The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1911-11-03
CHAPTER xvl.-(contInusd.)

!, xss a grim picture Of depravtty
a.solation. the environment dull.
somv. forlorn; all that was worthy
eve or thought being the pulsing
man element. All about extended
. barren plains, except where on
eide a ravine cut through an over
'.e,ne ridge. From the seething
rest one could look UP to the sum-
n and see there the graves Of the
l.rv Who had died deaths Of violence.
been borne thither in their
nots." Amid all this surrounding
ISOLATION was Sheridan-the child OF
few brief months Of existence. and
,stined to perish almost as quickly
" center Of the grim picture. . mere
uster Of rude. implanted houses.
porly erected shacks. grimy tents
apping In the never ceasing wind
wiring across the treeless waste. the
giy red station. the rough cowpens
lied with lowing cattle. the huge. I'M
ninly stores, their false fronts deco
tied by amateur wielders Of the
aint brush, and the garish dens Of
Ice tucked In everywhere. The pen
MUM Of life never ceased swinging.
pciety was mixed: no man cared who
Is neighbor was. or dared to question.
women worthy the name there
bere few. yet there we're fitting TO-
bale forms In plenty. the saloon lights
evealing powdered cheeks ana paint
4 eyebrows. 1t was a strange. rest
ess populace, the majority here to-
lay. disappearing tomorrow-cow-
)oys. half-breeds. trackmen. graders.
lesperadoes, gamblers. saloon-keepers.
herchants, generally Jewish. petty Of.
lctals. and a riff-raff no one could &C.
punt for. mere floating debris. The
bwn was ar eddy catching odd bits
driftwood such as only the frontier
pver knew. Queer characters were
everywhere, wrecks of dissipation, de-
Felicts Of the East. seeking nothing
ave oblivion.
Everything was primitive-passion
md pleasure ruled. To spend easily
made money noisily. brazenly, was the
deal. From dawn to dawn the search
Iiter Joy continued. The bagnios and
lance halls e ablaze; tho bar
rooms crowded with hilarious OF
euarrelsoms humanity. the gambling
aoles alive with excitement Mel
.Sassered along the streets looking
~ trouble. and generally finding It;
sowooys rode into open saloon door
aad drank in the saddle; troops o
c"ngenial spirits. frenzied with LIQUOR
.purred recklessly through the stree
ring into the air. or the crowd. a
raelr whim led: bands played popula:
ms on balconies. and innumerabl
paFkers" added their honeyed invi
.aons to the perpetual din. From EN-
y end 1t was a ~saturnalia Of vice.
ss0ei OF sound. a glimpse OF the In
ano. Money flowed like water: ever,
s.n was his own law. and the gu
1oiter Of destiny. The tow
atsaal. and a few cool-headed depu
moved here and there amid tn
sa.os, patient, tireless. undauntet
.se.ins merely to exercise som
'usat restraint This was Sheridan
,n'o the n long street Just at dus
I.Oas Keith and Neb. the third hors
Suilne behind. Already lights wer
..ssnning to CLEAN In the crowde
ICONS and they were Obliged I
~ O'eed slowly. Leaving the negro 9
NJ corral to find some purchaser fe
s animals, and such accommod,
rs aS lor himself as he could achiev,
ss~ s~nouldered his way on fos
ny asL tSe heterogeneous mass Il
.ne only hotel. q long two-storie
M. asn structure. implanted. frontin
s,tter Of the. Pinoeer Dance Ha
q. slte. A noisy band was splittin
,.s as with ~discordant notes. = lou,
,srssSa barker yelling through II
sl. out Keith. accustomed to sim
scs0es and sounds elsevher
49,, tnnNgh the open door Of u
~. snd guided BY the noisy, contil
clatter Of dishes, easily found Il
70 the diningsroom. It was crow