The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1916-12-07
CHAPTER XIV.

AFlSF En- Nv
West OF the Pecos River Texns ex
tended vast Wild region, barren II
the north where the Llano EstacadC
spread It's shifting sands, fertile In IN,
south along the Rio Grande A rail
across five hundred miles Of this
country and the only villages and
towns lay on or near this line Of steel
| Unsettled as was this western Texas
and despite the acknowledged doml'
nance Of the outlaw bands, the
pioneers pushed steadily Into IT,
The Rio Grnnde flowed almost due
| south along the western boundary for
Il thousand miles, and then, weary of
Its course, turned abruptly north 10
make what was called the Big Bend,
| The railroad, running west, cut across
this bend. and all that country bound
| ed on the north by the railroad and
on the south by the river was as wild
ms the Staked Plains. Across the face
or this Big Bend, as II TO isolate It.,
| stretched the Ord mountain range. In
| the valleys Of the foothills and out
across the plains were ranches, and
farther north, villages and the towns
Of Alpine and Maria,
Like other parts of the great Lone
Star State, this section Of Texas was
world In ltself-a world where the
riches OF the runchcr We're ever en-
riching the outlaw. The village closest
to the gateway Of this outlaw-inGested
region was u little place called ord,
nUmod after the dark peak that doomed
some miles to the south.
Toward the close Of n day In Sep
TENDER u stranger rode into Ord, and
In community where all men were
remarkable for one reason or another
hups, received the first and most en-
gugng attention horses In that region
being apparently more important than
men, This particular horse at first
glance seemed ugly But he was a
giant black as cont huge In every
way, A bystonder remarked that he
had grand head His face was solid
black. except In the middle Of his fore
head where there was round spot
OF white
The rider. like his horse. was a giant
in stature, but rnngler not SO heavily
built. Otherwise the only striking
thing about him was his somber face
With It's piercing eyes, and hair white
over the temples, He packed two
guns. both low down-but that was
too common thing to attract notice
Ia the Big Bend. \ close observer,
however, would have noted singular
fuct--thIs riders right hand was
more bronzed more weHther-beuten
than his left, He never wore a glove
on that right hand!
tie had dismOuutUd before ram
shucl,le structure that bore upon its
Wide high-bourdcd front the sign.
Hotel" The hotel had wide plat
form In front, and this did duty as
porch and sidewalk. Upon It., and
leaning against hltchiug,rull, were
men Of varying ages, most OF them
stovcnly In Old jeans and Slouched
Sombrcrns. Some were booted. belted,
and spurred. No man there wore a
coat, but all wore vests. The guns
In that group would have outnumbered
the men.
It was crowd seemingly too lazy
20 be- curious, These men were idlers
what else, perhaps was easy to con
lecture. Certainly to this arriving
d. yr,,,.-.- nh, n.gh,1 Il, ty,ar, .,,s, .,ynr
them. they wore an atmosphere never |
associated with work.
Presently a tall man. with n droop- |
ing, sandy mustuche, lelsurely detUch- !
ed himself from the crowd.
"IIowdy stranger" he said.
The stranger had bent over to |
loosen the CiucheS he Strengthened up /
and nodded. Thcu: I'm thirsty -
That brou yht broad smile TO faces. /
Il WAS characteristic greeting. one /
and an truuped after the stranger into /
the hotel Il was Il dark, ill.Smelling !
barn of % place with bar as high as |
a short mans head A bartender with /
% SCARED face was serving drinks.
"Liuc up. gents" said the stranger. /
They piled over one cnother to get |
20 the bar. with coarse jeSts and oaths /
and laughter. None Of them noted |
that the stranger did not appear so
thirsty as he claimed to be. In fact, |
though he went through the motions,
he did not drink at all.
MY names Jim Fletcher" said the
tall man with the dropping, sandy
lie spoke taconically, never
thelesS there was a tone that
showed he expected to be known.