The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12

fore him with a wide reach in his
field of vision for the three hands that
We're fast on three pistol-butts. Hold
on! I've met you somewhere" he
said with easy confidence to the blue
eyed man with the weather-split lip.
WILLIAMS Cache, wasn't it? All right.
we're placed. Now what have you got
in for me-"
I've got 40 head of steers in for
you.' answered the man in the middle,
with a splitting oath. You stole 40
and I'm going to fill you so full of lead
you'll never run off no more stock for
nobody. Don't look over there to your
horse or your rifle. Hold your hands
right where they are"
Certainly, certainly"
when pull. l shoot!'
81 don't always do it, but it is bust
ness, 1 acknowledge. When man
pulls he ought to shoot-very often it's
the only chance he ever gets to shoot.
Well, it isn't every man gets the drop
on me that easy, but you boys have
got it," continued Whispering Smith
in frank admiration. only l want to
say you're after the wrong man. That
roundup was all Rebstocks fault and
Rebstocl is bound to make good all
loss and damage"
You'll make good my share of it
right now and here" said the man
with the wash-blue eyes.
why, of course. assented Whisper
ing Smith, "if L must, l must. sup
pose may light cigarette, boys, be-
fore you turn loose the fireworks?"
Light it quick!"
Laughing at the humor of the situa-
ton, Whispering Smith, his eyes
beaming with good nature, put the
finger and thumb of his right hand
into his waistcoat pocket, drew out a
package Of cigarette paper and, ban
tering his captors innocently the
while, tore out sheet and put the
packet back. Folding the paper in his
two hands, he declared he believed his
tobacco was in his saddle-pocket, and
asked leave to step across the street
to get it. The trick was too transpar-
ent, and leave was refused with scorn
and some hard words. Whispering
Smith begged the men in front of him
in turn for tobacco. They cursed him
and shook their heads.
For an instant he looked troubled.
Still appealing to them with his eyes,
he tapped lightly the lower outside
pockets Of his coat with his fingers,
shifting the cigarette paper from hand
to hand as he hunted. The outside
pockets seemed empty. But as he
tapped the inside breast pocket on the
left side of the coat-the three men,
lynx-eyed, watching-his face bright
ened. "Stop!' said he, his voice sink
ing to relieved whisper as his hand
rested lightly on the treasure. There's
the tobacco. 1 suppose one of you will
give me match?"
All that the three before him could
ever afterward recollect-and for sew
eral years afterward they cudgeled
their brains pretty thoroughly about
that moment-was that Whispering
Smith took hold of the left lapel of his
coat to take the tobacco out Of the
breast pocket. An excuse to take that
lapel in his left hand was, in fact, all
that Whispering Smith needed to put
not alone the three men before him
but all Oroville at his mercy The
play of his right hand in crossing the
corduroy waistcoat to pull his revolt
yer from its scabbard and throw it
into their faces was all too quick for
better eyes than theirs. They saw
only the muzzle of the heavy Colts
playing like snakes tongue under