The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-01-17
RED" M'LANE.

in the bank at Pueblo, and you know
your ohecks'll go with Johnston here.
You're afraid, that s all, Jim Melville. :"
"Red" MoLane cut huge slice from a
plug of tobacco taking his Fourth of
July breakfast in one mouthful, and
with the scorn of a superior parsonage
turned away from the young man whom
he had addressed.
The poker game at the Head Gate
| had been warm one, and McLane had
won everything in sight. Sprague, the
town site boomer; old Judge Stillwell,
Griswold, the "cantaloupe king" and
Dr. 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 on 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 at college McLane betrayed
the girl, who killed herself from re-
morse, and he 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 it
was CALLING to be defeated by "Red' Nc
Lean, SO he continued playing, with
the logged determination to vanquish
his enemy. But RED" won steadily as
before When Melville's last chip was
swept away he pushed his chair back
from the table and announced that he
was through-and "broke. "
The headgate never closed down. Day
and night, winter and summer, dry sea
sons and 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 clock he
found an unusually large crowd in his
place. One man was still slumbering
comfortably on a billiard table, several
were asleep in chairs, but there was a
collection of wideawake railroad men
and ditchhands, with few herders
and punohers who had ridden to town
early for the celebration. They had not
iourneyed far and hard to hear the ora
ton of Judge Stillwell or the Declare
tion 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 out
on the range when there was 10 holt
day and where there was no drink but
water.
The crowd had become interested in
the little play being enacted at the ia
BILE and momentarily forgot its thirst
Melville offered no reply to "Red's"
taunts. His face was gray. He gazed
absorbedly at something far away; he
seemed to see or hear nothing around
him. He was thinking that he had been
fool-should he stop where he was or
take one more chance to redeem his for
tunes and then redeem himself after
ward?
McLane arose. Picking up the pack
of cards, he slammed it upon the table.
The action recalled Melville from his
revery, and he looked up at McLane,
who was saying:
"Ill tell you what I'll do I've got
about $500 Of your mon here. I'll put
another $500 with it and play you
game O. freeze out for $1,000. There's
a chance to get your money back and
$500 of mine on top of it. You needn't
put up any talk about not having the
dough Tom Johnston'll cash your
check "
Some one back in the crowd whisper
ed audibly:
1.-The tenderfoot amt got no nerve.
I'll bet he don't call Red. "
Melville still remained silent. He
took from his pocket bunch of yellow
papers, poured some tobacco into one of
them and rolled a cigarette. After a
couple of deep inhalations of the smoke
he arose from his seat and went behind
the bar and forward to the proprietor's
desk. He wrote out two checks for $500
each and handed them to Johnston. The
proprietor unlocked his safe and count
bills to Melville. The curious crowd
had faced around to watch Melville,
and as he returned to the center of the
big room all eyes followed him. He
walked up to McLane, who was wait
ing by the card table, and spoke for the
first time There was no other sound in
the room. Meiyille's tones were low,
but distinct, and there was a look Of
determination on his face.
Let me take yeur gun, please, he
said.
McLane hesitated, and the young man
added:
"You needn't be afraid, don't in
tend to shoot you.
His words and manner treasured the
gam bier, who drew his Colt from it's
holster and passed it over to Melville
without further question. The engineer
glanced at the weapon, walked to the
rear of the room and, opening the back
door, fired five shots in rapid success
sion into the ground.
"Put up your money" he said, ad-
dressing McLane as he returned to the
card table. The gambler sat down and
counted 81, 900 in bills and gold, pushed
the pile to one end Of the green cloth
covered table and looked up inquiringly
at Melville. who was still on his feet.
The latter placed his money on Nc
Lanes, saying:
''That is for the winner.
He threw open the revolver, display
ing five empty shells and one loaded
cartridge. Closing the weapon, he set
the hammer for the remaining load and
laid the revolver beside the money.
"And that" he added quietly, sis
for the loser. +"
McLane turned pale. WHAT" he
asked, his voice shaking.
The young man repeated "Tbat"
pointing to the money-'goes to the
winner, and that pointing to the re-
volver-"goes to the loser. He uses it
himself-you understand. Do you &C.
ceptY'
He was as cool apparently as If be
were proposing a game of cards for the
II IL
chair, making no response. Melville
spoke again:
"You have called me a coward. Let
these gentlemen here see who shows
the white feather. Now. put up or shut
up"
There was a solemn hush in the room.