Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1928-05-24
THE STORY

CHAPTER lat Sleepy Cat Doctor
Carpy tells Wentworth, frsighttng boss.
bling den, in which John Selwood,
gambler, in defense of his wounded
partner, Dave Tracy, shows remarkable
skill and nerve.
Continued from last weekly
"What's that, Mrs. McCrackenf" he
demanded, suddenly cycling the
woman, and throwing more emphasis
into the words as he repeated the
sharp question purely for effect
Whats that you say? Moses was
gambling? Why, no! I couldn't say
the boy was gambling when he lost
that money. If it's gambling, two men
have got to have a chance don't you
know that, Mrs. McCracken?" Nc
Alpin spoke fast, because Mrs Nc
Cracker herself had hardly checked
her own sorrowful tale In the inter-
val; she was, in fact, though weighing
under ninety pounds, the first woman
he had ever met that could talk faster
than he could. '"That boy didn't have
a chance" insisted McAlpin, ''he was
just plain robbed-that's what I call
1t, robbed. Was the six hundred all
the money you had, Mrs. McCrackenr
Every cent in the world" wept the
woman, land Moses knew better than
to go near a gambling house."
AS distributing point for q wide
spread mountain territory, Sleepy Cat
even at this time boosted trading and
supply houses out Of all proportion In
size and Importance to its population,
and these stores, with frontier disre-
gard of fire hazard, were housed
mostly in one long block. In that
block could be found the widely
known establishment Of John Cole
the tall, spare brother Of the town
blacksmith; the long, rambling store
Of Alexis Roubidoux, the French trad
er, with nearly all the business Of the
Gunlock and the Falling Wall reser.
vations-Roubidoux with the squaw
wife. the brown toupee, the gray
glass eye, and the dyed mustache and
goatee.
In this row, too. were the Kick
busch brothers, Chris and Otto-big
men with bristling mustaches and
perspiring foreheads. always hustling,
always sweating - who controlled
most Of the supply business from the
mining camps at Horse Head and
Thief River, north and south. Last
of all in that block was the man
whom nobody knew, not even his own
clerks, Van Tambel, the silent Dutch
trader, tall as a Pomeranian, ungain-
ly as a Hollander-the man who
heard all and said nothing. He had
the Mormon trade.
A riot Of celebration had been
loosed on the great day to greet the
advance guard Of the coming railroad.
The pioneers and adventurers within
radius Of two hundred miles had
congregated in their picturesqueness
to do the occasion honor.
Patiently, McAlpin waited again for
Moses story Of how that morning his
mother had given him six hundred
dollars to pay for and bring back the
team Of mules. Moses, on his way,
had met an entertaining man who
had come from the same town in Iowa
as the McCrackens-at this point
McAlpin ground his teeth. The man
had volunteered to 60 with him to
help bring back the team. He had
offered, incidentally, to show Moses
where the new round-house was to
be built. They had stopped in at an
interesting place where different
games were being played. and Moses,
In earnest and repeated endeavor to
pick the right one If three cards. had
gradually wagered and finally lost the
six hundred.
McAlpin had already heard the
story once: but 1t was his custom, II
he could manage 1t, to hear a particu-
larry narrowing tale twice. He lis
tened to the second recital with the
same sharp calculations, the same
screwing and twisting Of his features
and his heels, and the same angry
Jerking Of his head, with which he
had absorbed Moses story the first
time.
Snow I'll tell you" he said DOM
ineeringly and to cut of further dis
cussion, It'll 60 with you to where
they took your money and see what
can be DONE"
Calling a hostler front, McAlpin,
with Moses, walked rapidly down the
ragged highway that was to serve as
Sleepy Cats principal street, In the
direction Of what was already known
as the River quarter, which had
gained an evil precedence in mountain
story as the resort Of hard men and
scenes Of violence.
McAlpin had q very definite idea
Of tiIe general direction In which
Moses had parted with his money,
and took him directly down toward
the river, talking and gesticulating az
fast as he walked. Reaching the sus-
pected district, McAlpin slowed and
pointed from q conservative distance