The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-06-15

whats that? asked duane.
Plenty OF good juicy beef to eat
An IL doesn't cost q short Bit
but IL costs hard rides and trouble.
bad conscience. and life, too, doesn't
| itr
'I amt shore about the bad con-
science. Mine never bothers me none.
An as for life, why, thet's cheap in
Texas"
who is Bland ?" asked Duane, quick
ly changing the subject. What do you
know about him?"
I'VE don't know who he is or where
he halls FROM" replied Euchre. '"Thet's
always been something to interest the
gang. He must have been young
man when he struck Texas. Now he's
middle-aged. 1 remember how years
ago he was soft spoken an not rough
| in talk or act like he Is now. Bland
amt likely his right name. He knows
a lot. He can doctor you, an he's
shore knowiD' Teller with tools. He's
the kind tibet rules men. Outlaws are
always ridin' in here to join his gang.
an IL it hadn't been fer the gamblin'
an gun play he'd have a thousand men
| around him"
How many in his gang nowr'
Il 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 1t. He is a devil. He's as
hard as flint, violent in temper, never
| made any friends except his right hand
men, Dave Rugg an Chess Alloway.
Blandll shoot at wink. He's killed
lot Of fellers, an some fer nothin'. The
reason tibet outlaws gather round him
an stick is because he's a safe refuge
an then he's well heeled. Bland is
rich They say he has a leo, 900 pesos
hid somewhere, an lots of gold. But
he's free with money. He CANDLES when
he's not off with a 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!"
TITS a wonder he hasn't been killed.
All these years on the border!" ex-
claimed Duane.
WAL" replied Euchre, dryly, hes
other fellers who hankered to kill him,
| thet's all"
Euchre's reply rather chilled Duane's
interest for the moment. Such re-
marks always made his mind revolve
round facts pertaining to himself.
"Speakin' Of this here swift wrist
game" went on Euchre, there's been
THROWN OF gun. You know, Buck,
tibet among us fellers-us hunted men
there amt anythin' calculated to
rouse respect like a slick hand with q
gun. I heard Bland say this after
noon-an' he said II serious like an
speculatiye-thet he'd never seen your
equal. He was watchin' Of you close
he said, an Just couldn't follow your
hand when you drawed. All the fellers
who seen you meet Bosomer had some
| thin to say. Bo was about as handy
with a gun as any man in this camp
barrin' Chess Alloway an mebbe Bland
himself. Chess Is the captain with a
Colt-or he was. An he shore didn't
like the references made about your
| speed. Bland was honest in aclcnowl-
edgin' 1t, but he didn't like 1t, neither
| Some Of the fellers allowed your draw
might have been just accident. But
| most Of them Figured different An
an what your Dad was. Pears to me
once seen your Dad in a gunscrape
over at Santone, years ago. Wall, /
| put my oar in today among the fellers,
an I 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' Bos
mind? An'thet lightnin' draw-can't
you-all see thet's a family gift?"
Euchre's narrow eyes twinkled, and
he gave the dough he was rolling q slap
| with his flour whitened hand. Mani
| testify he had proclaimed himself d
champion and partner of Duane's, with
ali the pride an old man could feel in
| a young one whom he admired.
WAL" he resumed, presently, "thets
| your introduction to the border Buck
An your card was a high trump. You'll
be let severity alone by real gun fighters
an men like Bland, Alloway, Rugg, an
the bosses OF the other gangs. Aftef
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. But there's a sight
of fellers like Bosomer in the river
country. They'll all want your game.
| An every town you ride into will scare
up some cowpuncher full of booze or a
long haired four flush gunman or a 4
| sheriff-an' these men will be playin'
| to the crowd an yellin' for your blood.
Thet's the Texas of 1t. You'll have to
hide fer ever in the brakes or you'll
| have to kill such men. Buck, reckon
this amt cheerful news to decent
| chap like you. I'm only tellin' you be-
cause I've taken hkin' to you, an
seen right Off tibet you amt border
| wise. Let's eat now, an afterward
Wen go out so the gang can see you're
not hidin'."
When Duane went out with Euchre
the sun was setting behind a blue
range Of mountains across the river in
| Mexico. The valley appeared to open
to the southwest. 1t was q TRANQUIL,
| beautiful scene. Somewhere in O. house
near at hand a woman aWas singing.
| And in the road DuaneWsaw a little
Mexican boy driving home some cows
one Of which wore a bell. The sweet
happy voice Of q woman and a whist
ling barefoot boy-these seemed utterly
out 20 place here.
Euchre presently led to the square
and the row Of rough houses Duane
remembered. He almost stepped on q
wide imprint in the dust where Bosomer
had confronted him. And a sudden
fury beset him that he should be af-
fected by the sight Of 1t.
Let's have a look in here" said
| Euchre.
Duane had to bend his head to enter
the door He found himself in a very
large room inclosed. by adobe walls and
/ rooted with brush. 1t was full Of rude
benches, tables, seats. At one corner
a number of kegs and barrels lay side
| by side in a rack. A Mexican boy was