Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-08-20

Bronco Bill was heard to acknowledge
that "he wasn't in 1t with the DOCK,
for it was his opinion that he could
ride anything that had legs in under IL,
even if it was BANKED cenuped.
And this. coming from one who made
a profession of "bronco busting was
unquestionably high praise.
The Duke lived alone, except Wren
he deigned to pay Il visit TO some lonely
rancher who, for the marvellous charm
of his talk, was delighted TO have nm
as guest. even at the expense Oh the
loss of q few games ut poker. lie
made a 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. lie
had an easy, lazy manner and siow'
cynical smile that rarely left his race,
and the only sign of deepening passion
in him was Il little broadening OF ms
smile. Old Latour. who kept the Stop
ping Place. told me how once the
Duke had broken into gentle iaugh.
A French half breed freighter on his
way north had entered into game OF
poker with the Duke, with the result
that his six months pay stood in
| little heap at his enemy's left hand.
The enraged freighter accused his
smiling opponent Of being cheat, ana
was proceeding to demolish him Win
! one mighty blow. But the Duke, still
| ~
chair. caught the descending list,
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 shouidn
play the game till you know how to do
it and with whom you play" Then,
handing him back the money he added:
81 want money, but not yours. Ihen'
as he sat looking at the unfortunate
wretch dividing his attention between
his money and his bleeding fingers, ne
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
4 further than that of any other. his
. shadow was Bruce, an Edinburgh uni
versity man. metaphysical, arguments
tive. persistent devoted to the Duke.
Indeed. his chief ambition was to at
tain to the Dukes high and lordly
manner, but. inasnuch as he was
rather squat in figure and had an open
good natured face and Scotch voice
of the hard aud rasping kind, his at
tennis at imitation We're not conspicu.
ously successful. Every mall that
reached Swan Creek brought him let
ter from home At first, after had
cot to know him, he would give me
now and then 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 moi
see. Poor Bruce! He had good i'm
pulses, q generous heart, but the per
. NIT nights and the hunts ana 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. fair haired
. bright faced youngster. none TOO able
to look after himself, but much IN
, clirned to fcllies of I'LL degrees ant
, sorts. But he was warm hearted ant
r 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 NJ
easy matter that was, for every on
liked the lad and in consequence helpe'
him down.
In addition to these there were tW'
others of the original seven, but b.
force Of circumstances they were pre-
vented from any more than nomina
connection with the Company Blake
typical wild Irishman. had joine'
the police at the Fort, and Clifford ha
got married and, as Bill said, wa
roped tighter n Il steer"
The Noble Company, with the co"
boys that helped on the range and NV
or three farmers that lived near TN
Fort, composed the settlers OF til
Swan Creek country-a strange met
lev of people of all ranks and nations
But while among them there were tn
evil hearted and evil living. still &c
the Noble Company l will say the
never have I fallen in with men brave
truer or of warmer heart. Vices the
had, all too apparent and deadly. bt
they were due rather to the clrcun
stances Of their lives than to the n;
. tive tendencies of their heart
Throughout that summer and I'll
winter following l lived among then
canning on the range with them an
:, sleeping in their shacks. bunchln
. cattle in summer and hunting wo!V'
In winter, nor did /, for l was no WIS.,
than they, refuse my part on perm
:. nights. But through all not ma
- of them ever failed to be true to h
:. standard of honor in the duties OF COL
" radeship and brotherhood.