Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-01-06

room. In the twilight he did not i'm |
pose an heroic figure. His colossally |
impressive power saluted you only |
when the full day brought you a
glimpse of jaw that was not square
and phlegmatic. but yet gaunt and
nervously firm; of eyes that did not
waste their ferocious steel in set
fierceness, and yet gave hint OF Turk
ing demons The .iIarshnl was hard
~ above me.num nelgn., and rather be-
low medium "olS.II. light bones
were wrapped with steel wire rather
than with ponderous muscles, whose
bulk is their own chief hindrance The
marshal wore pistol ali his side, cx-
officio. His duty demanded il. and no
man feared its abuse in the dove-like
gentleness of his unoffensive moods.
The marshal and Bolande were old
friends. They had once moiled on a
ragged claim upon the mountains to-
gether; they had stood back to back in
skir1lishes with yelling savages in
howllng wilderness. And now their
youthful mistress, Adventure, had lost
charm for them and they had drawn
into the shell that man in his for
ties will protect with his life from any
encroachment,s though he has no de-
sire to make it the base of excursions
| into other mems preserves. But Bu-
lande and the marshal were still good
| friends, bcndaged with the golden link
of mutual "reminiscences.
When the marshal entered the room,
he did not at first see Bolande's re-
| volver, and there was an nnrestrained
| cordially in the Howl" with which
he greeted him, while the warmth of
Bolande's answer strove with paci-
ficatory uneasIneSS.
When finally the CLINT of Bolande's
dingy weapon struggled through the
| smoke of the room to the marshaps
eye, he said quietly, that others might
not hear: "Jessse, stick your gun be-
hind the bar till you're leaving town.
Can't let you tote your gun in this
mans town now"
Perhaps there was too much of the
city marshal and too little OF the friend
in his tone, but Bolande's look tooh
on a hint of rigor, and there was
twang of defiance IN his tone as ne
tried to laugh out his Owning this
|
There was too little subtility in Bo
lande's information to deceive the mar
shall in it's portent, and he flung back
sharp reply: ANY skin off you, il
do?"
And Bolande Gained before the 9th
er's frank resentment and Struggling
himself again murmured: "Nope Blu
thar'll be some off the man that trie!
to take my gun away"
} Almost pleadingly the quiescen
marshal answered: "Jesse, I'll Civ
D you till six to put up your gun, or pull
! your freight out Of this"
e Still more unassumingly, but still
e more firmly, Bolarde answered: "Ycrl
find me right mere at six. Bring YOU
nerve with you, marshal. Have
I drink?"
Don't mind if / do, Jesse. Here
howl" and they drained the martyr
s dom with unflinching gusto. Then III
e marshal turned to leave, and RolaDd
sang out, with no whit Of banter in hi
T voice:
: $50 long, marshal. Six o'clock,
t ito"
six, jesse" he answered. with a
much Of tender appeal in his voice a
was possible in the throat made bras
i with the raw western air, and heal
y grown f1inty with years of concealed
e repressed, and thereby little-hncw
emotion Better think it owe
a Jesse"
II Bolande only answered half anolt
getically: "Tm not heavy on tt
e think" and retrieved himself frol
q tenderness with a blunt, "but I'll
II here, six foot two in my socks" Tt
: outer day had swallowed the ma
, shall
= The cynosure of all the eyes an
pushed behind heavy eyebrows ar
= low-brimmed hats was Bolande. WI
- was again at the bar, rigid and ere
lo as a tower One hand played ia
: too with his half-emptied glass. Il
other lowered at the butt of his pi
- toll. He was stolid, alert, grim, deadl
- The whizz and boom Of the striki1
: clock startled everyone in the almo
= noiseless room. The fights of fro
~ tiersmen are generally the sudd,
e promptings OF an unforeseen rage. Fo
no NAL. punctual duello is rare. Even B
-, lande was a little nervous, and gulp
&c not infrequently stimulants to VIII
ne his nerves and anger to the nicely
m a razor With knowledge born of Lii
~ long experience. he had equally l
of Trained from drinking himself past t
RI best form.
.lf The marshal evidently thought
only right to give his old friend thr
e. minutes of grace. for it was a lit
ar after the hour when his step