Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1914-11-28
MAKING Of BILLY
Concerning a Battle of the
Strong on a Field of Glory
and Shame.
BY VlNGlE e. ROE.

In his hazy childhood, somewhere
on farm, he had been an enigma to
those who knew him.
He was slight and small, and had
shock of soft, light hair that curled. 1t
was that hair that gave him such an
air of innocence-that and pair of
eyes whose expression was one of
wistful wonder
Then, too, he had sensitive, whim-
steal mouth, and with this combination
he was destined to mislead certain of
those who were oyer-trustful. While he
was little shaver he had sloughed
the environment of the farm and taken
up his abode in the great city. 1t was
born in him. and those who had raised
him from the precarious start of an
orphan asylum. realizing It sadly, for
Billy's eyes had won their love, let
him go.
He never went back, and he never
heard from the old folks, except once
when he was twenty, and the papers
advertised for him, with the informa-
ton that the old mans will had left
| u,
baby-soft eyes had filled with impul-
sive tears. He wished for a moment
that he had stayed with them-they
who had not forgotten him in all these
years.
The impulse was only momentary,
but somehow he had never wanted to
touch that money. 1t was something
| Of te oil r1,
something that he remembered, long
way off. 1t was placed on interest in
the bank of the little village. so the
papers said, awaiting the sometime
coming of the owner
So he went about his life.
He knew many tricks that were
worth money to certain type; his
education had come to him through
many and varied channels, and the
ways of the world were good to him.
He left Chicago and went West.
He had heard of the wonderful OPP
portunities of the frontier, and he de-
cided that there was the place for the
display of his talents, varied and Sc
lect. He drifted happily into that
great region of strenuous living and
quick results and kept his health, for
he lacked neither defensive ability nor
a very quiet courage.
He had proved that before long. one
night at Granger City. He was sitting
at table alone, playing solitaire in
Black Pete's saloon, when a big man
In blue shirt and chaps strodo in.
He swung up to the bar and demanded
drinks for everybody, and everybody
In the house rose to him, except Billy,
who always wished afterward that he,
too, had risen, for cut of the very fact
Of his sitting still came that which
followed
But Billy, though he knew lots,
didn't know the etiquette of a frontier
town. So he went on with his game of
solitaire-that Is, until prolonged
and painful silence warned him to
look up.
The bully of the three counties in
vited him, as the scum of the earth,
to arise and partake, or be converted
into sieve. Whereat Billy's yellow
|
remark.
He never knew how it happened.
only after the rattle of shots he found
himself with his smoking gun in his
hand, and the spectators were crawl
ing out to look at huddled heap by
the bar.
Billy calmly took out his knife and
made little notch on the gun-butt
1t was good for effect, but he went out
with the biggest ache in his heart
that he had ever known.
Then he drifted to Granite, and it
was there that he conceived his
scheme. 1t came to him suddenly,
but lie was on the lookout for inspira-
ton.
1t had to do with the United States
mail-stage which ratified into Gran
tie every day at five, or Whereabouts,
the strong box beneath the seat of
the driver which was so carefully de-
posted in the Granite Citizens bank
the box that came from the mining
town above.
Inside of a month Billy was a full
fedged stage-driver from Gulch City,
up among the mountains, to Dead
Horse, down the plains, duly bonded
to the government, and carrying gold
enough each trip to tempt a saint.
About the middle of the second
month came the day when his dreams
were to end-and begin-in earnest.
There was good beginning, for in
the first place there were no passen-
gers on the down trip. Billy thanked
fate for that. Then, as soon as he
swung into White Cap cut out of
Gulch City, he reached down and
hefted the box. His yellow eyes mar
rowed, for it was dead heavy.
Down at point he knew about the
good horse waited, and his life in the