wyatt recognized them. They worked for Nosey Kate Lowe. They’d have an early supper at Nosey Kate’s and get ready for work.
“I was to find Leonard, Head and Crane,” Wyatt said. “Might sort of settle the question.”
“Guess it would,” Virgil said. “You got an idea how you’re going to do that?”
“Well, they’re someplace,” Wyatt said.
“Guess so,” Virgil said.
