The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1916-10-28
"what's thatY'' asked Duane.

"But II costs hard rides and trouble,
bad conscience. and life. too, doesn't
it,"
II ain't shore about the bad con-
science. Mine never bothered me none.
An as for life. why, thet's cheap in
Texas"
"Who Is Blandf" asked Duane,
quickly changing the subject. "What
do you know about him?"
"We don't know who he Is or where
he halls FROM" replied Euchre. "Thet's
always been scmcthin' to interest the
gang. He must have been a young
man when he struck Texas. Now he's
middle-aged. 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
lot He can doctor you. an he's
shore KNOWN Teller with tools.
He's the kind tibet rules men. Outlaws
are always ridin' In here to join his
gang, an II 1t hadn't been fer the
gamblin' an gun-play he'd have q
thousand men around him."
slow many In his gang nowT
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 big
force?" asked Duane. ESPECIALLY
when mis- bands composed Of bad men.
Luke Stevens said he had no use for
Bland. And heard once somewhere
that Bland was 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 Allo-
way. Bland IL shoot at wink. Hes
killed a 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 hundred thousand pesos hid
somewhere. an lots Of gold. But he's
free with money. He CANDLES when
he's not OF 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 q wonder he hasn't been killed.
All these years on the borderr 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 gun. heard Bland shy
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 somethln'
to say. An they all shut up when
Bland told who an what your dad
was. Pears to me I once seen your
dad In a gun-scrape over Mt Santone,
years ago. Wal, put my oar In to
day among the fellers. an says
What ails you locoed gents7 Did
young Duane bulge an inch when 30
came roarln' 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' craw-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 flour-whitened hand
Manifestly he had proclaimed himself
champion and partner Of Duanes
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-fghters an men like Bland
Allowny, 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.
1.-THE only Teller who's goin' to put
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 otheI
man, Rugg, he's here. Riggs the
little bow-legged man with half OF his
face shot of. He's one-eyed. But M
cap shore see out Ct the one he's got
An there's Hardin. You know him
He's. got an outlaw gang as big q.
BANDS"
Euchre went on calling Duane's at
tention to other men Of the band. An!
one of them would have been q mark
ed man in a respectable crowd. Here
each took his place with more or lesl
distinction, according to the record o.
his past wild prowess and his presen
possibilities. Duane, realizing that HI
was tolerated there. received In care
less spirit BY this terrible class 81
| outcasts. experienced a feeling of re