Omaha daily bee., 1894-02-11

ANA . " mn hRt'h ~ 49,
ramento-a transfer that he believed was
only temporary. until the affair blew over
and he could return I'm safety to browbeat
his accusers, as was his wont. But this had
not been so easy as he had imagined; his
prosecutors we're bitter, and his enforced Sc
clusion had been prolonged week by week,
until the fracas which ended In she shoot
ing Of the sheriff had apparently closed the
door upon his return to civilization forever.
Only here was his life and person secure.
For Vineyards Bar had quickly succumbed to
the domination OF his reckless courage, and
the eminence of his double crime had made
him respected among spendthrifts, gamblers
and gentlemen whose performances had
never risen above n stage coach robbery or
a single assassination. Even criticism Of
his faded luxuries had been delicately with
held.
He was leaning over his open trunk
which the camp popularity supposed to con-
tain state bonds and securities of fabulous
amounts-and had taken some letters from
It, when a figure darkened the doorway.
He looked up, laying his papers carelessly
aside. Within Vineyards Bar property was
sacred.
1t was the late fugitive. Although some
hours had already elapsed since his arrival
In the camp, and he had presumably re-
freshed himself inwardly, although his out
ward appearance was still disheveled and
dusty, brier and milk weed chung to his
frayed blouse and trousers. What could be
seen of the skin of his face and hands I'M
der its stains and beginning. was of a dull
yellow. His light eyes had all the brightness
without the recklessness OF the mongrel race.
They leisurly took in the whole cabin, the
open trunk before the major, and then
rested deliberately. on the major himself.
We'll" said Major Overstone, abruptly,
what brought you here?"
Same as brought you, / reckon" re-
sponded the man almost as abruptly.
The major knew something of the half
breed tpmDpr and nathan the ratort NOR its
tone affected him.
you didn't come Just because you de-
serted said the major coolly. You've been
up to something else"
Il have said the man, with equal cool
ness.
II thought so. Now you understand you
can't try anything of the kind here. If
you do, up you go on the first tree. That's
rule L."
II see; you amt particular about waiting
for the sheriff here-you fellers."
The major glanced at him quickly. He
seemed to be quite unconscious of any irony
in his remark, and continued grimly: "And
what's rule %"
81 reckon you needn't trouble yourself be-
You'd rule l." returned the major, with dry
significance. Nevertheless he opened a rude
cupboard in the corner and brought out a
rich silver-mounted cut glass drinking flask,
which he handed to the stranger.
81 say!' said the half breed, admirlngly,
yours"
Certainly
Certainly now-but before-eh?"
Rule No. 2 may have indicated that ref
erences to the past held no dishonor. The
major, although accustomed to these pleas
antries, laughed a little harshly.
mine always he said. But you don't
drink"
The half breeds face darkened under its
CRIME. "Wot you're given us? I've been
filled chock up by Simpson over thar.
reckon l know when I've got a load on
Were you ever in Sacramento?'
Yes"
"'When?"
Last week"
did you hear anything about me?"
The half breed glanced through his
tangled hair at the major in some wonder,
not only at the question, but at the almost
childlike eagerness with which it was asked.
Il didn't hear much Of anything else" he
answered, grimly.
"And-wha did they say?"
''Said you'd got to be took anyhow. They
allowed the new sheriff would do it, too"
The major laughed. We'll you heard how
the new sheriff did it-skunked away with
his whole posse before one-eighth OF my men!
You saw how the rest of this camp held up
your nine troopers and that sap-headed cub
of a lieutenant, didn't you? You wouldn't
have been standing here If you hadn't. No,
there isn't the civil process nor the civil
power in all California that can take me out
of this camp"
But neither his previous curiosity nor
present bravado seemed to impress the
ragged stranger with much favor. He
glanced sulkily around the cabin and began
to shuttle toward the door.
stop! Where are you going? Sit
down. | want to talk to YOU"
The fugitive hesitated for a moment, and
then dropped ungraciously on the edge OF a
camp stool near the door. The major
looked at him.
this camp and the boys hereabouts do pretty
much as I say. What's your name?"
Tom"
tom? Well, look here, Tom! D. 1t
all! Can't you see that when a man is
stuck here alone, as l am, he wants to know
what's going on outside and hear a little
fresh talk?
The singular weakness Of this blended
m and appeal apparently struck the
fugitive curiously. He fixed his lowering
ewes on the major as If in gloomy doubt If
he we're really the reckless desperate he had
been represented. That this man-twice an
assassin and the ruler of outlaws as reckless
as h~imsalf-shol,d approach HMM this ha l.
confidential way evidently puzzled him.
"Wot you wanter know?" he asked gruffly.
"Well-what's my party saying or doing
about me?" said the major impatiently.
What's the Express saying about me?"
81 reckon they're throwing off on you all
round; they allow you never represented the
party-but worked for yourself" said the
man shortly.
Here the major dashed out: A set of
traitors and hirelings! He had bought and
paid for them all! He had sunk 81 900 In the
Express and saved the editor from being
horsewhipped and jailed for libel! Half the
cursed bonds that they were making such a
blanked fuss about were handled by these
hypocrites, blank them! They were a low
lived crew of thieves and deserters! 1t Is
presumed that the major had forgotten him
self in this infelicitous selection of epithets-
but the strangers face only relaxed into a
grim smile. More than that. the major had
apparently forgotten his desire to hear his
guest talk, for he himself at once launched
into an elaborate exposition of his
own affairs, and a spacious and equally elab-
crate defense and justification of himself and
denunciation of his accusers. For nearly
half an hour he reviewed step by step and
detail by detail the charges against him,
with plausible explanation and sophistical
argument-always with a singular proliXity
and reiteration that spoke Of incessant con-
seriousness and self-abstraction. OF that
dashing self-suticiency which had dazzled
his friends and awed his enemies there was
no trace! At last even the set smile of the
degraded recipient Of these condolences dark
ened with a dull, bewildered disgust. Then
to his relief a step was heard without. The
majors manner instantly changed.
"Well," he demanded impatiently, as Daw-
son entered.