The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1904-10-01
The Reclairr,ing
Of Nick Bentley
By a. c. CALDWELL
Copyright. 1904. BY Daily story Pub. co.s

| ~ .xLcR" saloon and slammed
the door behind him. The tbarkeep
looked over at him and grfnned a grin
that was intended to pass for bland
smile Hello, Nick, said he. twhat'H
ye have this eyenin ~
Flick neither turned his head nor
looked up. His hat was damned dowE
over his eyes, and the visible part Of his
| face wore dark frown. He walked to
| the stove, ran his hands deep into the
| pockets Of his riding overalls and stood
looking at the floor.
Three or four men were gathered at 2
4. card table near by. One of them glanced
up at Nick. Hello, Nick" said he; sit
| into the gamer"
| Cant" said Nick. sourly; I'm
broke =
'Broke.. echoed the crowd, and there
| was laugh. Come, Nick, said one.
| banteringly; that's a pretty good joke.
| Won't you tell the boys what you did
with that hundred or SO you raked Ia
here night before last?"
| "0r the little stack you lifted q week
| ago down 10 Barber's?t put In an
| other.
II see.,' said Nick in mock compass
| sion. you fellers set there with your
| noses over them greasy, ealilSer-bacts
All day long, an don't get to hear no
news; SO reckon Ill have to tell We.
First place, then, old Mortenson got a
notion twas me that took them horses
he's been Iookin' for; second place, he
1 told the court SO: third place. the laTnea
! jury said I'd have to stay round pretty
close till court met next summer, an
that it was case of put UP or be shut up,
an as / don't care to board at the little
hotel with the high winders, I had to
drop my wad. See?"
t'You don't sayi" said one. What a
shame" said another; and third said:
well. sit in anyhow, Nick. I'll stake
| you. -
NO. said Nick: don't want to play.
I'm tired Was up all last night. I'll
rest a bit, an then go home" and he
threw down his coat for pillow, and
/ curled up on the floor behind the stove
He did not know how long afterward
1t was that he opened his eyes and
stared around His friends had left the
card table, and two others sat there.
They were talking in low tones, and
| the voices were strange TO him. One
/ lamp still burned On the aotheF side of
the room, but as he lay in the shadow
of the stove. the strangers were prob
ably unaware of his presence.
yes, said one; he's got the money
on him. all right. You know, he IS treas
urar for this Stock mans concern Well,
they turned over some funds to him to
/ put in the bank, an the bank bein'
closed, he just took the wad home with
| him. 'Twould be safe enough, he salt. j;
/ nobody knew8ie had it, He'd bank it to-
norrerv
The other man bit the end off of a
cigar. Yves" said he; It'll be safe
enough Ha, ha, ha- He'll never gel
/ past them willows on Waterloo creek
| with 1t, though. Them fellers down
there will see to that" He reached over
and struck match on the stove, ard as
/ It dickered up he caught sight of Nick s
boots. Hello said he, in startled
/ voice, what's this?'''
The other made hurried snvestiga-
ton, but as Nick remained silent,
breathing heavily, he was apparently
treasured. "a drunk was his COM
| ment. Guess he's safe"
we cant take no chances, though. 2
was the answer. He might wake up.
/ Let's go down to Barber's," and the
strangers got up and walked out
For some time Nick lay there In 81
Ienee. 4Luek's turned my way" was
his first thought. They'll slug cid
Mertenson, an then they'll be no pros
ecution. an my caseH be dropped II
/ them's the feIler's that's been dom all
the holdin' up round here lately they'll
I be no tales told when they get through
! with him All I've got To do is to keep
/ still
But keeping still did not prove so easy,
| and In q very short time he got up and
walked out. There was light II the
store where Mortenscn was in the nshit
I Of trading. and thither he went There
he learned that Mortenson had driven
out about a quarter OF an hour previous.
PLENTY OF time TO head him of, .
| thought Nick: then he stood a moment
irresolute.
HIS grievance against Mortenson rose
up ii his mind, and with 1t, others.
Once he had been an honest cowboy
now he was gambler and roustahout
picking up a living as best be might,
ana what had brought him to It? This
same stockman's union, of which Nor
tenson was a leading member, and whose
money even then he Nick was plan
! ming to save They had made him What
be vas. and brought similar troubles u
others that he knew. by their Infamous
system Of Establishing. which made
1t impossible for a cowboy 10 get en-
ployment again when discharged BY
one OF their number. for any offense.
however slight.
/ This all came back to him. and he
smiled bitterly. Then be threw up his
head, settled his big nat firmly upon 1t,
and strobe down the street, Cant help
j it,. he said to himself. 'I'lf play
/ square game, If they haven't. Won't
see a man downed Without fair shake
I Il he mas played me low
/ He went to the shed where he had left
his horse, and led him out. Heightened
his cinehes, carefully examined his bic