Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-02-07
RED" M'LANE.

You re afraid, that's all, Jim Melville"
Red" McLane cut huge slice from a
plug of tobacco, taking his Fourth of
July breakfast in one mouthful, and
with the scorn of superior parsonage |
turned away from the young man whom
he had addressed.
The poker game at the Head Gate
had been q warm one, and McLane had
won everything in sight. Sprague, the
town site boomer; old Judge Stillwell,
Griswold, the "cantaloupe king" and
DIR. Kinney. the canal company's sur.
geon, with McLane and young Melville,
the superintendent and engineer of the
construction company, comprised the
players after midnight. Early in the
evening Denver drummer and ranch
man from up the river had contributed
to the stakes OH the table and retired
By sunrise the other players had drop
ped out, leaving McLane and Melville
alone in the game.
There was an old feud between Mel
vile and McLane. They had grown up
together back in New York state, where
they both fell in love with the same
girl While the younger man was away
from home ut college McLane betrayed
the girl, who killed herself from re-
morse, and be disappeared. No one IN
the Colorado town, where the two men
happened to meet each other several
years later, understood the cause of the
enmity, but it was generally known
that the young superintendent cherish.
ed an intense hatred for McLane, the
gambler.
Had some one else won the money
that he had lost that night Melville
would have quit with the Others, but 1t
was CALLING to be defeated by cred" Nc.
Lean, so be continued playing, with
the logged determination to vanqu'sh
his enemy. But cred" won steadily as
before. When Melvile's last chip was
swept away. be pushed his chair back
from the table and announced that ne
was through--and "broke."
The headgate never closed down. Day
and night, winter and summer, dry sea
sons aud wet, irrigation went on. There
was always supply for those who had
the price, The bitches Of its patrons
were continually full. On this Fourth
Of July morning when Johnston the
proprietor, went on duty at Z O'Clock he
found an unusually large crowd in his
place Ono man was still slumcerlDe
comfortably OH billiard table, several
were asleep in chairs, but there was
collection of widoawake railroad men
and ditchhands, with few herders
and puncbers who had ridden to town
early for the celebration. They had not
| iourneved far and hard to hear the ora
ton of Judge Stillwell or the Declare
ton Of Independence read by the elocu'
tionary daughter of Murphy, the section
boss. 1t was not that their souls were
dead to their native land, but they
could dwell On patriotic thoughts ont
on the range when there was no holi-
dsv and " here there was no drink but
water.
The crowd had become interested IN
the little r lay being enacted at the ia
ble and momentarily forgot its thirst
Melville offered no reply to "Red's'
taunts His face was gray He Razeii
absorbedly at something far away he
seemed to see or hear nothing around
him. He was thinking that he had been
a fool should he stop where he was or
take one more chance to redeem his for
tpnes and then redeem hin self after
ward:
McLape arose Picking up the pack
of cards, ho slammed it upon the table
The action recalled Melville from his
, reverv. and be looked up at MclAane'
who was saying:
"I,ll tell YOU what III do I've got
about $500 Of your mon here III put
another $500 with it and play YOU
game of freeze out fer 81, 600 There
a chance to get your money back ano
$500 of mine On top Of it. You needn
put up any talk about not having TIC
dough. Tom Johnston u CASH s'"'
check "
Some one lack in the crowd whisper
ed audibly:
"Tbe tendcrfoot amt got no nerve
ri bet be don't call Red.
Melville sill remained silent. III
took from his pocket bunch CT yellow
ma pers, Toured some tobacco INTO one
Them aud rolled cigarette. After
, connie of deep Limitations of the snlok
he arose from his seat and went behlnf
the bar and forward to the proprietor
desk He wrote out two checks for SOU
each and banded them to Johnston. LII
proprietor unlocked his safe and count
ing out the money gave the bunch o
hills 10 Melville. The curious crow
, had faced around to watch Melville
and as he returned to the center OF t.
: big room all eyes followed him II
e walked up to McLane, who was wait
ing by the card table, and spoke for tn
first time. There was no other sound
the room. Meivillc's tones were 10"
hnt distinct. aud there was look
( determination Oh his face.
: "Let NE take your gun, please, II
: said.
. McLane hcsitated, and the young ma
!, added:
Il "You needn't he afraid. don's II
tend to shoot you.
;, His words and ler treasured u
rambler, who drew mis- Colt from !
holster and passed it over to Melvil
without further question. The engine
glanced at the weapon, walked to Il
rear Of the room aud, opening the ba'
door, fred FIVE shots in rapid suoce
sion into the ground.
"Put up your money he said a
dressing McLane as he returned to t
i. card table. The gambler sat down al
I counted 81 900 in bills and gold, push
tbe nile to one end OF the green clio