The Newark journal., 1905-01-27
CHAPTER ".
DARRELfs ENCOUNTER WITH
 STURGTS.

S1 10 ftNtto.
 As time mellows the perspective of past events, so it blurs and modifies the characters of those who made them Much of the glory of Anaconda has departed and Sandy Bar has gone the way of the played out" mining camp, yet tradition deals generously with the exploits of Nate Darrel-often too generously.
 The strange features of his feud with Murgatroyd were sufficiently incred- ible in cold truth; and when the out line of the facts faded with lapse of years, imagination was drawn upon to sharpen the "reminiscences. The added material was not always to Dar- rel's credit
 Yet no one who now remembers Oar rel will ever tell you that he tried to be anything but a gentleman If the part was beyond him, it was solely the fault Of his unfortunate vocation.
 Ip any other walk of life his sterling qualities of mind and heart would have claimed their tribute of respect and s1- cial position. A man who belie1a" .52ft his fate was of his own makins es,la hardly have been ignorant of thls: 811 passion for play was too deeply in grained in his nature The notoriety he had courted and won. in any other profession would have been the mill stone that pulled him under.
 The recovery of the boys money at Iu ,ho He could not see anything wrong in turning the tables on the blacklegs and it was a pleasure for him to be able to do it.
 He played an honorable" game: and he considered it honorable to worst couple of sharpers at their own tac- tics.
 As he made his way back along the struggling street toward Hawkbill Henderson's he was warily watchful Recent events had taken his attention somewhat from his main purpose in coming to Sandy Bar and the murder ous Murgatroyd might be lurking any where in the shadows or logging his steps
 The wheezy tones of fiddles, guitars and a bass-viol. accompanied by hoarse shouts, laughter and fall of dancing feet echoed from a building across the way. Other buildings along the street were aglare with light and rife with a clink of glasses. rattle of poker chips and boisterous cries Of drinkers and players.
 There were few on the street at that moment and Darrel passed rapidly on in the direction of the gambling place. Abruptly form hurled itself across his path from dark space between two shanties on his left
 Instantly revolver was in his hand Now then, my buck" cried voice sharp with passion, well settle our differences man to man"
 We have no differences to settle. Sturgis, returned Darrel. relieved and not little surprised. He was looking for Murgatroyd, not Sturgis.
 The gambler was in a blind, unrea- soning fury. In the light of later events 1t was patent that Darrel had set a trap for him and beaten him and his confederate at their own game.
 When a man like Sturgis has such a grievance there is but one way in which the score can he settled Sur gis was fiercely determined and Oar rel was quick to comprehend his peril.
 A faring lamp In front of the dance hall opposite cast dim light over the scene. The field was clear for the en- counter, no one being abroad in the street apart from the two concerned
 RfgidIy erect the two men stood, re- volvers ready and swinging at their sides, their eyes alert and watching catlike each others slightest move Ment
 You're either the devil himself or