Roseburg news-review., November 21, 1927, Page 5, Image 5

FIVE
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GDJYRIGIiT.1927 N
SK" tRIMEJ"T LYNNT
ROSEBURC NEWS-REVIEW. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1927.
"That was being right considerate of the family's feelings,"
Benton snapped. . '
Ain't it the truth) Although my interruption in this par-
,J..
CHAPTER I
n 1871 a few buffalo hunters, among them a certain
Captain Stone, pitched their camp on a little knoll in Kansas
just north of the Indian Territory line. South and west of the
rise flowed pall creek; on the east the waters of Big Casino
creek ran their endless course and invited the foaming herds
of buffalo and other wild game in which the region abounded.
The captain was a far-seeing man. He nqted the abun
dance of spring water, the succulence of the prairie grass and
the not unimportant factor of the place's nearness to the bor
der of 9 (and from which the government, in accordance with
its treaties with the Indians, had excluded the white man from
settling, When other buffalo hunters joined them, Stone
thought he saw the possibility of a new "Princess of the
Prairie,'.' as.Witchita then called itself; so he took the first Step
in colonization and established a small store, carrying such
supplies as the hunters required, including, the records state,
"it bat re of whisky. .- '
r As the population increased. Cox and Emerson put in a
outfitting store and a man named Dixie installed a genu
ine snlcon, with bar, foot-rail and all accessories. The prairies,
,th i!iir luxuriant growth of blue stem and buffalo grass, be
catis dotted with small cattle and horse ranches; the big
cM.r. herds on their way to Ogallala, Neb., then a big ship
ping juint on the Union Pacific, stopped in the little town for
J. supplies.
itd the news traveled fast. Soon hundreds were drifting
- Hv.-ell, farteherest southwest of the plain settlements;
..n Stone and two other men, Dagner and Smith, laid
ito, ,
" years Caldwell had attained a population of 2000.
, J!J ' Atchison, Topeka,i& Santa Fe ran its tracks down
.'1;.,,,, f : d h . ru n i
Lirnhiwuf ifsgiu on uuii imi ucLvvccii vniuncu nun
' icjiit.i and making its bid fdr the big herds that thundered
up the Cliisliolm Trail. The buffalo camp had flowered into a.
cow town and one of the wickedist cow towns in history.
The big boom that started with the coming of the railroad
found Gordon W. Lillie waitink on table in one of Caldwell's
busy restaurants and longing for something that would more
nearly satisfy a normal youth s desire for adventure and the
opportunity to make a fortune,
As he saw it, the main requirement for the latter was a
working capita), whereas Gordon Lillie and capital were not
yet acquainted, As far back as he could remember, Newton
LilHe, his father, had had about all he could do to make ends
meet. ' Gordon was 1 9, and the oldest of the children. Then
came Albert, Effie May, Lena and Gordon's foster sister, Lucy
Conant. ' , .'. .'.. ' . . ,J . , , ,.'.;,!
' Newton Lillie had been a flour miller in Bluommgton, II).
Xwo years before, calamity had descended on the family when
fire had destroyed the mill, and the Lillies now lived near
Wellington, Kas., about 25 miles from Caldwell, where the
father still patiently tried to eke- out a living frpm another
flour mill, but counted more hopefully on the productivity of
the farm land that he had pre-empted.
Gordon Lillie stood in the doorway of the restaurant, hi
gaze roving idly over one of the strangest medleys of human
ity a man had ever looked upon. It was Saturday afternoon
in Caldwell. Bronzed; chap-clad cowboys from -nearby!
ranges, or stopping en route from their fatiguing herd riding,
rubbed elbows with roughly dressed railroad laboiers, for the
Santa Fe extension was not yet finished and Caldwell was the
haven of thirsty souls who worked along the right of way.
