Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1913-02-06

Z 0eyei0pment==hAd erected large,
buildings, usually barn-like, with false
fronts facing the sinsis rain street
flied with miscellaneous stocks al
goods or used for purposes not 90 L.
Ultimate. One OF these housed the
Poodle Dog" saloon. with gambling
rooms above, while few doors below
was great dance hall, easily convert
ed into q theater II occasion arose
grotesQue, one-storied monstrosity. Be
low these was the stage ONCE. built
against the Unrestricted wooden no,
tel, which boasted Of q wide porch on
two sides, and was q picture Of usli.
ness.
BY daylight all was squalor and dirt
dingy tents Tapping in the ceaselese
wind, implanted shacks, wooden
houses with boards warping under the
hot sun, the single street deep in vel
low dust. the surrounding prairie lit.
tered with tin cans, and all manner OF
i debris. But with the coming of night
much of this roughness departed. Sol
diers from the garrison on pass, idle
plainsmen, bullwhackers, adventurers
Of all kinds stranded here because of
Indian activity, stray cowboys from
the nearby valleys, thronged the nu-
merous dives, seeking excitement.
Women, gaudy Of dress, shrill OF voice,
fitted from door to door through the
tostling crowds. Lamps blazed over
the motley assembly, loud-voiced bark
ers yelled, and band added it's dis
cords to the din. The Poodle Dog
glared in light, resounded with noise;
lamps cleaned from the hotel win
dows, and the huge dance hall stood
wide open. Out from the shacks and
tents crept the days sleepers for a
night Of revelry; along the trails rode
others eager for excitement; it was
the haryest-time OF those birds of prey
In saloon and gambling hell
Hamlin saw all this, but gave the
surroundings little thought. He was
OF the West, Of the frontier, and be-
held nothing unique in the scene.
Moreover, the purpose for which he
was there overshadowed all else, left
him Indifferent to the noise, the jost-
ling, drunken crowd. Some he met
who knew him and called his name,
but he passed them in a word; and
pressed his way forward. At the ho-
tel he mounted the steps and entered.
The Office was in one corner of the
bar-room The proprietor himself, a
bald-headed Irishman, sat with feet
cooked up on the counter, smoking.
and barely glancing up as the Ser
geant asked for Mrs. Dupont.
Who are yer?" he asked.
My name is Hamlin; am here on
the lady's invitation
Sure; thet's Their name all right,
me bhoy. Yer ter go out on the east
porch there, an wait a bit whole l
sind her word yer here. Ohm mag
inin' she he'd sum doubts about yer
comm, the way she spoke
How do get there?"
Through the winder of the parlur
over thar-sure, it's noice quiet spot
fer a tate-a-tate." He got up, and
peered through his glasses across the
room. Here. Moiks; damn tibet slapy
head. Will one O. yer gents wake the
lad-that's it. Now come here, Moike.
You run over to the Palace an tell
Mrs. Dupont the Teller is here waitin'.
Hold on now, not so fast; wait till
Dim done tellin' yer. Say tibet to her
alone-do yer moind thet, We sap-head;
nobody else is to hear whut yer say;
stay there till yer git chance ter
whisper it to her. Now skip"
Hamlin hesitated, watching the boy
disappear.
"At the Palace-the dance hall
across the street," he asked incredu.
lousy.
Sure" indifferentiy, relighting his
pipe. Officers ball; couldn't break in
with a can-opener unless you had in.
vite. Guards at both ends, sergeant
taking tickets, an Third Regiment
Band maxim music. He'll Of a swell at
fair; got guests from Leavenworth,
Wallace, and all around. Every room
got Is full an runin' over-say, there
! are fellars over thar in them fool swal.
ler-tail coats; damned IL there amt.
a. sAAO " 70 CsCA gu ol6ut Vi CHI Oh ZIG
street thereu be q hot time. Say,
aim that the limit Injuns out thar
thick as feas ON dog, an them
swells dancin' here ia swaller-tails
like this yere was Boston"
He was still talking when Hamlin
crossed the narrow hall and entered
the dimly-lighted, unoccupied parlor.
The side window was open, slight
breeze rustled the heavy curtain, and
the Sergeant stepped outside on to the
dark porch. There was bench close
to the rail and he sat down to wait. A
CLEAN of light from the Palace fell
across the western end, but the re.
mainder of the possh lay in shadow,
although he could look up the street,
and see the people jostling back and
forth in front Of the Poodle Dog. The
sound of mingled voices was continu.
ous. occasionally punctuated by laugh.
ter. or an unrestrained outburst OF
s'IlINNRNIDIY ~