The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-06-22
CHAPTER V.-(Continued)

Saunt man Win u IdCe SlTlhlnBiy While
| beside the red and bronze and dark
skins of the men around him. 1t was
a cadaverous face. The black mus
tache hung down; a heavy lock OF black
hair cropped down over the brow; deep
set, hollow, staring eyes looked out
piercingly. The man had restless,
alert, nervous manner. He put his
hands on the board that served as a
bar and stared at Duane. But when
he met Duane's glance he turned hur-
riedly to go on serving out liquor.
What have you got against him .
inquired Duane, as he sat down beside
Euchre. He asked more for some
thing to say than from real interest.
What did he care about mean, haunt
ed, craven faced criminal?
wal, mebbe I'm cross grained" re-
piled Euchre, apologetically. shore an
outlaw an rustler such as me can't be
touchy. But l never stole nothin' but
cattle from some rancher who never
missed 'em anyway. Thet sneak Ben
son-he was the means of putin a
little girl in BANDS way"
"Girl?" queried Duane, now with real
attention.
Shore. BANDS great on women. I'll
tell you about this girl when we get
out Of here. Some of the gang are
goin' to be sociable, an can't talk
about the chief"
During the ensuing half hour a num-
Der OF outlaws passed by Duane and
Euchre, halted for a greeting or sat
down for q moment. They were all
gruff, loud voiced, merry, and good ma
tured. Duane replied civilly and agree
ably when he was personally addressed,
but he refused all invitations to drink
and gamble. Evidently he had been
accepted, in way, as one OF their clan.
No one made any hint OF an allusion
to his affair with Bosomer. Duane saw
readily that Euchre was well liked. One
outlaw borrowed money from him; an
other asked for tobacco.
BY the time 1t was dark the big room
was full Of outlaws and Mexicans, most
of whom were engaged at monte. These
gamblers. especially the Mexicans. were
intense and quiet. The noise In the
place came from the drinkers, the
loungers. Duane had seen gambling
resorts-some OF the famous ones In
San Antonio and FL Paso, a few in
border towns where license went un-
checked. But this place Of JaclSrabbit
Benson's impressed him as one where
guns and knives were accessories to
the game. To his perhaps rather dis
tinguishing eye the most prominent
thing about the gamesters appeared to
be their weapons. On several or the
tables were piles of silver-Mexican
pesos-as large and high as the crown
of his hat. There were also piles Of
gold and silver in United States coin.
Duane needed no experienced eyes to
see that betting was heavy and that
heavy sums exchanged hands. The
Mexicans showed a sterner obsession,
an intenser passion. Some OF the
Americans staked freely, nonchalant-
ly as befitted men to whom money
was nothing. These latter were mani
testify winning, for there were brother
ing, sullen, greedy eyes. Boisterous
talk end laughter among the drinking
men drowned, except at intervals, the
low, brief talk Of the gamblers. The
clink of coin sounded necessarily;
sometimes just low, steady musical
rings; and again, when pile was tum-
bled quickly, there was silvery crash.
Here an outlaw pounded on table
with the butt Of his gun; there another
noisily palmed roll Of dollars while
he studied his opponents face. The
noises, however, in Benson's den did
not contribute to any extent to the sin
lister aspect of the place. That seemed
to come from the grim and reckless
faces, from the bent, intent heads, from
the dark lights and shades. There were
bright lights, but these served only to
make the shadows. And in the shad-
ows lurked unrestrained lust Of gain, a
spirit ruthless and reckless. q some
thing at once suggesting lawlessness,
theft, murder, and hell.
BANDS not here tonight" Euchre
was saying. "He left today on one Of
his tips, talkin' Alloway an some 9TH
ers. But his other man, Rugg, he's
here. See him standin' with them three
fellers, all close to Benson. Riggs the
little bow legged man with the half Of
his face shot off. He's one eyed-but
he can shore see out Of the one he's
got. An, darn me! there's Hardin. You
know him? He's got an outlaw gang
next to Benson. See how quiet an I'M
assumin' he looks. Yes, thet's Hardin.
He comes here once in a while to see
Bland. They're friends, which's shore
strange. Do you see thet greaser there
the one with gold an lace on his SOM
brero? Thet's Manuel, Mexican ban
dit. He's a great gambler. Comes here
often to drop his coin. Next to him Is
Bill Marr-the Teller with the bandanna
round his head. Bill rode in the 9TH
er day with some fresh bullet holes.
He's been shot more'n any Teller / ever
heard of. He's full of lead. Funny,
because Bills no trouble hunter, an, ,
like me, he'd rather run than shoot.
But he's the best rustler BANDS got
a grand rider, an a wonder with cattle.
An see the tow headed youngster.
Thet's Kid Fuller, the kid Of BANDS
gang. Fuller has hit the pace hard, an
he won't last the year out on the bor-
der. He killed his sweethearts father,
got run out Of Staceytown, took to
stealin' bosses. An next he's here with
Bland. Another boy gone wrong, an
now shore q hard nut"
Euchre went on calling Duane's at
tention to other men, just as he hap
pened to glance over them. Any one
Of them would have been marked
man in a respectable crowd. Here each
took his place with more or less dis
tinction, according to the record OF his
past wild prowess and his present pas
sibilities. Duane, realizing that he was
tolerated there, received in careless
friendly spirit by this terrible class OF
outcasts, experieI ced a feeling Of re-
vulsion that amounted almost to hor-
ror. Was his being there not an ugly
dream? What had he in common with
such ruffians? Then In a fash Of mem
| DRY cameAthe painful proof-he was q
criminal in sight OF Texas law, he, too
was an outcast. g fH 1
For the moment Duane was wrapped
up in painful reflections; but Euchre's
heavy hand, ciapping with warning
hold on his arm, brought him back tc
outside things = .-..
The hum of voices, the clink of coin
the loud laughter had ceased. There
was a silence that manifestly had fol-
II