Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-10-14

I
smile. Old Latour, WHO kept tie Stop
ping Place. told Inc how once the
Duke had broken into gentle laugh.
A French half breed freighter on his
way north lad entered into IL game of
poker With the Duke, with the result
that his six months pay stood in u
little heap ut his eneny's left hand.
The enragcd 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 1t was
that the Duke broke into light laugh
and, touching the kneeling Frenchman
on his cheek with his finger tips, said:
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:
Wuut tilOAcyp OuI uOl yOuISs L uCll,
us he sat looking ut the unfortunate
wretch dividing his attention between
his money and his bleeding fingers. he
once more broke into q gentle laugh
that was not good to hear.
The Duke was by oil odds tho 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 argnmenta-
tive, persistent. devoted to the Duke.
Indeed. his chief ambition was to ut
tain to the Dukes high and lordly
manner, but, inas,nuch as he was
rather squat in figure and had an open,
good natured face and II Scotch voice
of the hard and rasping kind, his at
tcmpts at imitation were not conspicu-
ously successful. Every mail that
reached Swan Creek brought him a let
ter from home. At first, after had
got to know HIM he would give me
now and thon letter to read, but as
the tone became moro and more
anxious no ceased to let me read them,
and l was glad enough Of this. How
be could read those letters and SO tho
pace Of tho Noble Seven could not
see. Poor Bruce! He had good Inn
pulses o generous heart, but the per-
nit nights and tho hunts and the
round ups and the poker md MI tho
wild excuses Of the Company We're
more than he could stand.
Then there were the two Fill broth
ers, the younger, BERTHE, fair haired,
bright faced youngster, none too able
to look afttr himself, but much In
clined to follies of all degrees and
sorts. But he was warm hearted and
devoted to his big brother. Humphrey,
called Hump, who had taken to ranch
ing mainly with the idea of looking
after his younger brother. And no
easy matter that was, for every one
liked the lad and in consequence holped
him down.
In addition to these there were two
others Of the original seven, but by
force Of circumstances they We're pre-
vented from any more than nominal
connection with the Company. Blake,
a typical wild Irishman, had Joined
the police ut the Fort, and Clifford had
got married and. as Bill said, was
roped tighter IN steer.'
The Noble Company, with the COW
boys that helped on the range and two
or three farmers that lived near the
Fort. composed the settlers of the
Swan Greek country-a strange med
ley of people OF all ranks and nations.
But while among them there We're the
evil hearted ana evil living. still for
the Noble Company will say that
never hnye fallen in with men Drawer,
truer or of warmer heart Vices they
had, all too apparent and deadly. but
they We're due rather to the circum-
stances of their lives than to the ma
tive tendencies of their hearts.
Throughout that summer and the
winter following lived among them.
camping on the range with them and
sleeping in their shacks, punching
cattle in summer and hunting wolves
in winter, nor did L, for was no wiser
than they. refuse my part on permit
nights. But through all not man
of them eyer failed to be true to his
standard Of honor in the duties of COM
radeship and brotherhood.
fro NE coNTrNuED.j
z 3 e. I-I i i y r..