Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-06-22
CHAPTER V.-(Continued).

SKINS OF the men around MIN. 1t wa.
a ~cadaverous face. The black mus
tache hung down; a heavy lock of black
hair cropped down owe the brow; deep
set, hollow, staring eyes looked out
piercingly. The man had a 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 o 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 a mean, haunt
ed, raven 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 | never stole nothin' but
cattle from some rancher who never
missed EN- anyway. Tibet sneak Ben
son-he was the means of putin a
little girl in BANDS way"
Grip" queried Duane, now with rea
attention.
Shore. BANDS great on women. III
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 a moment. They We're 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 q 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; IN
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 M~exicans. We're
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 Ell Paso, a few in
border own where cense went I'M
checked. But this place of Jackrabbit
Benson's impressed him as one where
guns and knives were accessories to
the game. To his perhaps rather dis
thing about the gamesters appeared to
be their weapons. On several of 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 40 experienced eyes to
see that betting vas heavy and that
heavy sums exchanged hands. SThe
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 We're mani
testify winning, for there were brother
outlaws who Wagered coin with grudg-
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 incessantly;
sometimes just low, steady musical
rings; and again, when a pile was tum-
bled quickly, there was a silvery crash.
Here an outlaw pounded on a table
with he butt of his gun; there another
noisily palnled a roll of dollars while
he studied his opponents face. The
noises, however, in Benson's den did
not contribute to any extent to the sim
lister aspect of the place. That seemed
to come from the grim and reckless
faces, from the bent, intent heads. from
the dark lights n 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. a some-
thing at nee suggesting lawlessness,
theft, murder, n hell.
bldllu 8 uOl IleFe tonight, EuCQro
was saying. He left today on one Of
his tips, takin' 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 n he's
got. An, darn me! there's Hardin. You
know him? He's got ar outlaw gang
as big as BANDS. Hardin is standin'
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 tibet greaser there
the n with gold an lace on his SOM
brero? Thet's Manuel. u 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 dayDwith 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
q 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 h bor-
eACIs liz hl1lSu ulS SWoClAlcdII ldlllCI,
got u out of S~taceytown, too to
stealth 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 yer them. Any one
OF them would have been a marked
nan In a respectable crowd. Here each
took his place with more OF 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, exporter ced a feeling Of re-
vulsion that amounted almost to hor-
ror. Was his being there not an ugly
dream? What had he IL. common with
such ruffians2 Then In sapflash OF mem.
DRY camelthe painful proof-he was 8
criminal in sight OF Texas law; he. too
was an 0utcast.
For the moment Duane was wrapped
mp In painful reflections: but Euchre'.
heavy hand. clapping with q warning
hold on his arm, brought him back t.
outside things.
TheHhum OF voices. the clink Of coin
the loud laughter had ceased. Their
was q silence that ynanifestly had FOL.
lowed some unusual word or actor
tN}Ant fO affll the room. II wa!