Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-28

weeks on end. When his hurts healed he was Q
tramp for q while with NO visible means Of
support, and some Of his exploits strained the
good-humored tolerance Of the communities IN
which he moved.
"He was little bit wild" Sam told me. 1T
come to the point where somebody was likely
to abolish him any time, or manybe he'd stretch
. rope or something
But this calamity was averted, for Dell Of q
sudden Sobered down. He had been o good
man with gun, but he seemed to forget this.
He reduced his liquor consumption TO o mini
num- got job, worked diligently and came to
be known as q sober man and q reliable one.
He was o town marshal for two years up in
Colorado and then he began 10 drift again.
During the next few years 1t began TO be OBJ
served that when any public malefactor was
brought to justice Dell was apt to be some
where in the vicinity at the critical time.
1T was always an accident" Sam gravely
assured me. He'd just happen by. But he
happened by just in time to shoot two or three
bad ones, and there was quite a few that he
got the drop on and didn't have to shoot. Some
people began to figure out that 1t wasn't always
as accidental as 1t looked. And especially be-
cause the men he happened to get had always
been mixed up in an express robbery some way"
had questions, but 1t seemed as well 10 hold
them in reserve, and Sam went on.
It was one of Beedes notions, Sam assured
me, that most outlaws were smarter than the
average, and he would elaborate this thesis at
length. Beede urged that the average man was
. fairly reliable citizen He might commit an
act of sudden violence, but he was unlikely to
devise premeditated crime unless he were In
toxicated by some unforeseen success Of un-
earned pre-eminence.
"The superiority complex" suggested.
well, too much imagination or whatever you
call It," Sam returned and he continued ANY
way, Dell always ran by that rule. He told me
it was q big help to him more than once. If
he was looking for a man and didn't know
who he'd start with the smartest man In sight
and work on down."
Sam said Dell Beede came to Ida very
casually. No one there knew him or seemed to
know him, but no one questioned him. He
drank, ate, played little stud and minded his
own business. When any one spoke to him he
looked at them thoughttully and replied in
mild and courteuos tones. After q day or two
he rode down to see Charley Collet and this
movement was observed; thereafter 1t came to
be tacitly accepted that he had come to in
vestigate the express robberies Peter Ogg
asked him at last If this was 80.
They were in JEFF Bolders bar at the time
II hear you been talking to Charley Collet."
But Dell paid no attention. Pete was some
what behind him and Dell took his drink and
turned away, his left elbow on the bar. So
Pete moved around in front Of him and put his
questions thus, face to face.
you've been talking to Charley Collet, I
hear?" he repeated.
AS Pete spoke Dell had looked at him and
he nodded at this. why, yes" he said, II
have"
Its time they did" said Pete wisely, and he
grinned. Dell seemed family puzzled.
"Eh?" he asked.
IT say it's time they did," Ogg repeated.
who did?'
1.-The express company. Send some one up
here