The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-08-17
BOOK 1.-THE RANGER.
CHAPTER XIV.

north Wnef6 the LlanO EStaCaQO spread
its shifting sands, fertile in the south
along the Rio Grande. A railroad
marked an undertaking curse across 500
miles of this country, and the only viii
lagos n towns lay On or near this line
of steel. Unsettled as was this western
Texas, n despite the acknowledged
dominance of the outlaw bands, the
pioneers pushed steadily into it. First
had come the lone rancher; then his
neighbors in near and far valleys; then
the hamlets; at last h railroad and
the towns. And still the pioneers came,
spreading deeper into the valleys, far
Their and wider over the plains. 1t was
mesquite dotted, cactus-covere desert,
but rich soil upon which water acted
like magic. There was little grass to
an acre, but there were millions Of
acres. The climate was wonderful.
Cattle flourished and ranchers pros
pered.
Tho Rio Grande flowed almost due
south along the western boundary for
1000 miles, and then, weary OF it's
course, turned abruptly north, to make
what was called the Big Bend. The rail-
road, running west, cut across this
bend, and all that country bounded on
the north by the railroad and on the
south by the river was as wild as the
Staked Plains. 1t contained not one set
Element. Across the face Of this Big
Bend, as if to isolate it, stretched the
Ord mountain range, Of which Mount
ord, Cathedral mount, and Elephant
mount raised bleak peaks above their
fellows. 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 a
world in itself-a world where the rich
nc nf tho ~ nnhnr xrAn Axxa, an.sAIi,,a
the outlaw. The village closest to the
gateway of this outlaw infested region
was a little place called Ord, named
after the dark peak that doomed some
miles to the south. 1t had been settled
originally by MeXicans-thcre were still
the ruins Of adobe missions-but with
the advent of the rustler and outlaw
many inhabitants were shot or driven
away, 80 that at the height of Ord's
prosperity md evil sway there werc
but few MeXicans living there, and
these had their choice between holding
hand glove with the outlaws or
furnishing target practice for that wild
element.
Toward the close Of a day in Septem-
Der a strange r rode into Ord, and in a
community where all men were re-
markable for n reason or another he
excited interest. His horse, perhaps, re-
ceived the first and most engaging at
tention-horses m hat region being ap-
parently more important than men.
This particular horse did not attract
with beauty. At first glance ne seemed
ugly. But he was a giant, black as coal,
rough despite the care manifestly be-
slowed upon him, long of body, pond
erouS Of limb, huge in every way. A
bystander remarked that he had a
grand head. True, if only his head had
been e he would have been a beauti-
full horse. Like men, horses show what
they are in the shape, the size, the line,
the character of the head. This one de-
noted fire, speed, blood, loyalty, and his
eyes were as soft and dark as a wo-
mans. His face was solid black, except
in the middle of his forehead, there was
a round spot of white.
Say mister, mind tellin' me his
manner" asked a ragged urchin, with
born love Of a horse in his eyes.
Bullet" replied the rider.
tibet there's for the white mark,
amt it?" whispered the youngster to
another. Say, amt he a whopper?
Biggest boss / ever seem"
Bullet carried a huge black silver-or-
namented saddle of Mexican make, a
lariat and canteen, and a small pack
rolled n a tarpaulin.
This rider apparently put all are of
appearances upon his horse. His ap-
parel was the ordinary jeans Of the
cowboy without vanity, and ii was torn
and travel-stained. His boots showed
evidence of an intimate acquaintance
with cactus. Like his horse, this man
was a giant in stature, but rangier, not
so heavily built. Otherwise the only
striking thing about him was his SOM
Der face with its piercing eyes, the hair
white over the temples. He packed two
guns, both low down-but that was too
common a thing to attract notice in the
Big Bend. A close observer, however,
would have noticed a singular fact
his riders right hand vas more bron-
zed, more weather beaten than his left.
hand!
He had dismounted before q ram
shackle structure that bore upon it's
wide, high-boarded front the sign,
Hotel" There were horsemen coming
and going down the wide street be-
tween its rows Of old stores, saloons,
and houses. Ord certainly did not look
enterprising. Americans had m~anifestly
assimilated much Of the leisure OF the
Mexicans. The hotel had a wide plat
form in front, and this did duty as
a porch and sidewalk. Upon 1t and lean
ing against a hitching rail, were men of
varying ages, most of them slovenly in
old jeans and slouched sombreros. 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.
1t was a crowd seemingly too lazy to
be curious. Good nature did lot appear
to be wanting, but 1t was not the frank
and boisterous kind natural to the cow
boy or rancher in town for a day. These
men were idlers; what else, perhaps,
was easy to conjecture. Certainly to
his arriving stranger, who flashed a
keen eye over them, they wore an at
mosphere w associated with work.
Presently a tall man, with a dropping,
sandy mustache, leisurely. detached
himself from h crowd. ...,
"Howdy, stranger" he said.
The stranger had bent over to loosen
the cinches; he Strengthened up and
nodded. Then. Pm thirstyi"
That brought a broad smile to faces.
1t was characteristic greeting. One and
all trooped after the stranger into the
hotel. 1t was a dark, ill-smelling barn
of a place, with a bar as high as a short
mans head. A bartender with a SCARED
face was serving drinks.
Line UP, gents" said the stranger.
They piled over n another to get
to the bar, with coarse jests and oaths
and laughter. None of them noted that
tho stranger did mo- appaar an thirsty