The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-02-24
CHAPTER vi.
Maintaining a Reputation.

Maintaining Reputation.
The abduction Of Sassoon, which sig.
nalized De Spain's entry into the stage
line management, created Il sensation
akin to the exploding of Il bomb under
the range. The whole mountain coun.
try, which concentrates, sensibly, on
but one topic ut time, talked for
week of nothing else.
Experienced men in the high country
men Of that class who, wherever
found are old in the ways of the world,
and not promptly moved by new or
youthful Observation-Disclosures the in
| cident after hearing the details, with
the comment or the conclusion that
there would hardly be for De Spain
more than one additional chapter to
the story. and that this would be Il
short one. The most active MurganS-
Gale, Duke and the eaSy-going Saltcr-
ler--Wrrp indeed wrought to the keen
est pitch of revrngcf,il anger. 1t WAS
an overwhelming inSol"nt Invasion
and worst of all, a successful INVASION
by one who had nothing but cool inlpu-
dence, not even Il budding reputation
to Justify his assault on the lifelong
prestige of the gap clan.
| DE Spain himself, somewhat sur
priSed at the storm he had kicked up.
needed tie counsel of Scott, and while
the acute stage of the resentment
ragged along the trail he ran down for
Il few days to Medicine Bend to buy
horses. Both Gale aud Duke Morgan
proclaimed, in certain public places in
Sleepy Cat, their intention of shooting
De Spain on sight and as Il climax to
all the excitement of the week follow
ing his capture, the slippery Snssoun
broke Jail and, after Il brief interval,
appeared at large in Calnbasas.
This feat of the Morgan satellite
made a loud laugh ut DE Spain's OK
pense. 1t mitigatcd somewhat the hu-
initiation of SnSsOon's friends, but it
In no wise diminished their expressed
resolve to punish De Spain's invasion.
Lefever, who as the mixer among the
stage men, kept close to the drift of
public sentiment, decided after De
SPANS return to Sleepy Cat that the
stage-line authorities had gained moth
ing by SassoOn's capture.
1--WE ought to have thought of it be-
fore, Henry" he said frankly one night
In Jeffries' office, "but we didn't think"
Meaning just what, John?" de-
manded De Spain without real inter-
est.
Meaning, that in this country you
can't begin on play like pulling Sas-
soon out from under his friends noses
without keeping up the pace-without
a second and third act. You dragged
SasSoon by his hair out Of the gap
good. You surprised everybody; good.
But you can't very well stop at that,
Henry. Such feat by itself doesn't
insure a permanent reputation, Henry.
1t is, so to say, merely demand rcpu-
tatiOn-One that men reserve the right
to recall at any moment. And the
worst of it is, if they ever do recall 1t,
you are worse off than when before
they extended the brittle bauble tn
} you"
"Jingo. JohnI For a stage black
smith you are some spielcr." De Spain
added an impatient. not to say CON
tumclOus, exclamation concerning the
substance of Lcfrvrr's talk. II didn't
ask them for reputation. This man
intcrfcrcd with my guard-in fact,
tried to cut his throat, didn't hc?
"Would have done it if Frank had
been an honest man"
"That is all there is to it, isn't it?"
Leftover tapped the second finger OF
one fat hand gently on the table
"Practicaly; practically all, Henry
yes. You don't quite understand, but
you have the right idea"
"Wllat do you want me to do-bacl
horse and shoot two guns at once
up and down Main street, cowboy
stylc?"
: Leftover kept his patience without
difficulty. "No, no. You'll under
stand.'
"Scott advised me to run down tt
Medicine Bend for few days to lie
the Morgans cool off,"
"Right. That was the first step. Thu
few days are thing Of the past.
,, suppose you know" continued Lefever
in as well-modulated a tone as h
could assume to convey information
that could not be regarded as who'll!
/! cheerful, shat they expect to get vol
for this SassOOn job"
De Spain flushed. But the red ange
lasted only moment. "Who ar
'they'?' he asked after a pause.
deaf Sandusky, Logan, Of course
the Calabasas bunch, and the Nor
Rana".. = s.zss