Here, were cattle thieves, horse thieves, Indians, desperadoes;
women, some with children and others with hard eyes and
painted cheeks and a ready smile for each passing male; men
making sidewalk speeches on the coming greatness of Cald
well, urging their listeners fo buy while the boom was yet
young.
A clatter of hoofs and an enveloping cloud of dust moved
down the street. Three men dismounted in front of the res
1 taurant, The tallest of the three, a man with a shaggy black
beard, eyed the youth with cold appraisal and waited. Lillie
- did not appear to notice him. He tugged at his lip and was
lost in contemplation of the panorama of wild border life be
fore him.
A harsh voice broke in on his thoughts. "We're hungry.
Are you gonna stand there and go to sleep or invite us in
side)", Lillie straightened up with a start, He murmured some
thing in apology, then led the way into the dining room and
indicated a table for the trio. Glibly he recited the bill of fare.
The bearded man listened impatiently and then gave his
order. "And get a move on," he added surlily. t
The youth glanced at him sharply, noted the heavy, brutal
features, the deep-set, slitted gray eyes, and said nothing. He
went about the business of 3etting food before them and re
' tired to the kitchen. Another waiter was out there, eating his
own supper ahead of the evening rush. "I've got a crab out
there," Gordon Lillie told him.
The waiter squinted out into the dining room. "Him)
That's Tom Benton. He's ornery."
Presently a loud command in Benton's surly tones called
Lillie forth. The man was pounding on the table with his fist.
"What kind of beef do you call this) This steak's so damned
tough you could sole boots with it."
The color deepened in Gordon Lillie's ruddy cheeks and
resentment flamed within him. He made no answer but started
vjo remove the offending meat. Benton's heavy stare never
left the youth's face. "1 said the steak was tough," he repeat
ed. "I'm waitin' to hear you admit it."
A calm voice drifted in from the doorway. "I didn't know
anything or anybody came too tough for you, Benton." Ben
ton swung around and met the smiling blue eyes of a broad
shouldered, fair-haired cow puncher who had entered at that
moment with half a dozen companions.
The bearded one glared. "1 don't remember issuing any in
vitation for you to horn in on the conversation, Joe Craig.'"
Joe Craig grinned. "1 declare to goodness I clean forgot
my manners, Tom. I always was disappointing to my folks
that way. They never could count on me to uphold the fam
4 ily reputation for politeness and so 1 cams to Kansas and got
a job riding for Titus Moore, not wanting to embarrass the
family for the rest of their lives."
ticular case might be excused on the grounds that I had a per
sonal interest in the discussion. Didn't 1 just hear you say
that the steak was too tough to suit you)"
''If there ain't anything the matter with your ears you did."
"Well, now, that's downright strange. You see, all the beef
that's setyed in this place happens to be Bar K beef. Besides,
I don't hear your two friends complain." ' '
'"Maybe I'm a little more finicky than my friends," Benton
said sarcastically. "I always was hard to please. As for it
being Bar K beef, maybe that's the reason it didn't suit me.
There's a lot pf things about the Bar K I can't get wild about-''
"Including me," Craig supplied cheerfully. "Still, you're
the last man in the world I'd expect to find prejudiced against
Bar K steers. Matter of fact, I sort of thought you entertained
a pretty high reSard for them." The smile had left Craig's
face and the humorous twinkle in his eyes had been replaced
by a cold stare. -
Benton glared back for an instant, then, with fists swing
ing, he ran at Craig. The latter deftly sidestepped the bigger
man's rush and rocked him with a solid smash to the head. As
Benton reeled back, cursing, his right hand made a quick,
stealthy move toward his left breast, but Craig's own gun was
whipped out in a flash and leveled from the hip. Benton's arms
fell to his sides.
"Some day," Craig said coolly, "you're going to make me
street a gun barked. It was" followed by the sound of running
feet and a few of the diners rushed tq the door to look.
