Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1920-04-09
By
Robert ]. G. Stead
Author OF
Kitchener and
Other Poems"
illustrations by
IRWIN MYERS

Inat MS money was gone. linen, re-
CARELESS of those about, he rushed
through the crowd, flinging bystand-
ers right and left, and plunged into
the night.
He walked down street until 1t
lost itself on the prairie then he fol-
lowed a prairie trail far into the cOun-
try. The air was cold and few drops
Of rain were falling in it, but he was
unconscious of the weather. He was
in a rage through and through. Stop
gone--gone. Everything was gone /;
only his revolver and few cents re-
manned. 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
back-and get it.
Then he laughed. Hollow and
empty it sounded in the night air. but
it was laugh, and it 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 a 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 it never occurred to him that
friendly stranger who had showed him
how to play it 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 next morning he was awake
and astir. The recollection of his loss
sent sudden pang through his morn
ing spirits, but he tried to close his
mind to it.
mo use worryin' over that" he said,
jingling the few coins that now rep
resented his wealth. "That's over and
gone. l traded sixty dollars for my
first lesson. Maybe it was bad trade,
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
vited friendship and even confidence,
and yet beneath these emotions Dave
felt sense of distrust. as though part
of his nature rebelled against the &C.
quaintanceship.
THAT was the rottenest luck you
had last night" the stranger was say
ing. II never saw the beat of it. 1
was hopln' you'd stay and raise him
next time; you might have got your
money back that way"
"Oh, l don't mind the W" said
Dave, cheerfully. II don't want it
back. In fact, figure it was pretty
well spent"
Lots more where it came from,
eh?" laughed the other. "You're from
the ranches, l see, and I suppose the
price of a steer or two doesn't worry
you hairs WORTH"
"From is right" Dave replied. "Tm
from them, an amt goin' back. AS
for honeywell, l 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. 81 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 job do you want?"
Coward asked at length.
"Any kind that pays a wage" said
Dave.
II know the fellow that runs an
employment agency down here" Con
ward answered. Lets go down. Per
haps l 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. "Yos can
handle horses, l suppose?'
II guess | can" said Dave, some"
Il can place you delivering coal.
Thirty dollars month, and you board
with the boss"
'Fll take it," said Dave.
The boss proved to be one Thomas
Metford. He owned half dozen
teams and WAS engaged in the carriage
business, specializing on coal. He was
man of big frame. big head, and a
vocabulary appropriate to the pur-
poses to which he applied ii. Among
his other possessions were a wife. M
merous children and house and barn
in which he boarded his beasts Of bur.
den, including in the term his horses
his men and his wife, in the order of
their valuation. The children were
by-product valueless until such time
as they also would be able TO work