The Lamar register., 1917-04-04

with Lefever, he was conscious of the
sinister air of this lonely building. He
and Lefever 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
ly, with the operation of his wagons
and this joint, Lefever had told him,
was where the freighters and drivers
were not infrequently robbed of their
money. 1t was here that one of their
own men, Bill McCarty, once
SCRATCHED a mans neck with
knlfe-which. Bill explained, he just
happened" to have in his hand-for
cheating at cards. Lefever pointed out
the unlucky gamblers grave as he and
De Spain rode into the canyon toward
the inn.
Not a sign of any sort was displayed
about the habitation. No man was in
vited 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 a 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
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 fianking the front
door helped to light it, but not a mir
ror, picture, chair, table. bottle or
glass was to be seen. De Spain COW
cred every feature Of the interior at
glance. "Quiet around here. John" be
remarked casually.
''ThIs is the quletest place in the
Rocky mountains most Of the time. But
when it is noisy. believe me, 1t is
noisy. Look at the bullet holes in the
walls"
"The old story" remarked De Spain,
inspecting with mild-mannered interest
the punctured plastering, 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 II, glanced at the low win
dow on his left, opening on the grav-
eled patio. He peered, in the semi
darkness, at the battered door behind
the bar.
Henry" observed Lefever. 'if you
are looking for a drink, 1t would only
be fair, as well as polite. to call the
Mexican"
De Spain, turning. looked all
around the room again. you wouldn't
think" he said slowly. from looking at
the place there was a road-agent with
In a thousand miles"
You wouldn't think, from riding
through the Superstition mountains
there was a lion within a thousand
miles. I've hunted them for eleven
years, and 1 never saw one except
when the dogs drove 'em out; but for
eleven years they saw me. II we
haven't been seen coming In here by
some Of this Calabasas bunch, l miss
my guess" declared Lefever cheer
fully.
The batten door behind the bar now
began to open slowly and noiselessly.
Lefever peered through 1t. Come in,
Pedro" he cried reassuringly, come
in, man. This is no officer. no revenue
agent looking for your license. Meet
a friend, Pedro" he continued encour-
agingly, as the swarthy publican, low
browed and sullen, emerged very de
liberately from the inner darkness into
the obscurity of the barroOm, and bent
his one good eye searchingly on De
Spain. "This," Lefever's left hand lay
fam,liarly on the back of De Spain's
shoulder, sis our new manager, Mr..
Henry de Spain. Henry, shake hands
with Mexico"
This Invitation to shake hands
seemed an empty formality. De Spain
never shook hands with anybody; at
least If he did so, he extended, through
habit long Injured, his left hand, with
an excuse for the soreness of his right.
Pedro did not even bat his remaining
eye at the invitation. The situation, as
Lefever facetiously remarked, re
mained about where II was before he
spoke, when the sound of galloping
horses came through the open door. A
moment later three men walked, SIN
gle file, into the room. De Spain stood
at the left end Of the bar, and Lefever
introduced him to Gale Morgan, to