The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-07
THE WESTERNERS
BY STEWART EDWARD WHITE.
Copyrighted by Mcclure, Phillips & Co.
CONTINUED from Last Sundays News,)
XIV
IN WHICH CHEY ENNE HARRY
LOSES HIS PISTOL.

of Lafond's operations and of the girls
anticipated triumphs, lay between Rag
ged Top and Tom Custer. It con-
sisted of a double row of log cabins
situated in the V of the deep ravine.
The men generally ate in the long din
ing room of the hotel. worked at pros
pecting in the hills, and spent their
evenings in the centrally situated Lit
tie Nugget saloon, the property of
MichAil Lafond.
The night of the breeds arrival
the usual crowd was carrying on the
usual discussions on the usual subjects.
One fresh from the East entering
the building would have been struck
first with the strangeness of the room.
1t was long and low, and on three
sides dark. Against the fourth wall
was stretched tightly a white cotton
sheet, initiating plaster, in front of
which stood the bar. The bar was
polished, narrow, with a foot rest in
front and two towels hanging from
metal clasps just under the projecting
caves of it. 1t had been brought in
sections, by wagon, at considerable eX-
pense Some three feet behind the
bar, stretched a shelf of the same
hight, towel covered, on which stood
four bottles in front of a little mirror.
The shelf was piled symmetrically with
glasses of all shapes-tumblers, ponies,
fine-stemmed wine glasses-arranged
in pyramids and squares. They gilt
tered in the glare of the lamps, and
the indirect light from the white sheet.
A dim pink reflection was given back
by the mirror-dim and pink because
the glass was draped with pink mos
bAar Oyarhaod al on
which read, ITO Trust is Bust"
Beneath the reflector of the largest
lamp lounged the barkeeper reading a
paper. He had spread the paper on the
bar, and, having crooked his elbows
out at wide angles around it's mar
gin, was bending his head of straw
colored hair close over the print. He
was dressed in white as to the upper
part of his body. Occasionally he read
aloud in a monotone from the paper.
At other times his lips moved slowly,
shaping the invisible words as they
took form in his sluggish brain.
THE latest creations in ties" he
read, ARE described by our buyer as
being natty effects in the narrow
plaids."
Outside this glare of light from the
white dressed man, and the glittering
pyramids and squares and glasses and
the dim pink reflections, and the white
sheet initiating plaster, the rest of the
room seemed dark by contrast. Near
the door and the small front window,
glowed a red-hot stove. Along the
walls were ranged chairs. In the chairs
sat many men smoking. Above the
men a few cheap pictures wers tackled
against the rough walls One of them
represented an abnormally slim ana
smooth race horse against a back
ground of vivid green. Another showed
an equally green landscape, throwing
into relief a gEoup of relocated men
on spider-legged horses, pursuing a
huddle of posing white hounds. One
of the spiderlegged horses had fallen,
and the rider, being projected hori-
zontaly forward, was suspended rigid
ly in mid air. like Mohammeds coffin,
and with as much apparent prospect
of coming to earth Still another pre-
scented the sight of an exceedingly
naked woman, descending from an ex-
ceedingly fiat and marble couch. One
foot was on the floor and the other
knee rested still on the fiat and marble
couch. 1t was labelled, Surprised"
I Three large lamps with rehectors
Illuminated this part of the room. Then
came a strip of comparative dusk; then
another hanging lamp disclosed a
smooth-topped table, on which was a
faro layout.
The men in the chairs smoked indus
triously and spoke seldom The air
was thick with the smoke of strong to-
bacco, such as Hand Made" and
Lucky Strike Very near the stove
sprawled old MiZzou, low foreheaded,
white-bearded, talking always of wom-
en- and the merits of grass widows and
school ma'ams.
"Fhey is nothin' like em" he as
serted with ever-fresh emphasis of
tone. Back in Chillicothe, wnar tn
hogs an gals is co'n-fed, they is shore
Dustin! When one of them critters
comes round, feels jest like raisin'
h and putin a chunk under it,"
9TH h you do" snorted Cheyenne
Harry, scowling his handsome brows,
9TH h you do! Give us a rest with
yore everlasting females" He pulled
his hat over his eyes. and drew saw
agely on his pipe, his right hand over
the bowl, his left clasped tight under
his armpit.
Billy Knapp was telling about his
mine.
ION that thar Buffalo lode" he said,
impressively, Il got a lead twenty foot
wide. Twenty foot, l say! And it
holds out; it holds out a lot. It's great.
] says to them Chicago sharps, l says.
You won't find sech a lead as tibet thar
nowhere else in the Hills. and by
gravy I believe that's right! 1 do, for
shore! An l says to them, l says,
II OIly NdhSs q llliS SiilhII an d llI-
tie five stamp mill t put her on pay
ing basis to wunst. Amt no manner
of doubt of it! tell you it's a
chance; That's what it is!'"
He breathed hard with the enthusi-
asm into which his words lifted him.
He vociferated. telling over and over
about his twenty foot lead. He held
his great hand suspended in the air
through whole sentences, bringing it
down with a mighty slap as he came
to his conclusions. The men about him
listened unmoved. They believed what
he said, but they had got over being
excited at it. Jack Graham, his hat
on his knees, twisted his little NOUS
tache and smiled amusedly. As the
scout appealed to him from time to
time, he nodded silent assent. over
beyond the bar of dusk, two men were
stalking small sums at faro. The keen
eyed dealer was monotonously calling
the cards. "All ready; all down; hands
up; jack win; queen losel" he drawled.
In the corner nearest the door, a
youth of Is huddled on the floor asleep.
Here and there wandered an active
wire-haired dog, bigger than fox ter