Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1906-11-10
DUKE OF
DEVIL
MAY=CARE
By HARRIS DICKSON
Author of
The Black VOLTS Breed" Etc.
Copyright, 1905. by D. Appleton & Coz

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(Copyright, 1905 by D. Appleton & Coz -
CHAPTER VI.-Continued.
Joe Balfour bounded to his feet,
caught Dukes shoulder and shook
him. But the other man did not look
up; he only replied YEARLY:
81 didn't know him; never saw him
before; some poor devil of a lumber
man, I think"
How did it happen?"
do you remember that table just
behind the partition in Catalina's sa-
loon-where we had lunch early last
night? Next to the side door? 1t
happened right there; 1 went back
again about the middle of the might"
What was the trouble?"
CT can't remember exactly how it
commenced; there was nothing much.
I was drinking little, but not enough
to affect me. 1 went in the saloon.
There was a big crowd in the front
part, so l went into the back part
and sat down at a table opposite this
man. He was eating oysters think
probably we had some words. He
cursed me, but 1 ought to have paid
no attention to that, he was so drunk
he could hardly stand. Then he tried
to get up, with a fork in his hand;
I didn't mean to hurt him, but I
snatched a bottle and hit him in the
head; broke his skull. The blood
gushed out, all over everything; he
fell, and 1 don't think he ever moved
''Who saw it?" This was the law
yer's instructive question.
Nobody; it made no noise. I got
out by the side door and ran. Be
fore had gone half a block 1 remem-
bered my hat and had to go back for
1t. He was lying there, dead, with
one arm doubled under him. A lot of
fellows from the cock-fght were sing
ing in the front room; but they
couldn't hear word
Joe sat down, stunned and bewil-
dered, as Duke went on:
ST ran out again. Joe, you don't
know how awful it is to be on a
silent street with nothing but your
own footsteps, and to know that you
can't run away from yourself. When
got up the hill as far as Cherry
street I felt an insane desire to see
that man again. 1 thought how cow
ardly it was OF me to leave him ly-
ing there with nobody to help him.
I tried my best not to go back, but
it was no use; had to go. 1
1eys, got to the door. and stopped
Il knew exactly how the man would
look, lying there on his face with
that arm doubled under him, and a
puddle of blood at his head. 1 hung
back in the dark and tried to reason
myself out of it. My head was just
as clear as 1t is now; 1 understood
it fully. 1 remembered reading a
long time ago that hundreds of MUIR
derers are captured at the morgue in
Paris every year, just because they
could not resist the desire to go back
and look at the people they had killed
That was awful, but 1 opened the
door, and went in. The body had
been carried away, and a negro was
scrubbing the floor.
81 searched for him all over town
at all of the undertaken shops, but
could not find where they had taken
him. There's a dead woman over
yonder at Druly's parlors. 1 went in
and looked at her a long time. II
is very solemn to look at the dead
they are so still and white. Then ]
came here"
He had spoken ON and on in low
voice, more to himself than to his
friend. When he stopped, everything
grew deadly still. The clock licked
the fire cracked. 1t was nearly five
O'Clock.
There came a sharp football ON the
f1agstones outside; it sounded very
loud, almost as If it were in the
house. Stricken with terror, Duke
grasped the arms of his chair an6
listened until the early traveller had
passed.
Joe dressed himself in silence
When he was done. he touched his
friend on the shoulder.
you stay here, old man. he said
gently; Pm going down to see about
this thing"
1t should have been daylight, but
looking to the horizon one could not
guess from which direction to expect
a laggard sun.
CHAPTER VIZ
THE FLIGHT.