The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1904-05-04

A French half breed freIghter on his
way north had entered into a game OF
poker with the Duke, with the result
that his six months pay stood in q
little heap at his enemy's left hand.
The enraged frelgbter accused his
smiling opponent of being n cheat, and
was proceeding to demolish him with
n 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 Frencbman to his
knees, gripping him so cruelty In the
meantime that he was forced to cry
aloud In agony for mercy. Then it was
that the Duke broke into a light laugh
and, touching the kneeling Frenchman
OH his cheek with his finger tips, said:
Look here, my man, % shouldn't
play the game till you know how TO do
1t and with whom you play" Then.
handing him back the money he added:
II want money, but not yours" Then,
as he sat looking at the unfortunate
wretch dividing his attention betw cen
his money and his bleeding fingers, he
once more broke into Il gentle laugh
thUt WIS Hol BOOu W near.
The Duke was by all odds the most
striking figure in the Company OF the
Noble Seven, and his word went
further than that OF II other. His
shadow was Bruce, nm Edinburgh uni
vcrsitG man, metaphysical, ~argumenta-
tive, persistent, devoted to the Duke.
Indeed, his chief ambition was to at
tain to the Dukes high and lordly
manner, but, inasmuch as he was
rather squat In figure and had an open,
good naturcd face and n Scotch voice
of the hard and rasping kind, his at
tcmpts at imitation were not conspicu-
ously successful. Every mall that
reached Swat Creek brought him a let
ter from home. At first, after 1 had
got to know him, he would give me
now IL the Il letter to read, but as
the tone became more and moro
anxious he ceased to let me read them,
and l was glad enough Of this. How
he could res those letters and go the
pace Of the Noble Seven / could not
see. Poor Bruce! He had good Inn
pulses, n generous heart, but the per
NIT nights and the hunts and the
round ups and the poker and all tho
wild excuses Of the Company were
more than he could stand.
Then there were the two Hill broth
ers, the younger, BERTHE. a fair haireA,
bright faced '%youngster, none too able
to look after himself, but much In
clined to follies Of nil 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 helped
him down.
LII addition to these there were two
others Of the original seven, but by
force Of circumstances they were pre-
vented from any more than a nominal
connection with the Company. Blake,
a typical wild Irishman, had Joined
the police at the Fort, and Clifford had
got married and, as Bill said, was
roped tighter n Il steer"
The Noble Company, with the cow
boys that helped OH the range and two
or three farmers that lived near the
Fort, composed the settlers OF the
Swan Creek co%untry-a strange med
ley or people of all ranks and nations.
But while among them there were the
evil hearted and evil living, still for
the Noble Company 1 will say that
never have | fallen in with men Drawer,
truer or Of warmer heart. Vices they
had, all too apparent and deadly, but
they were due rather to the clrcum-
stances of their lives than to the ma
tive tendencies Of their hearts.
Throughout that summer and the
winter following 1 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 I, for l was no wiser
than they, refuse my part on permit
nights. But through all not n man
of them ever failed to be true to his
standard of honor in the duties of com.
radeship and brotherhood.