The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1916-12-07
whats that?" asked Duane.

Plenty or good juicy Deer 10 ent.
An IL doesn't cost a short bit"
"But 1t costs hard rides and trouble,
bad conscience, and life, too, doesn't
it?"
II amt shore about the bad con-
science. Mine never bothered me none.
An as for life, why, thets cheap in
Texas"
"Who ls Bland7" asked Duane,
quickly changing the subject. "What
do you know about himT"
ave don't know who he Is OF where
he halls from" replied Euchre. "Thet's
always been somethin' TO interest the
gang. He must have been young
man when he struck Texas. Now he's
middle-aged. I 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
q lot. He can doctor you. an he's
shore knowin' feller with tools.
He's the kind thet rules men. outlaws
are always ridln' in here to Join his
gang, an If 1t hadn't been fer the
buhhbhh uh kullIlug ht hbNN a
thousand men around him."
"How many In his gang now?'
81 reckon there's short of 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 / heard once somewhere
that Bland was a devil"
''Thet's It. He is q devil. He's as
hard as flint, violent In temper, never
made any friends except his right
hand men. Dave Rugg an Chess Allo-
way. Bland II shoot at a wink. He's
killed a lot of fellers, an some fer
nothin'. The reason thet 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 hundred thousand 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!"
"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
Duanes 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
throwin' of n gun. heard Bland say
| this afternoon-an' he said 1t serious
| like an speculative-thet he'd never
seen your equal. All the fellers who
| seen you meet Bosomer had somethin
to say. An they all shut up when
Bland told who an what your dad
was. Pears to me / once seen your
dad In gun-scrape over at Santone
years ago. Wal, 1 put my oar in to-
day among the fellers, an 1 says
What ails you locoed gents? Did
young Duane bulge an inch when Be
came roarin' ott, blood In his eyei
! Wasn't he cool, an quiet, steady 81
| lips, an weren't his eyes readin' Bo's
mind? An thet lightnin' draw-can't
| yOu-all see thet's family gift?"
Euchre's narrow eyes twinkled, and
he gave the dough he was rolling q
slap with his fiour-whitened hand
Manifestly he had proclaimed himself
u champion and partner of Duane's
with all the pride an old man could
feel In young one whom he admired
"Wal," he resumed, presently
''thet's your introduction to the border
Buck. An your card was high
trump. You'll be let severely alone by
real gun-hghters an men like Bland
Alloway, Rugg. an the bosses of the
other gangs. After all, these real meI
are men, you know, an onless you
cross them they're no more likely tC
interfere with you than you are will
them.
'"The only feller who's goin' TO pu
a close eye on you is Benson. He runs
the store an sells drinks. The ganl
calls him Jackrabblt Benson, becaus,
he's always got his eye peeled an
his ears cooked.
''Bland's not here tonight. lie lef
to-day on one of his trips. takln' 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 h'
can shore see out Of the one he's got
An there's Hardin. You know him
He's got an outlaw gang rs big al
BANDS"
Euchre went on calling Duane's at
tentlon to other men of the band. An,
one OF them would have been a mark
ed man in respectable crowd. Here
each took his place with more or les