Someone came in presently to announce that the town
marshal had been shot. Craig looked up with an expression
of mild interest. "That so) Who is the town marshal now)
I can't keep track of them'
"Not is r-was," corrected his informant. "Name was Sam
Fortune."
"Now ain't that too bad)" sympathized Craig. "With
name like that you'd sort of expect better things was in store
for him. Who shot him)
"Brad Becker. Brad and him got in an argument over the
name of an author. They were both lit. Becker claimed 'the
book was wrote by Shakespeare and Fortune said it was wrote
by a man named Bunyan. They were too literary for me.
"Ain't it the truth)" Joe Craig wagged his head sorrow
fully. "Did they, say what book it was they were arguing about)
"Yes, they did. It was Paradise Lost or something like
that . . . What in hell are you laughing at)" . ' '.
ror a moment t-raig was speechless with mirth. A tew
of his companions smiled but others exchanged bewildered
looks. "That," said Craig finally, "is what comes of pursuing
the higher learning too far.. Where s Becker now)
"He headed for the border. But he'll be back. Fortune
wasn't killed in the line pf duty and Becker wasn't resistin' ar
rest or anything. They got in an argument, called each pther
a liar and got mad. Fortune drawed and Brad was quicker.
You can't convict a man for that." '
At the sound of the boy's "Daddy!" Harrison's eyes wavered. In that instant Denton fired.
real mad and I'm likely to forget myself. You can leave now. j , , "Not in Caldwell, anyway." Craig turned to address the
Me and the boys are aiming to eat and we don't want our ap-l other Bar K men. "You boys going up to Mag's place)"
petites spoiled none by the presence of complaining dyspep- "We'd sort of counted on it," one of them said,
tics. And don't forget to pay your reckoning," he added. "Go ahend, then. I'm slaying here to talk a bit to my
Benton's checks glowed an angry red beneath their fringe) f'ienJ BiI Lillie. Don't go getting in any literary arguments
, , UIIU UUII I HIIUUL Ull 11113 II1U311.IMIID UtlllUIV 1 HKIS Cil UlUSIUMIl UUI
real bud: ... ,. ., ..
i litis its luitiia.
of beard. "Anybody," he muttered, "can act lik
man when he has six more bqhind him to back him up."
"You know enough about my daily routine to know when
to catch me alone. I'd be real glad to accommodate you any
time. Matter of fact, there's nothing to prevent you and me
from going up the street right now and pursuing the debate
to a satisfactory conclusion."
He waited for an answer to his invitation. None was forth
coming. "Another thing," he flung at Benton as the latter, with his
two followers, strode toward the door, "when tld you the
Bak K was getting tired of seeing you around I was kind pf
careless in my wording. Paying party calls at night when no
one's looking was barred, too." He- turned his back deliberate-
He lingered at his table, smoking a cigar, until the Inst of
the supper crowd had left. Then, followed by Lillie, he walked
to the door, where he stood looking out on Caldwell. It was
nearly dark now. To the west the sunset traced an orange glow
against the horizon. A bird called. Off to the south there sound
ed the mournful cry of a coyote.
"Tom Evans," Craig said to Lillie, "was telling me you was
hoping for the day when Oklahoma would be opened for settlement.-
Bill, you've been listening to bad advice. If people
want to settle somewhere, why don't they fill up western Kan
sas first) That's Indian country down helow the line. Also it's
cow country, and if the nible red men arc willing to permit the
use of their lands for grazing, why let 'cm gra.e. Me, now, I'm a
cowmap. Why don't you come to work for Titus Moore) The
ly and sat down
"Me, now," he was saying fifteen minutes later as he busily Bar K will be glad to have you
plied knite and tork, Id say this was real good beef, still,! "I'm obliged" said Lillie "fo
1 m not so hard to please at lorn Benton. Bill, he addressed , olhe. jdcn- I'm tryina to land a teacher's job in the Indian
the offer. Right now I've
I taught country school for a while back in
Lillie, you take by advice and keep a supply of poison handy scnoo at Pawnee,
to season Benton's food with." j Hl;nnin " ,
Lillie smiled. "Til take it under advisement. It was real; Craig was watching two figures moving toward them
nice of you to get him off my back." , ),rollxh the twilight. The tullcr figure was that of a man about
"You don't know what a pleasure it was. I fired Benton j 35, slender and tall. There was about him, in the cut of his
from the Bar K fr 'wo reasons.-. He was a bully, and I was ' clothing, in his calm, deliberate movement, an air of elegance,
satisfied' he was withholding valuable information as to the j Ho wore a frock coat, a round-crowned Boft hat, lower and
whereabouts of some Bar K cows that was lost, 6trayed or smaller of brim than Craig's. He was 6mooth-haven, except
stole. Some more of our stock was run off the range about aj for thin black sideburns that descended nearly to his jaw.
