The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1913-11-20
By REX BEACH

tried them all, and l never hat
no success but the oncet."
"Did you ever break the bank"
inquired.
IL did-with a stick of dynamite"
We we're putting the final touches
to the last cleanup, blowing and
weighing the gold, Kink dying the
wet dust and removing the black sand
by blowing it in a scoop, while l at
tended to the SCALES. Mrs. Martin had
gone to town for the mail, so we had
full chance to adventure whittier we
chose, and our fancies led us idly into
the past.
THE play come up like this" he con-
tinued. Il crow-hops into Tularos one
day, spurning all things sordid and
trivial, for l have $500 of the realm,
eight months Of thirst and spirit
ual cordially for emotion and stimu-
lus. | am that drawed and haggard
with onwee that the bartender re-
marks it.
"'What's doing in the way of cpl
sodes and distractions Of mind in this
camp!' says |.
"'Nothing' says he, except faro and
eoulette and stud poker
"'Them devices is pueryle and
meager. I want something vigorous
and mans size, something to turn my
liver over. I've been dead eight
months. Amt you got no opery
house or lynchings or ragtime or
seuds?'
"'No,' says he. This here camp is
sure a sylvan refuge for the jaded.
There amt even been sheep herder
or chink massacred since old man
Stubbs had the treemors, and now
that he's took the cure the future
looks dark and unengaging. There's
nothing but them mercenary gambling
games
81 nosed around for an hour, but l
never see such stupefied camp, and,
being that bulged out with hunger for
emergencies, | am forced agin the
green cloth to save my mental bal
ance.
"'What's the limit to this snare| l
asks of the invalid in the operating
>chair, having found the layout.
ga dollar says he.
-"tBeing twenty eight years old, with
much Of my life's work still undone,
amt got time to dribble along that
away says |. Il intend to annex
your bank roll quick and spend it be-
fore the coin goes out Of date or the
pictures is wore off of the bills, so if
you've got hundred hid out any
where I'll roll you for it all in a lump
HE gropes into the drawer, listless
and feeble, but collects hundred up
into pile and deals the cards. lose
the 6rst turn. He's setting sideways
in bis chair and don't even onfurl his
legs.
"'That fuke only serves to postpone
the evil day for YOU says l. Turn
them fer another hundred Again l
lose.
81 had figgered on cleaning you up,
hitting you a belt with the surcingle
and letting you go before this, but l
don't begretch the waste Of time. You
aim to help me get some enthusiasms
out Of life, don't you? appreciate
your cooperation. Now ! got you.
Let her 60
II coppers the bullet and lets the
filly run open for hundred each. He
pushes out the top card and the next
two lays-queen, ace. He drags in the
hard earned savings Of. my last four
months without symptom of joy in
his eye. Then when sets back my
chair he yawns and says:
"If you happen into anything that
will bust this monotony femme know.
I'm most dead
Naturally ! am somewhat para
lyzed at having my anticipations mire
down this away inside OF three min
being young, am prone to anger.
fF;sks myself for loose change where
with to continue the carnage, while
my indignities rise up in my nose, but
! am disappointed. am let out COM
plete, thinks |, till find lone TWEEN
ty dollar gold piece in my vest pocket
as goes out the door. l turns around
"'Here! You overlooked this one,
says |, and throws it at him as hard
as can. Then hikes out to the rail-
s.0ad track and sets on handcar, in
venting synonyms for the worst words
] knowed. Talk about blues, l am the
human wiggle stick.
sits along about dark when l ex
haust all the bad names in three Ian
guages and recall the fact that AIM
ct none since morning. goes back tc
the gambling room and braces Mr.
Dealer.
"I'm as holler as gun bar'l,' says
]. He hands out dollar, looking SOU
and grouchy, without even the compli
ments of the season. The reluctan
way he does it offends me, but swal
Jers my pride for an appetizer ant
ambles into a grocery store across ti,'
way to buy an 0ntree Of crackers ant