The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1912-02-02
l,thing was NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

- hing was primitve--passion
and pleasure ruled To spend easily
made money noisiiJ, brazenly, was the
ideal From dawn to dawn the search
after Joy continued The bagnios and
dance halls wereN ablaze: the bar
rooms crowded with hilarious or
quarrelsome humanity, the gambling
tables alive with excitement Men
staggered along the streets looking
for trouble. and generally finding It;
cowboys rode into open saloon doors
and drank in the saddle; troops OF
congenial spirits, frenzied with liquor,
spurred recklessly through the street
firing into the air, or the crowd. as
their whim led: bands played popular
airs on balconies, and innumerable
"barkers" added their honeyed invi.
tations to the perpetual din. From end
to end 1t was saturnalia OF vice. a
babel OF sound. a glimpse of the in
ferno. Money flowed like water; every
man was his own law, and the gun
the arbiter Of destiny. The town
marshal. and . few coolheaded depu
ties moved here and there amid the
chaos, patient. tireiess. undaunted,
seeking merely to exercise some
slight restraint This was Sheridan
Into the one loas street Just at dusk
rode Keith and Neb. the third horse
trailing behind. Already lights were
beginning to gieam In the crowded
saloons, and they were obliged b
proceed slowly. Leaving the Negro at
the corral to find some purchaser for
the animals. ana such accomnoda-
Keith shouidered his way ON foet
through the heterogeneous mass -
ward the only hotel, q long two-storied
wooden structure. unpainted. fronting
the glitter Of the Pinoeer Dance Hall
opposite. A noisy band was splitting
voiced barker yelling through the
uproar. but Keith. accustomed to SINH
lar scenes and sounds elsewhere.
strobe through the open door Of the
hotel. and guided by the noisy. contin-
uous clatter Of dishes. easily found his
cd with men, few women scattered
here and there. most Of the former in
shirt-sleeves, all eating silently. A
few smaller tables at the back OF the
room were distinguished from the 9TH
ers by white coverings In place of oil
cloth. evidently reserved for the more
distinguished guests. Disdaining cere-
mony. the new conner wormee his way
through. finally discovering vacant
seat where his back would be to the
wall, thus enabling him to survey the
entire apartment.
1t was not OF great interest, save
for Its constant change and the PRINT
tive manner In which the majority at
tackled their food supply. which was
piled helter-skelter upon the long
tables, yet he ran his eyes searchingly
over the numerous faces, seeking i'm
partially for either friend or enemy.
No countenance present, as revealed
in the dim light OF the few swinging
lamps. appeared familiar, and salts
fed that he remained unknown, Keith
began deyoting his attention to the
dishes before him, mentally express
ing his opinion as to their attractive
ness. CHANGING finally to again lift
his eyes, he met the gaze of a man
sitting directly opposite. man who
somehow did not seem exactly in har
mony with his surroundings. He was
short and stockdly built. with round
rosy face. and perfect shock of wiry
hair brushed back from broad fore
head; his nose wide but stubby, and
chin massive. Apparently he was be-
tween forty and fifty years Of age, ex-
ceedingly well dressed. his gray eyes
shrewd and full of grim humor.
Keith observed all this in a glance,
becoming aware at the same time that
his neighbor was apparently studying