The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1916-08-24

middle-aged. 1 remember how years
ago he was soft-spoken an not rough
in talk or act like he is now. Blanc
amt likely his right name. He knows
a lot. He can doctor you, an he's
shore a KNOWN Teller with tools
| He's the kind tibet rules men. Outlaws
are always ridin' in here to join his
gang, an if it hadn't been fer the
gamblin' an gun-play he'd have a
thousand men around him."
"How many in his gang now?"
II reckon there's short of a hundred
now. The number varies. Then Bland
has several small camps up an down
the river. Also he has men back on
the cattle-rangeS."
"How does he control such a big
force?" asked Duane. ESPECIALLY
when his bands composed of bad men.
Luke Stevens said he had no use for
Bland. And 1 heard once somewhere
that Bland was a devil"
"Thet's it. He is a devil. He's as
hard as flint, violent in temper, never
hand men, Dave Rugg an Chess Allo-
way. Bland I'll shoot at wink. He's
killed a lot Of fellers, an some fer
nothin'. The reason tibet outlaws
gather round him an stick is because
he's safe refuge, an then he's well
heeled. Bland is rich. They say he
has a hundred thousand pesos hid
somewhere, an lots of gold. But he's
free with money. He CANDLES when
he's not off with shipment of cattle.
He throws money around. An the
fact is there's always plenty of money
where he is. Thet's what holds the
gang; Dirty, bloody money!"
"It's a wonder he hasn't been killed.
All these years on the bOrder!" ex-
claimed Duane.
"Wal," replied Euchre, dryly, "he's
been quicker on the draw than the
other fellers who hankered to kill him,
thet's ALL"
Euchre's reply rather chilled
Duane's interest for the moment. Such
remarks always made his mind resolve
round facts pertaining to himself.
"Speakin' Of this here swift wrist
game" went on Euchre, there's been
considerable talk in camp about your
THROWN Of a gun. heard Bland say
this afternoon-an' he said it serious
like an speculative-thet he'd never
seen your equal. All the fellerS who
coop WON p,oat pncoD,ar bod copoofhin,
to say. An they all shut up when
Bland told who an what your dad
was. Pears to me l once seen your
dad in gun-scrape over at SantOne,
years ago. Wal, I put my oar in to-
day among the fellers, an l says:
What ails you locoed gents? Did
young Duane bulge an inch when Bo
came roarin' out, blood in his eye?
Wasn't he cool an quiet, steady Of
lips, an weren't his eyes readin' Bo's
mind? An tibet lightnin' draw-can't
you-all see thet's family gift?"
Euchre's narrow eyes twinkled, and
he gave the dough he was rolling a
slap with his flour-whitened hand.
Manifestly he had proclaimed himself
q champion and partner of Duane's,
with all the pride an old man could
feel in a young one whom he admired.
"Wal," he resumed, presently,
"thet's your introduction to the border,
Buck An your card was a high
trump. You'll be let severely alone by
real gun-fghters an men like Bland,
Alloway, Rugg, an the bosses of the
other gangs. After all, these real men
are men, you know, an onless you
cross them they're no more likely to
interfere with you than you are with
them.
"The only Teller who's goin' to put
a close eye on you is Benson. He runs
the store an sells drinks. The gang
calls him Jackrabbit Benson, because
he's always got his eye peeled an
his ears cooked.
GLANDS not here tonight. He left
to-day on one of his trips, takin' Allo-
way an some others. But his other
man, Rugg, he's here. Riggs the
little bow-legged man with half of his
face shot off. He's one-eyed. But he
can shore see out of the one he's got.
An there's Hardin. You know him?
He's got an outlaw gang as big as
Bands"
Euchre went on calling Duane's at
tention to other men of the band. Any
one of them would have been a mark
ed man in a respectable crowd. Here
each took his place with more or less
distinction, according to the record of
his past wild prowess and his present
possibilities. Duane, realizing that he
was tolerated there, received in care
less spirit by this terrible class of
outcasts, experienced feeling of re-
vulSion that amounted almost to hOr-
ror. Was his being there not an ugly
dream? What had he in common with
such ruffians? Then in a flash of
memory came the painful proof-he
was criminal in sight of Texas law;
he, too, was an outcaSt.
CHAPTER vi.