The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-02-01

he had ridden In from the west, this
northern direction led him into totally
unfamiliar country. While he passed
on however, he exercised such keen
observation that In the future he
would know whatever might be OF
service to him II no CHANGED that
way again.
After a couple Of hours riding he
| entered n town which he soo dis
| covered to be Bradford. It was the
largest town he had visited since
Maria, and he calculated must have
a thousand or fifteen hundred in
habitants, not including Mexicnns.
lie decided this would be a good
place for him to hold up for a while,
being the nearest own to ord, only
forty miles away. SO he hitched his
horse In front OF n store and leisurely
set about studying Bradford.
II was after dark. however,
that Duane verified his suspicious con-
corning Bradford. The town a
awake after dark, and there was one
long row OF saloons. dance-halls,
gambling.rcsorts In full blast. Duans
visited them nil. and was surprised
to see wildness and license equal to-
that Of the old river camp OF BANDS
in Its palmiest days. Here It was
forced upon him that the farther west
one Travelled along the river the
sparser the respectable settlements,
the more numerous the hard charac-
tiers, and In consequence the greater
A. .l.o - , T,nH,.
returned to his clearinghouse with the
conviction that MacNelly's task Of
cleaning up the Big Bend country
was n stupendous one. Yet, he re-
Aected, n company OF intrepid ana
understanding rangers could have
soon cleaned up this Bradford.
The lnnkeeper had one other guest
that night, n ~long.coated and wide-
sombreroed Texan who reminded
Duane Of his grandfather. This man
had penetrating eyes, n courtly man.
ner, and nm unmistaknble leaning to-
ward co~mpanionship md mintjulcps.
The gentleman introduced himself az
Colonel Webb, Of Marta, and took 10
as a matter of course that Duane
made no comment about himself.
Duane, as always, wns n good
listener. Colonel Webb told. among
other things, that he had come u
to the Big Bend to look over the
affairs of a deceased brother who
had been u rnncher and n sheriff OF
one Of the towns, Fairdale by name.
"Found no affairs. no ranch, not
even his grave" said Colonel Webb.
And / tell you, sir, II hell's any
tougher than this Falrdale / don't
want to explate my sins there"
"Falrdale. . . I imagine sheriffs
have II hard row to hoe out here
replied Duane, trying not to appear
curious.
The Colonel swore Justify.
what this frontier needs, sir, 10
about six companies Of Texas Rang
salvation Of Texas"
Governor Stone doesn't entertain
that opinion" said Duane.
Here Colonel Webb exploded. Mani
testify the governor was not his choice
for a chief executive OF the great
state. He talked politics for a while.
and OF the vast territory west Of the
Pecos that seemed never to get u
benefit from Austin. Duane exerteo
himself to be agreeable and interest
Ing; and he saw presently that here
was an opportunity TO make q valu-
able acquaintance. II not n friend.
I'm a stranger In these parts,''
said Duane, finally. "What Is this
outlaw situation you speak Off"
TITS damnable. sir, and unbeliev.
able. Not r~ustling my more, but
just wholesal' herd-stealing. In which
some big cattlemen, supposed to be
honest, are equally guilty with the
outlaws. On this border, you know,
the rustler has always been able to
steal cattle In any numbers. But to
get rid OF big bu~nches-that's the
hard job. TIE gang operating be-
tween here and Valentine evidently
have not this trouble. Nobody knows
where the stolen stock goes. But I'm
not alone In my opinion that most Of
1t goes to several big stockmen. They
ship to San Antonio, Austin, New
Orleans, also to III Paso."
wholesale business, ehi" remarked
Duane. "Who are these-er-big
stock-buyersf"
Colonel Webb seemed a little
startled at the abrupt query. He
bent his penetrating gaze upon Duane
and t~houghtfully stroked his pointed
beard.
Names Of course, I'll not mention.
Opinions are one thing, direct
ton another. This Is not a healthy
country for the informer."
When 1t came to the outlaws them
selves Colonel Webb was disposed to
talk freely. The great name along
the river was Cheseldlne, but Il SEEM
, ed to be a name detached from an
Individual. No person Of veracity
known to Colonel Webb had ever
. seen Cfeseldine. Strange to say of
an outlaw leader, Us there was no one