The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1917-03-08

~
they're kind to poor folks, too" sure
grIu,nced the obduratc one, with otaei
peoples money" y
DE Spain, dbscontcntci. farming
again into Main street, continued on 10
the Thief River sage barn. After look
Ing the horses over and inspecting the
wagons with new but mild curiosity
awakened by Jcffries' proposal, DO
Spain walked back toward the station
lie had virtually decided not TO take
the job. Medicine Bend was his home.
He knew every nun, woman ana chiiu
In the town. Before the tragic death
of his father his mother had lived
there. and DE Spain had grown up In
the town and gone to school there. lie
was n rhlroad man. nnyway--a modest
trainmaster-nnd not eager for stage
line management.
As he passed Grant street again he
encountered party on horseback
heading for the river bridge. Three
Of Nhe men were riding abreast ana
little ahead. or these. the middle
horseman was n spnre man OF frankly
dlsreputable air. His face was drawn
up into one-slded smile. Satt Nor
gan's smile was habitual and lessened
his stern aspect. At his right rode his
cousin, Duke Morgan, older. shorter
and stoLter. His square, heavy -jnwed.
smooth-shaven face was lighted by
hard, keen eyes, and finished by an un-
compromising chin. Duke was the real
head Of the clan. Of which there were
numerous branches In the Superstition
mountains, all looking with friendli-
ness or enmlty to the Morgans Of Nor
gan's gap.
The yellow-haired man riding on the
left, with red face and red-lidded,
squirting eyes. showed none Of the
blood of his companions. But David
Sassoon, The Calabasas gambler. quOn-
dam cowboy, and chronic brawler,
stood In some way close to the differ
ent Morgnns. and was reputed to have
got each Of them. mt different times.
out OF more than one troublesome af-
fair, either by sheer force Of arms, or
through his resourceful cunning.
These men were followed by young
er man riding with n very young wOm-
an. DE Spain knew none of the front.
rank men, but he knew well Nan Nor
gan and her dancing partner. Gales
face lighted as he set eyes on De Spain.
and he spoke quickly to Nan: 'There's
your handsome Medicine Bend gun.
mani"
Nan, glancing toward De Spain,
seemed aware that he heard She
looked away. DE Spain tighHned up
with rage. The blood rushed to his
face, the sarcasm struck In. II the
blrthmark could have deepened with
humiliation 1t would have done so at
the instant Of the cold inspection of
the girls pretty eyes. Gale, calling
ahead to the others, invited their at
tentton to the ma on the street cor
ner. De Spain only stood still, re-
turning their inspection as irsolently
as silence could. Each face was faith.
fully photographed and filed In his
memory. and his steady gaze followed
them until they rode down the hill and
clattered jauntily out on the swaying
suspension bridge that still crosses the
Rat river at Grant street, and con-
meets the whole south countryside
Spanish sinks, the Thief River gold
fields, the saw-toothed Superstition
range, Morgan's gap, and Music noun
tain with Sleepy Cat and the railroad
De Spain, walking down Grant
street. watched the party disappear
among the hills across the river. The
encounter had stirred him. He already
hated the Morgans, at least all except
the blue-eyed girl. and she, It was not
difficult to divine from her expression,
was, at least, disdainful of her morn.
Ing rivnl.
Reaching the station platform while
still busy with his thoughts, De Spain
encountered Jeffries and Lefever.
"Jeffries, I'll take that Thief River
stnge Job" announced De Spain bluntly.
"What's the reason that fellow
changed his mlnd?' demanded Jeffrles,
when Lefever Joined him later In his
office.
"Don't ask me-" frowned Lefever
perplexed. "DOnt ask me. Henry Is
odd in some ways. You can't tell
what's going on inside that fellows
head by looking at the outside of It."
Jeffries grunted coIdly mt this bit Of
wisdom. "Tll tell you what l should
think--if I had to think: Henry de
Spain has never found out rightly who
was responsible for the death of his
father. lie expects to do 1t. some
time; and long ngo some of these same
Morgans lived on the Peace river above
his fathers ranch"