Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1907-01-05
CHAPTER Mv.-continued.
BY HARRIS DICKSON
Author of
Tbs Black VOLTS Breed" Etc.



AS he stumbled Vance turned half
round; his back was toward the
other. Agile as panther, Duke
sprang upon him and caught the
wrist that held the weapon. They
grappled, wavered, struggled against
the wall, among the tables and chairs,
but Duke held that surly weapon and
kept it pointing toward the ceiling
His own pistol dropped from his
pocket. A table crashed beneath their
double weight.
"Sancta Mariai" shouted Pedro,
running in from the back room, and
lodging back again even more quick
1y. From his position of safety be-
hind the door he screamed his fran
tic suggestions to Miguel and fanny,
who were trying to get behind each
other-and succeeding alternately.
In his turnings and twistings Duke
caught sight of the walters.
Here, Miguel" he called, breath
ing very hard, take this pistol
The walters closed in at once, and
between the three they made quick
work of Vance.
Miguel wrenched the pistol out of
vance's hand and bore it back into
their labyrinth of a kitchen where no
human sagacity could have found it. .
Pedro, the valiant reserve, rushed
in, fat and garrulous, and exceeding
wroth. The three Spaniards forced
Vance backward into a chair and left
Duke standing free in the center of
the room-free to breathe, free to
think.
During the melee when his own pis-
toll had fallen to the floor, Duke strug
igled all the more desperately to re-
tain control of Vance's. Now he
stopped and picked up his horn-han-
died Colts whose very touch reas-
sured him, like the grasp of a trusted
friend. 1t fitted his hand so easily,
with such calm reliance, that he
smiled. AS master of the situation he
could do what he chose.
With the hot blood of combat ting
ling IN his face, with the desh-born
madness of the fighting male surging
through his brain, tautening his mus
cles with the world-old desire to STAY
Noel Duke controlled himself.
1t could only have been a second or
two that Vance watched him-that
undecided man lingering a heavy
Colts. Then Vance saw him smile,
quietly pick up his hat, step out of
the back door and disappear.
All of this happened before Baker
could run from the corner. or Hip
polyte could hobble across the street
Hi say" said Baker, looking eau
tiously in at the door, chad the deuce
of a row."
you Internal fools" Vance
scarcely knew whether to laugh or
swear What in the thunder did you
hold me for, and let that fellow get
away"
Get away, Get away" echoed the
: fat Pedro with delicate irony. HE
walk out like a gentleman. Why
you come and make fight in my
rester-raw2'
Il wanted to arrest him"
ARREST him? For what you arrest
him? Are you alcalde? Are you pay
troll? Are you re po-lees? Look at
Eat table; who pay me for Eats
You"
Vance looked up at the excited
Spaniard-
Il wanted TO arrest him for"
Then for the life of him Vance could
not think why he should have wanted
to arrest this unknown man.
You catch a catamount, eh, senior?
You arrest a tarantula, eh, senior?
You fight wild a bronco. Ell, senior?
Why for you drive my customer away.
make fight in my house?" -
Vance brushed the sand from his
knees. pressed the dents out of his
hat. then he looked at the wrathful
Pedro and burst into q laugh.
Vance laughed and laughed again;
I he was happy He had at least done
something; that something" might
have been very useless and very fool
fsh, but he had done it all the same.
and that was enough to relieve his
mind.
Pedro. Miguel Hippolyte, Baker,
Tanny-an crowded around, pointing
to him. gesticulating. and telling each
other how it had happened.
For awhile Vance listened to their
babel, then raised his hand. and they
hushed.
"The drinks are on me-your very
best Come. sit down, everybody"
He included proprietor, walters,
strangers from the street. in one
genial invitation
well. don't know who he was
or what l wanted with him. but I'd
"a got him if you fellows had let me
alone
While the drinks were being
brought Vance very seriously regarded
pile of splinters and kindling wood
-, bod auco f,aAn tho r.rorxdnof -