The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1903-09-25

Ashley no one knew whence it came
Q nor how much it was. He was a per-
I feet picture of a man, and in all west
ern virtues was easily first. He could
r rope a steer, BUNCH cattle, play poker
or drink whisky to the admiration OF
his friends and the confusion of his
, foes, of whom he had a few, while as
> to "bronco busting" the virtue par ex-
cellence of western cattle men, even
Bronco Bill was heard to acknowledge
that "he wasn't in it with the Dock,
for it was his opinion that he could
ride anything that had legs in under it,
even if it was blanked centiped."
And this, coming from one who made
q profession of "bronco busting" was
unquestionably high praise.
The Duke lived alone, except when
he deigned to pay visit to some lonely
rancher who for the marvellous charm
of his talk, was delighted to have him
as guest, even at the expense of the
loss of a few games at poker. He
made friend of no one, though some
men could tell Of times when he stood
between them and their last dollar, ex-
acting only the promise that no men
ton should be made of his deed. He
had an easy, lazy manner and a slow,
cynical smile that rarely left his face,
and the only sign of deepening passion
in him was a little broadening of his
smile. Old Latour, who kept the Stop
ping Place, told me how once the
Duke had broken into a gentle laugh.
II, a., Ill fp,s
way north had entered into a game of
poker with the Duke, with the result
that his six months pay stood in a
little heap at his enemy's left hand.
The enraged freighter accused his
smiling opponent of being cheat, and
was proceeding to demolish him with
one mighty blow. But the Duke, still
smiling and without moving from his
chair, caught the descending fist, |
slowly crushed the fingers open and
steadily drew the Frenchman to his |
knees, gripping him so cruelty in the |
meantime that he was forced to cry
aloud in agony for mercy. Then it was
that the Duke broke into light laugh |
and touching the kneeling Frenchman |
Look here, my man, you shouldn't |
play the game till you know how to do
it and with whom you play" Then,
handing him back the money he added:
Il want money, but not yours" Then,
as he sat looking at the unfortunate
wretch dividing his attention between
his money and his bleeding fingers, he
once more broke into gentle laugh
that was not good to hear.
The Duke was by all odds the most
striking figure in the Company of the
Noble Seven, and his word went
further than that of any other. His
shadow was Bruce, an Edinburgh uni
yersity man, metaphysical, argumenta-
tive, persistent. devoted to the Duke
Indeed. his chief ambition was to at
tain to the Dukes high and lordly
manner, but, inasmuch as he was
rather squat in figure and had an open,
good natured face and a Scotch voice
of the hard and rasping kind, his at
tempts at imitation were not conspicu-
ously successful. Every mail that
reached Swan Creek brought him a let
ter from home At first, after l had
now and then a letter to read, but as
the tone became more and more
anxious he ceased to let me read them,
and was glad enough of this. How
he could read those letters and go the
pace of the Noble Seven l could not
see. Poor Bruce! He had good i'm
pulses, generous heart, but the per-
NIT nights and the hunts and the
round ups and the poker and all the
wild excuses of the Company were
more than he could stand.
Then there were the two Hill broth
ers. the younger BERTHE. a fair haired.
bright faced youngster, none too able {
to look after himself, but much in {
cllned to follies of all degrees and 6
sorts. But he was warm hearted and t
devoted to his big brother, Humphrey, !
called Hump who had taken to ranch I
ing mainly with the idea of looking c
after his younger brother And no 1
easy matter that was, for every one l.
liked the lad and in consequence helped e
him down. a
In addition to these there were two g
others of the original seven, but by E
vented from any more than nominal b
with the Company Blake, Il
a typical wild Irishman, had Joined b
the police at the Fort and Clifford had t
got married and, as Bill said, was v
'oped tighter N a steer" =
The Noble Company, with the cow Il
Boys that helped on the range and two C
II three farmers that lived near the c
Fort, composed the settlers of the a
swan Creek country-a strange med Ii
ey of people of all ranks and nations. a
But while among them there were the W
vii hearted and evil living, still for
he Noble Company l will say that Ii
lever have fallen in with men drawer, o.
ruer or of warmer heart Vices they a
lad, all too apparent and deadly, but y
hey We're due rather to the circum- W
tances of their lives than to the ma
i've tendencies of their hearts II
throughout that summer and the
rinter following 1 lived among them, s.
amping on the range with them and 10
leeping in their shacks. punching W
attic in summer and hunting wolves Sc
! winter, nor did l, for was no wiser al
han they, refuse my part on permit 10
lights. But through all not a man al
f them ever failed to be true to his hl
tandard of honor in the duties of COM bl
adeship and brotherhood. ID
CHAPTER III. ~
THE COMING OF THE PILOT. ~
Wv III was the first missionary ever In
4 seen IN the country ana IL gr