The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-12-19
CHAPTER I.

Ea4s
If I were king
CHAPTER /.
IN THE FIRCoNE TAVERN.
In the dark main room of the Fir
cone tavern the warm June air seemed
to nave lost all it's delicacy, like a de-
graded angel. It was sodden through
and through, as with the lees of wine;
it was stained and shaned with he
smells of hams and cheeses; it was
thick and heavy as if with the breaths
of all the rogues and all the vaga-
bonds that had haunted the hosiery
from it's evil dawn. Such guttering
lights and glimmering flames as lit
the place-for there was a small fire
on the wide hearth in spite Of the fine
weather-peopled the gloom with fan
tastic quivering shadows as Of lean
fingers that unfolded themselves to
flch, or clenched themselves to stab
in the back. But its patrons seemed to
like the place well enough in spite of
its miasma, and Master Robin Turgis,
the fat landlord, drowsy with his own
wine and dripping from the heat, sur
veyed them complacently, and wall
lowed as it were in the rattle and clink
Of mug and can, the full-throated
laughter and the shrill chatter, crisply
C4llQlldSlACu Wy OdIllS, WHICH dSSuISu
him Of the Fircone's popularity with
its intimates. Master Robins intelli-
gence was limited; his wit was sim
pie; the processes of his mind moved
easily along the lines of least resist
ance. The Burgundians might be
hammering with mailed fists at the
walls OF Paris; the f1re-new crown Of
Louis the Eleventh might be falling
from the royal forehead; it mattered
mot" a lot fn n h IN St| nhir, on a1nro
as the Fircone brimmed with COM
pany. e
There vas enough company in the
room on this evening to content even
his wish. 1t was not the kind of com
pany that a. wise man would desire to
keep, but it. delighted the innkeeper,
for it drank deeply and spent freely,
and in Robins view it was of no more
concern to him how the, money that
changed hands was come by than it
was how the profound rotations might
affect the brains and stomachs of his
clients. If. any officer. Of the law had
questioned him as to his association
with a certain mysterious Brotherhood
of the Cockleshells whose Court of
Miracles and the fear Of citizens with
strong boxes, he would have shrugged
his fat shoulders and shaken his round
head and disowned all knowledge of
any such unlawful corporation. Yet
hts face wrinkled with smiles as his
glance rested amiably upon the bodily
presences, of certain illustrious mem
bers Of the brotherhood, wild men in
5withered frippery, Wine-stained to the
very bones.
They were v in number, and four
of them were huddled round a table
in the cosiest corner Of the room, the
cori.er that was sheltered from the
heat of the fire by the high-backed
settle, the corner that was nearest to
the main door If n desired-as one
often did-to slip out in a hurry, and
to the red-curtained windows, If one
desired-as one seldom did-a mouth
full Of fresh air. Robin Turgis knew
them all, admired them all, feared
them all, and yet he held head against
them because his Beaune wine was so
adorable, and because he could keep
his oWn counsel. Slender Rene de
Montigny, in a jerkin, Of rubbed and
faded purple velvet, with his malign,
I%talianate face and his delicate Italian
ate grace; -otund Guy Tabarie, bluff,
red and bald; Casin Cholet, tall and
bird-like, with the figure of a stork
and the features Of a bird Of prey;
Jehan lie Loup, who looked as &vulpine
as his nickname; these Robin Turgis
eyed and catalogued with a kind of
pride. 1t was a fearsome privilege for
the Fircone to boast such&patronage.
On the settle, with his face to the fire,
Colin de Cayeulx sprawled in a drunk
en- sleep, forgetting and forgotten, a
harmless looking, good-natured look
Ing knave who vas neither harmless
nor good-natured.
For every man OF. the gang there was
q woman, and there was a woman over,
who was easily the central star Of the
Haunting galaxy. The shabby bravery
of the men was matched by the shabby
#Gaudy, painted. assertiye sst-umpets
with Young.# fair. shameless faces
worthy Jills of the ill%-favoured Jacks
who cuddled sthem-Jehanneton, the
fair helm-Maker;;D Denise. Blanche, Isa-
beau, and Gui1lemette,t the landlords
daughter, who $cOnsorte1 gaily enough
with these brightly-plumaged birds Of
a rogue's paradise. But the sixth
d bird of quite another
feather. #F
Over all the clatter this woman's
voice rose38suddenly as clearsas the
call of aSthrusl, and the hot space
seemed to cool and the hot air to clean
as she sang. She who sang was a girl
aof five and twenty, whom it had
pleased@to clotEe5 her ripe &Womanhood
in a%boy's habit, th~at&clasped her fine
body as close as a second skin, and
and she might have passed for a man
no otherWhere than in a madhouse.
Sheslooked8 very charming in the
stained and faded d%aintiness of her
male attire. She wore agreen velvet
doublet and green WOODEN hose, with
a&scarlet girdleSandpou about her
waist, d scarlet feather stuck de-