The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-04-25
G NAN Of g
MUSIC MOUNTAIN
By frank II. Spedrmdn
Author Of Whispering Smith
vi.
Maintaining a Reputation.

iullLtu LIZ SPUN - tIllIg ~ NV SAhSN-
line management, created Il sensation
akin to the exploding Of a bomb under
the range. The whole mountain coun
try, which concentrates, sensibly, on
but one topic at a time, talked for a
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 II
short one. The most active Morgans-
Gale, Duke and the ~easy-going Satter-
lee-were indeed wrought to the keen
est pitch of %revengeful anger. 1t was
an overwhelming inSolcnt INVASION
and worst OF all, II successful invasion,
by one who had nothing but cool impu-
dence, not even II budding reputation
to Justify his assault on the lifelong
prestige of the gap elan.
De Spain himself, somewhat sur
prised at the storm he had kicked up,
needed the counsel Of Scott, and while
the acute stage of the resentment
ragged along the trail he ran down for
a few days to Medicine Bend to buy
horses. Both Gale and Duke Morgan
proclaimed, in certain public places in
Sleepy Cat, their intention Of shooting
De Spain on sight and as q climax to
all the excitement of the week follow
Ing his capture, the slippery Sassoon
broke Jail and, after Il brief interval,
appeared at large in Calabasas.
This feat of the Morgan satellite
made a loud laugh at De SPANS ex-
pense. 1t mitigated somewhat the hui
initiation of Sassoon'S friends, but ii
In no wise diminished their expressed
resolve to punish De SPANS 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 noth-
ing by S%assoon'S capture.
we ought to have thought of ii be-
fore, Henry" he said frankly one night
In J~effries' 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 Il play like pulling Sass
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 n feat by itself doesn't
insure II permanent reputation, Henry.
1t Is, so to say, merely II demand repu-
tatlon-one that men reserve the right
to recall at any moment. And the
worst of it Is, If they ever do recall it,
you are worse off than when before
they extended the brittle bauble to
YOU"
"Jingo, joint For u stage black
smith you are some spieler." De Spain
added an impatient, not to say con
tumelious, exclamation concerning the
substance of Lefever's talk. ~ didn't
ask them for n reputation. This man
interfered with my guard-in fact,
tried to cut his throat, didn't heT"
"Would have done it if Frank had
been an honest man."
"That is all there is to 1t, isn't it?"
Lefever tapped the second finger of
n fat hand gently OF the table.
practically; practically all. Henry,
yes. You don't quite understand, but
you have the right idea"
"What do you want me to do-back
a horse and shoot two guns at nee
up and down Main street, cowboy
stylcY'
Lefever kept his patience without
difficulty. mo, no. You'll under
stand"
"Scott advised me TO run down to
Medicine Bend for a few days to let
the Morgans cool off,"
"Right. That was the first step. The
few days are Il thing Of the past. l
suppose you know" continued Lefever,
In as well-modulated a tone as he
could assume to convey information
that could not be regarded as wholly
cheerful, that they expect to get you
for this SassOon job"
De Spain flushed. But the red anger
lasted only a moment. 'Who are
'they'T he asked after a pause.
"Deaf Sandusky, Logan, of course,
the Calabasas bunch, and the Nor.
gans."
De Spain regarded his companion
unamiably. "What do they expect I'll
be doing while they are getting meT"
Lefever raised a hand deprecatingly.
"Don't be overconf1dent. Henry that's
your danger. / know you can take
care Of yourself. All I want to do Is
to get the folks here acquainted with
your ability, without taking unneces-
sary chances. You see, people are not
now asking questions Of n another;
they are asking them OF themselves.
Who and what Is this newcOmer-an
~~~aAon< ~ q Uous,iuo arrfval9 A conn