Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-09-07

Nope"
IF they had the n~erve?"
Not tibet so much
What then? What d make them
fight?"
"Howdy thar, jim" doomed a big
voice.
a man of great bulk, with a rudy,
merry face. entered the room.
Hello, Norton" replied Laramie.
"Id introduce you to my guest here,
but L don't know his name"
Flaw! Haw! Thet's all right. Few
men out hyar go by their right Names
say, Morton" put in Duane, Lara
ME gave me a hunch you'd be a good
man to tie to. Now, I've a little money
and before L lose it I'd like to invest
it in stock"
Morton smiled broadly.
I'm on the square" Duane said,
bluntly. IF you fellows never size
up your neighbors any better than you
have sized NEWELL, you won't get any
richer"
1t was enjoyment for Duane to make
his remarks to these men pregnant with
meaning. Morton showed his pleasure,
his interest, but his faith held aloof. =
I've got some money. Win you let
me IN on some Kind of deal? Will YOU
start me up as a stockman with a litue
herd all my own"
"ai, stranger, to come out flat
footed, you'd be foolish to buy cattle
now. l don't want to take your money
an see YOU lose out. tier go back
across the Pecos where the rustlers
amt so strong. I haven't had more'n
400 nerd of stock for 10 years. The
rustlers let me hang on to a breedin'
herd. KIM of them, amt it?"
Sort of kind. All 1 hear is rustlers,
Morton" replied Duane, with impa-
/ tlellcp. lyon SEQ havep't aNa- li,,al
long in a .rustler run county. Who
heads the gang, anyWay?"
Morton looked at Duane with a
~curlously amused smile, then snapped
his big jaw as if to shut in impulsive
words.
Look here. Morton. 1t stands to
reason, no matter how strong these
rustlers are, how hidden their work,
however involved with supposedly hon
est men-they can't last"
"ihey come with the pioneers, an
they'll last till tilar's a single steer
left" he declared.
well, If you take that view of cir
cumstances 1 just figure you as one
of the rustlerS!"
Morton looked as if he were about
to brain Duane With the butt of his
whip. His anger flashed by then. evil
dently as unworthy of him; and, some
lhlhs stflking him as funny, he doomed
out a laugh.
ITS not so funny" Duane went on.
IF you're going to pretend a yellow
streak, else will I Think"
"~Pretend?" he repeated.
Sure. l know men of nerve. And
here they're not any different from
these in other places. say if you show
anything like, a lack of sand it's ali
bluff. BY nature you've got nerve.
There are a lot of men around Fairdale
who're afraid of their shadows-afraid
TO be out after dark-afraid to open
their mouths. But you're not one. So
l say II you claim these rustlers will
last you're pretending lack of nerve
Just 20 help the popular idea along.
For they can't last. What YOU need
out here is some new blood. Sayvy
what l mean?'
Wal, | reckon 1 do" he replied, look
ing as if a storm had blown over him.
Stranger, III look o up the next
time | come to town."
Then he went out.
Laramie had eyes like flint striking
fire.
lie breathed a deep breath and
looked around the room before his gaze
fixed again on Duane.
Wal" he replied, speaking low.
Iou. picked the right men. Now,
who in the hell are you?"
Reaching into the inside pocket of
his buckskin vest, Duane turned the
inning out. A star shaped bright silver
OBJECT flashed as he showed it, pocket
ana all, under Jim's lard eyes.
.t~anger!" he whispered, cracking the
true to me-"
Laramie, do you know who's boss of
this secret gang Of rustlers here
%abouts?" asked Duane, bluntly. 1t was
characteristic of him to come sharr
TO the point. His voice-somethins
deep, easy, cool about him-seemed to
steady Laramie.
NO" replied Laramie.
Does anybody know" went on
Duane. 90
Wal, l reckon there's not one honest
native who Knows
"But you have your suspicions?,
I'VE have"
Give me you idea about this crowd
that hangs round the saloons-the reg
:. ularS."
Jest a bad lot" replied Laramie
with the quick assurance of kl.owl-
cage. Most of them have been here
years. Others have drifted in. Some
of them work, odd times. They rustic
! a few steers, steal, rob, anythin' for 3
little money to drink an gamble Jest
l a bad lott" 49,
Have YOU any idea whether Chesel-
dine and his gang are associated wit
this gang here?"
LORD knows. I've always suspected
them the same gang. None of us eve,
seen Cheseldine-an' thet's strange
! when Knell, Poggin, Panhandle Smith
Blossom Kane and Fletcher, thew al
; ride here often. No, Poggin doesn'1
come often. But the others do. Fo,
tibet matter, they're around all oyel
west of the Pecos.'
Now Pm puzzled over this sai6
> Duane. Why do men-apparentl,
, honest men-seem to be SO Close
l mouthed here? Is that a fact, or onl,
my impression?" '
I IT'S q sure fact" replied Laramie
? darkly. Men nave lost cattle an
{ property in Fairdale-lost them hon
estly or otherwise, as hasn't beer
proved. An in some cases when the,
talked-hinted a little-they was founC
; dead. Apparently held up an robbed
, But lead. Dead men don't talk. THEFT
) why we're close mouthed."
!, Duane felt a dark, somber sternness
Rustl1ng cattle was not intolerable
western Texas had gone on prospering
!, growing in spite of the hordes o,
3 rustlers ranging its vast stretches: bu,
a cold, secret, murderous hold on 5
? little struggling community was some.
. thing too strange, too terrible for me1
, to stand long.
- r. Tho m N c-,A,. r,oc I, l.a.4