Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-01-10
Author Of Whispering SmitN

enty miles between Sleepy Cat and
Thief river; ii locked in its depletion
to be what it was Z sornber, mystcri'
Gus, sun, wind and alkali-beaten pile,
around which was ruin like those
pretentious deserted structures some
times seen in frontier towns-relics OF
the wide-open days, which stand after
ward, stark and somber, to serve as
bats nests or blind Digs. The inn az
Calabasas looked its part-n haunt OF
rusllcrs, haven Of namcless men, q
refuge Of road-agents.
The very first time De Spain made
IN inspection trip over the stage line
with Lcfever he was conscious of the
sinister air of this lonely building. He
and Lcfevcr had ridden down from the
barn, while their horses were being
changed. to look at the place. De
Spain wanted TO look over everything
connected in any way, however remote
~, with the operation OF his wagons,
and this Joint, Lcfcver had told him,
was where the freightcrs and drivers
were not infrcQuently robbed of their
money. 1t was here that one of their
own men, Bill McCarty, once
scratched mans neck with a
knlfe-which. Bill explained, he just
'happcned" to have in his hand--for
cheating ut cards. Leftover pointed out
the unlucky gamblers grave as he and
Dc Spain rode into the canyon toward
the inn.
Not sign of any sort was displayed
ab6lt the habtation. No man was in
vitcd to enter, no man warned to keep
out. none was anywhere In sight. The
stage men dismounted, threw their
lines, pushed open the front door of
the house and entered room OF per-
haps sixteen by twenty feet. A long.
high bar stretched across the farther
side of the room. The left end, as they
faced the bar, was brought around to
escape a small window opening on II
court or patio to the rear Of the room.
Back of the bar itself, about midway.
a low door In the bare wall gave en-
trance TO a rear room. Aside from
this the room presented nothing but
walls. Two windows flanking the front
door helped to light it, but not n mir
ror, picture, chair, table bottle or
glass was to be seen. De Spain COW
cred every feature of the interior at n
glance. "Quiet around here, john" he
remarked casually.
"This is the quictest place in the
Rocky mountains most Of the time. But
when it is noisy believe me, it is
noisy. Look at the bullet holes in the
walls"
"The old story" remarked De Spain,
inspecting with mildmanncrcd interest
the punctured plasterlng, "they always
shoot high"
He walked over TO the left end of the
bar. noting the hard usage shown by
the ornate mahogany, and spreading
his hands wide open, palms down, on
the face of it, glanced at the low win
dow on his left, opening on the grav-
elcd patio. Ne pcered, in the semi.
darkness, at the battered door behind
the bar.
Henry observed Lefeyer, "if you
are looking for drink, it would only
be fair. as we'll as polite, to call the
Mexican
Dc Spain, turning, looked all
around the room again. You wouldn't
think" he said slowly. "from looking at
the place there was n r>ad-agcnt with
in a thousand miles"
"You wouldn't think, from riding
through the Superstition mountains
there was lion within thousand
miles. I've hunted them for eleven
years, and / never saw one except
when the dogs drove EN- out; but for
eleven years they saw me. II we
haven't been seen coming 10 here by
some of this Calabasas bunch miss
my guess" declared Leftover cheer
fully.
The batten door behind the bar now
began to open slowly and nolselcssly
, Leftover pecred through It. Come in
!, Pedro" he cried reassur'nsly, come
!, In. man. This is no officer, no revenue
, agent looking for your license. Nee
a friend, Pedro" he continued encour
, ugingly, MS the swarthy publican, low
| proved and sullen, emerged very dc
! liberatcly from the inner durkness lnt'
the obscurlty of the barroom, ana ben
. his one good eye searchinsy on ID
Spain. "rhis," Lcfcver's left hand Ia.
{ famliarly on the back Of De Spain
/. shoulder. as our new manager, MI