month ago and I guess I kind of hinted to him that he was! The boy with lim mU8t have bcen 2 or thereabouts. He
more or less suspected. .. . ' ! dark like the other and had the same black eyes. His hat,
One of Craig's companions snorted. "Hintedl I'd like to which he carried in his hand, permitting the cool breeze to
hear you when you're real plain spoken." i ruffle his wavy hair, was a small replica of the man's nnd his
Craig turned once more to his supper. A frown had gath- slight figure was set off with a'dark blue velvet jacket, fastened
ercd between hi sandy eyebrows. Somewhere down the in front by means of braid loops.
A pitying smile played about Gordon Lillie's lips. "Poor
kid," he said softly. , The sight pf Anthony Harrison never fail-'
ed to evoke his sympathy, possibly because of the impression
of loneliness tbe boy always gave him- '
The Harrisons were talking, the man smiling and shaking
his head at something, the boy seriqus-faced. When they drew
within earshot the man stopped his laughter and fell silent.
Gordon Lillie spoke to him. "Evening," he said courteously,
and Harrison, staring straight ahead, made no reply but nodded
shortly and went on. . , , '
Lillie plucked at his lip. He was not surprised or hurt at
the rebuff. He had learned enough about Jeff Harrison in the
short time they both had been n Caldwell to know something
pf the man's strange ways. A tactiturn man, curt, grave, un
bending only when he was with h's boy. Father and son had
come to Caldwell a while back and were living alone in a little
cabin on the town's edge. Jeff Harrison spent every evening of
the week, save two, gambling. It was rumored that he gave
those evenings to his boy, and sometimes the two were to be
seen strolling along the broad main Street but more often a light
burned in their cabin and (heir silhouettes could be seen bend
ing over a rude table against the lamplight. - ' '
Joe Craig threw away his cigar and gazed at the backs pf
the departing Harrisons. "Bill," he said after a minute, "that's
p Iguguiy naiiuoumts jitiiw wjr. ...
"Takes after his father. 1 can't help feeling sorry, some
how, for Tony Harrison. No mother, and a gambler for a
father. , Leastwise, I don't know Anything else Jeff Harrison
does for a living.",
"Any little boy without a mother," remarked Craig, "sift
of takes hold of my sympathies."
"The boy," Gordon Lillie continued, "has to sit around all
alone at night and wait for his daddy to corns homo. Some
; L. ...:.L L: j . ..:J. " ....,.
evenings lie gucs mm nun iim trvtlllS UULS1UC, -
, ' "Don't he ever go inside)" '-J '
"His daddy won't permit it. Jeff Harrison's a gambler, but'
he aiij't a common ono. , Another thing, I've never seen him
speak to a woman since he's bcen in Caldwell. The boy don't,;
either. There's a rumor going around that Jeff Harrison has
brought him up to have nothing to. do with them.'" '"'''
"Now that's kind of queer," pronounced Joe Graig.'-' ' .-
He departed a few minutes later. "Think I'll be traveling
up to MaK Wood's place, 1 Have to keep an eye on the boys.
