The Red Cloud chief. [volume] (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923, 1919-11-06


gardlcss Of those about, he rushed
through the crowd, finging bystand-
ers right and left, and plunged into
the night.
He walked down street until IL
lost itself on the prairie: then he fol-
lowed "a prairie trail far into the coun-
try. The air was cold and n few drops
Of rain were falling i'm IL, but he was
unconscious of the weather. He was
In rage through and through Stop
eye was now dream. memory,
gone-gone. Everything was gone;
only his revolver and a few cents re-
NAMED. He gripped the revolver
again. With that he was supreme. No
man in all that town Of men schooled
in the ways of the West was more
then his equal while that grip lay
In his palm. At the point of that
muzzle he could demand his money
bGck--and get 1t.
Then he laughed. Hollow ana
empty 1t sounded in the night air, but
II was laugh. and 1t saved his spirit.
"Why. you fool" he chuckled, "you
came to town for to learn somethin',
didn't you? Well, you're learnin'.
Sixty dollars throw. Education
comes high, don't It? But you
shouldn't kick. He didn't coax you
in. an gave you every chance to back
away. You butted In and got stung.
Perhaps you've learned somethin
worth sixty dollars"
In his innocence OF the ways Of the
game 1t never occurred to him that the
friendly stranger who had showed him
how to play II was a friend Of the
sharper, and probably at this moment
they were dividing his sixty dollars
the price OF old Slop-eye-between
them.
Early nextN morning he was awake
and astir. The recollection Of his loss
sent a sudden pang, through his morn
ing spirits, but he tried to close his
mind to 1t.
mo use wOrryin' over that" he said,
jlngling the few coins that now rep
resented his wealth. THAT'S over and
gone. l traded sixty dollars for my
first lesson. Maybe 1t was bad trade,
but anyway l amt goin' to squeal."
He whistled as he finished dressing.
ate his breakfast cheerfully. and set
out In search of employment.
Almost the first person he met was
the stranger who had schOoled him In
the gambling game the night before.
There was something attractive about
his personality; something which In.
vlted friendship and even confidence,
and yet beneath these emotions Dave
felt sense Of distrust, as though part
of his nature rebelled against the ac-
workmanship.
THAT was the rottenest luck you
had last night" the stranger was say
ing. II never saw the beat of 1t. l
was hopin' you'd stay and raise him
next time; you might have got your
money back that way"
"Oh, | don't mind the money" said
Dave, cheerfuly. II don't want 1t
back. In fact, figure 1t was pretty
well spent"
Lots more where II came from.
eh?" laughed the other. you're from
the ranches, | see. and I suppose the
price of steer or two doesn't worry
you hairs worth"
| From Is right" Dave replied. I'm
from them, an amt goin' back. AS
for honeywell, spent my last nickel
! for breakfast, so I've got to line up a
| job before noon"
The stranger extended his hand.
shake" he said. II like you. You're
no squealer, anyway. My name is Con-
ward. Yours?"
Dave told his name and shook
hands. Coward offered his cigarette
box, and the two smoked for few
moments In silence.
what kind of a job do you want?"
Coward asked mt length.
"Any kind that pays Il wage" said
Dave.
81 know the fellow that runs an
employment agency down here" Con-
ward answered. Lets go down. Per
haps | can put you In right"
Coward spoke to the manager of
the employment agency and intro
duced Dave
Nothing very choice on tap today
said the employment man. "You can
handle horses, i supposeT
II guess ! can" said Dave, "some'
81 can place you delivering coal
Thirty dollars month, and you board
with the boss"
"Ill take it," said Dave.
The boss proved to be one Thomas
Metford. He owned half dozeI
; teams apd was engaged in the cartag,
business, specializing on coal. He was
II man of big frame, big head, and {
: vocabulary appropriate Ia the pur
poses to which he applied it. Amonl
his other possessions We're IA wife. nu
merous children and II house and barn
in which he boarded his beasts OF bur
den, including I'm the term his horses
e his men and his wife, in the order o
;. their valuation. The children were
g by-product. valueless until such tim
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