The Florence daily tribune., 1899-04-06
r ED" M'LANE.

ter with you? You ain I got any sand-
that's wh5t. You've got plenty of ~tnfi
i'm tho bauk at Pueblo, and you know
your checlSs'll 60 with Johnston here
You re afraid that's all, Jim Melville.
"Rcd" Mol4nne cut huge slice from u
plug OF tobacco, taking his Fourth Of
July breakfast in one mouthtul, and
with the scurn of superior persunage
turned away from the young man whom
ne Lad addressed,
Tho poker game at the Head Gate
had been warm one, and Mclane had
won everything IN sight, SpraRue, the
town site Loumer; old Judge Stillwell,
>triswuld the "uautaloupe king, and
Dr Kinney the canal cumpuuy's sur
gem with MoLaue and young Melville,
the suuerintendent and engineer Of tho
construction company, Comprised tho
players after midnight Early in the
evening Denver drummer aud IA ranch
man from up the river had contributed
10 the stakes on tho table and retired
by sunrise the other players bad drop
ped out, leaving McLano and Melville
alone IN the game
villa aud Mciane. They had grown mp
together back i'll New York state, where
they 10th fell in love with the same
girl While the younger man was away
from home at college McLano betrayed
the girl. who killed hersulf from re
morse, and he disappeared No one in
the Colorado town, where the Two men
happened to moet ench other several
yenrs later. understood the cause of the
enmity, but it was Generally known
that the young superintendent cherish
ed an intense hatred Tor MoLaue, tho
gambler
Hnd 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 dugged determination to vnuquish
his enemy. But Red" won steadily us
before When Melville's last chip was
swept away, he pushed his chair back
from the table and announced that be
was throuph-and "broke.
The hoadgato never closed down. Day
and night, winter and summer, dry sea
sons and wet. irrigation went on. There
was always a supply for those who had
tho price The bitches of its patrons
We're continually full On this Fourth
of .luly morning when Johnston, the
proprietor, went on duty at o clock he
found an unusually large crowd in his
Place one man was still slumhering
comfortably Gu billiard table several
were asleep in chairs, but there was
collection of wideawake railroad ineu
and ditchhauds. with few herders
and punchers who had ridden to town
early tor the celebration. They had not
lourunyed far and hard TO hear the ora,
ton of Judge Stillwell or the Declara-
ton of Independence read by the eloou
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
day and where there WAS no drink but
water
Tho crowd had become Interested in
the little play being enacted ut the ia
BILE and momentarily forget its thirst.
Melville offered no reply TO Red ="
taunts His face was gray He gazed
nhsurbedly ut something far away; he
seemed to SEQ or hear nothing around
him. Ho was thinking that he had heen
a fool should ho stop where he was or
take one more chance TO redeem his for
tunes and tnon redeem himself after
warug
MclIane arose Picking up the pack
of cards, be slammed it upon the table
The action recalled Melville from his
revery. and he looked up at McLane,
who was saying:
"Tll tell you what I'll do. I've got
about 5000 of your mon here. I'll put
another $500 with it and play you a
game of freeze out for $1,000. There's
a chuuoe tn get your money back and
$500 of mine ON top of it. You neednt
put up amy talk about not having the
dough. Tom Johnston'll cash your
check.
Some one hackin the crowd whisper
ed audihly;
"The tenderfoot amt got no nerve
I'll bet he don't call Red. 2"
Melville still remained silent. He
tuok from his pocket a bunch of yellow
papers, poured some tobacco into one of
them and rolled a cigarette, After a
couple uf 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 5000
each aid banded them to Johnston. The
proprietor unlocked his safe and count
ing out the money gavee the bunch of
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 McI4ane, who was wait.
ing by the card table, and spoke for the
first time. There was no other sound in
the room. Melville's tones were low,
but distinct, and there was look of
determination on his face.
Let me take your gun, please" be
4