St. Landry democrat., 1885-02-07

before his brother. Both had loved the
same woman. Jim married her, and
uncomplaining1y the brother carried the
burden of his disappointment as he
supposed in secret: but Jim saw it
plainly enough though no word was
spoken. JealousP Not a bit of it. He
knew too well the dog-like fidelity OF
his dull relative and turned the senti-
ment to account in more ways than one
The night was hot and loWery. Flat
Broke, never tranquil, was a picture OF
wholesale ill-temper. One or two fights
had come off early in the evening down
at Lueretia Borgia's, which could be
directly traced to sighting illusions or
suspicious looks over the late robber1es:
Lucretia Borgia, who had been named
with the usual disregard to the fitness
of things, as far as sex was concerned,
in compliment to the quality of liquor
he set out upon his bar, kept the most
popular place in Flat Broke. 1t was
the heart of the camp, and there its
leading citizens were ever to be found
outside of business hours.
"This yer thing has got to be clared
up, said Gold Dollar. decisiyely; ''or
the likeliest camp on the range will go
to pieces We don't want any more
promise us hangin', fer tibet don't seem
to fetch it, and he called his partner
aside and fell to discussing the mystery.
An hour later the surly jewellers at
'tLucreesh's'' were startled by the APP
pearance of Gold Dollar and his partner
with Jim Fixes between them, cool, de-
faint and cheerful.
"'Fore God, gents, / kin prove you've
struck the wrong lead.
stYou'll hev the chance, pardner, "
humorously remarked the, captor, and
the crowd laughed
The news brought the entire camp to
the spot in a few moments. s'Lucreesh
was obliged to Gallup one ofhis day-shltt
bartenders to accommodate the excited
gentlemen. The sensation took pos
session of every one; even the faro
bank dealer in the next room suspend
ed operations few moments to listen,
q proceeding which no mere killing
could bring about. Some were for
moonlight neck-tie party at once; but
Gold Dollar demurred.
ave made miscue when we worked
off the Chinee, an while tibet don't
count, seem as he war a Chinee, yet
we'd done the same efhe war a hui
man, an tibet would a bin onpleas-
ant =
The county had just been organized
and an appeal issued, calling on the in
habitants to submit to the laws of civ
| ilization, which was met with derision;
but now when Gold Dollar argued for a
regular trial by the newly-appointed of
fcials, the proposition was hailed with
delight as an amusing novelty.
"We'll have some fun out OF the ten-
der-foot nonsense, and if she don't
work right, she goes!' was the popular
verdict.
While the deliberations were being
conducted, Jim's brother lowered about
the outskirts of the camp like q fright
ened hare, straining his ears to fprmu-
late some meaning from the shouts
which echoed up the gulch from 'tLu-
creesh's.n When an opening door
threw a path of light out into the night
he shrank affrighted into the deeper
gloom of the chaparral. Trembling,
| feyerish, heartsick, he skulked in the
shadows with one idea-that of escape
/ for his brother tiuttering within the
walls of his dull mind, like a helpless
bird dashing itself against the bars of
its cage.
In the saloon, with hands bound in
front, elbows on his knees, head down,
sat the prisoner. his mind busy all the
night long turning over plans of escape
with the cunning of devil One of his
guards slept. The vigilance of the
other, seated on the floor with his back
against the wall and cooked derringer
handy, precluded any thought Of escape
by force or flight. The watcher was
secretly DESTROYS that an attempt might
be made so that he could display his
superior craftsmanship, and the
Wretched man knew it.
After midnight the crowd thinned
out and conversation became subdued.
1 The imperturbable faro dealer continued
his work as silently as fate. Occasion
ally a player arose with a deep-drawn
breath, which told he had been cleaned
out, and showing his hands into his
empty pocket, watched the game as
another quietly slipped into his seat.
The bartender came out and tried to
engage the prisoner in conversation,
but without success. The man sleep
ing under billiard table snored softly,
and two or three in chairs nodded the
hours away. The light in the little tin
boat over the pool table grew dim in
the stale and poisonous air, and the
silence was broken only by the rattle OF
chips and the low-spoken monosyllable
over a game of poker. Some noisy
drinker might disturb the calm for a
moment, and when the hustle died
away in the night as he wandered to