They can aland just so much liquor and .then they feel an in) -resistible
desire to shoot things up. It's just plain animal spirits
with them,; but I don't approve of it myself not when I'm re
sponsible for. them to the colqnel." 1 .
Mag Wood's place was one of the most pretentious build
ings in Caldwell 'and Mag" 'herself was a remarkable woman.
ft , , . ii I. r . , . i I ... i : i it.'
juts nau icptiicuijr uiauc a lupiuiic witii nci uig uaut.c nail,
jusc across me Mricansas river rrom wucniia, ana wnen ine
boom hit Caldwell she moved dqwn to the new town, to lure
the freely squandered dollars of the free and easy souls who'
came there for their periodical flings! ' ' ' '' ' "v
P rIJ...ll ...i- J ...:J ' n. : r:u-
1 w vwiuncn ri in. . miu niuc ujjcii. lis uigct UUgci
perpetually trembled. - There was little law enforcement in
the town ; men quarreled and killed in Caldwell and walked on
about their business, or rode south four miles and crossed the
border of No Man's Land. Over night, almost, it had became
a haven for the worst element along the frontier, and Mag'
Woods' dance hall, nicknamed the Red Light, because of the
origin rea lamp mat nung over me aoor, Decame ine nangout.
of some of the toughest. ,
' Mag herself was not without a sense of humor. Evidence
of it was found in the sheet iron and boiler plate fortification
she had reared around her musicians. The mortality among
dance hall music makers, especially in the Red Light, was high,
and only the hardiest spirits dared risk the flying bullets that
were a nightly, accompaniment to the festivities. v
Jeff Harrison was standing at the bar, drinking quietly.
wnen joe vruig cmcrcu. i uc uaiiusumc gumoicr s gaze swept
over him as he came in, then turned back to the bar. Craig
managed to range alongside. Every time the door opened, he
noticed, Harrison turned to scrutinize the newcomer.
"Apparently lookin' for someone," Craig said to himself.
Acting on a sudden impulse, he spoke quietly in the gambler's
ear. I d consider it an honor if you d have a little drink with
me." '
Jeff Harrison turned his searching brown eyes on the
blond cowboy and hesitated hnlf a minute before answering.
Then, with a slight smile that seemed to heighten rather than
lessen his gravity, he accepted. "I'd be glad to," he said quietly.
To his great annoyance, Craig was called away by two of
the Bar K men before he could follow up the opening. When
he started back, he saw Harrison do a surprising thing; one
of the dance hall girls who had been casting ardent glances at
the slender, elegant figure, sidled up to the gambler and seized
his arm. ...
"Probably asking him to buy a drink," Craig was thinking.
But Harrison, after a casual glance at her, deliberately
turned his back and went out, his face an expressionless mask.
The girl stared after him in astonishment nnd anger, then
shrugged and walked away. When Craig noticed her next she
was making love to a little bow-legged bantam rooster of a
cowDoy.
Gordon Lillie came in. "I lust passed Icff Harrison." he
told Craig. "He was headed for the Big Buffalo saloon. I ex
pect he will be playing poker the rest of the evening.'
Craig pushed back his big hat and scratched his head.
"Now that man Harrison sort of captures my interest. He's a
gentleman, whatever he is. I'll be dcrncd if I don't like him." ,
The bantam rooster of a cowboy was balancing his new
found lady friend on one knee while on the' other he rested
the hand holding his six-shooter and pumped bullets in the'
floor. Mng Woods herself bore down on him, but before she
could round up the celebrant he had flung his arm up vith a
loud "Whoopeel" and fired in the air. The bullet rang against
the iron plate protecting the musicians. The music stopped
suddenly and the fiddler stuck his head out and looked wrath-
fully down.
If you-all don t quit that damn foolishness down there, -he
threatened, "you ain't gonna have no orchestry. I'm havin"
(Contiuuea on page t.