The Forfeit

o means blessings in his estimation. He blamed the sun for the flies. He blamed it that it made necessary the adoption of light cotton shirts, which required freq

us summer tone by the overbearing process of continuing its spring blessing ad nauseam. And as for winter, it was perfectly ridiculous to turn off its "ho

ness to a scene which, he assured himself, was an "everlastin' disgrace an' stain on the lousy pretensions of a museum of bum human intellec's." He was referring to the rest of the buildings which compri

achieved through the agency of hangings and shootings, should certainly contribute to his advantage. He argued that the long-endured threat against Orrville rem

action. But somehow his ointment was not without taint. He

ctable pieces of highly engraved treasure had definitely flowed into some pocket unknown, as a result of the Lightfoot gang episode. The whole transaction he felt was wicked, absolutely wicked. What right had any ten thousand dollars to drift into any unknown pocket? Known, ye

ritation, and he scratched at the roots of his b

ch upon the market-place from the western end of the township. Nor was it until they obstructed his view

ing his position, and, long before they re

round their horses and loosened cinchas. Then they tied

of the two surveyed the unmoved Ju with steady

aid. "You run

business house was not l

boss of t

ed at an angle of the building. Then it came back to Ju's hard face, and, in passing, it swept over the weather-boarding of the structure which was pl

osition and become swallowed up by the cavity behind hi

The two customers lounged against the shabby bar in that attitude which bespoke saddle weariness. Ju stood re

bly, testing, in his own

n displayed

nded Bud. "A long lag

uring. "Guess we don't grow ice around these parts, 'cep' when we don't need it, an' I don't guess the railroad's discovered they hatched Orrville out

bottled stuff

Ef that don't suit, gue

s just his cold way of placing facts befor

waited while Bud poured his out. Then he accepted the price and ma

w,

ow

nd set down their h

"Bud," and he now stood racking his fertile brains to pl

ere, ain't ther'?" B

ly seized the

ss you don't belong arou

the window, where he stood gazing out.

n' through," returned

own south in the 'T.T

t them at the new customer. "Smoke?" he enquire

f shook his head, and the saloon-keeper was given an opportunity of studying his set features, and the pre

t fi' years. But they're out. Oh, yes, they're sure out. Yes, siree, you guessed right. Ther's sure been some play around here. As neat a hangin' as I've see in thirty-five

rtunity of glancing over his glass at Jeff's back. Then he s

some hangin'. The Lightfoot gang, eh? Seems to me I've hear

ottles on the counter

, folks is all after dollars-if there's only enough of 'em. Life's jest made up of two sorts o' guys, the fellers with dollars an' them without. Wal, I guess it's a sort o' play goes right on all the time. You just raise hell around till you get 'em, the other fellers raise hell till you ain't. It's a sort o' give and take, though I reckon the taking seems to be the general scheme adopted. That's how it comes Lightfoot an' his gang got a nasty kink in most o' their necks. It's them d

ed 'em-for ten t

came with a s

understanding of them things. When I got something to sell, an' you're yearnin' to dope out the dollars for i

housand?" enquired Bud,

," he added, with a coldly gloomy shake of the head. "That's jest about the pain I'm sufferin' right now. Some might

and Jeff had come for. The manner of this man was coldly callous, and he knew that every word he uttered

fashion. He had no desire that Ju should be made

nd even cheerfulness of manner surpri

tin' a look around at the-city." He turned to Ju with his shad

rd than I've ever heard tell of in any other city. Ef it wa'an't that way I couldn't see myself wastin' a valuable life lookin' at grass, hearin' talk of grass, smellin' grass, an' durned nigh eatin' grass. I tell you right here it takes me countin' my legs t

friend. He wanted the facts, all the facts as far as they were avai

ed the price?

dent of the Western

on-Dug Mc

't know who-

Bud, looking on, saw the steely glea

tired of a subject which dealt with another ma

don't reckon we know, or'll ever know. You see, he got shot up they say by Lightfoot himself. However, it don't signify. I got my notions 'bout it, an' anyway I guess they're jest my own. The boys guess it was one of the gang itself. Mebbe it was. Can't rightly say. After they'd located the camp they set out to surround it. It was in a bluff. The scrap s

poke. His voice was changed from its usual d

nt with his blue eyes an' curly, tow hair. They don't guess that's his right name tho'. But it don't signify. He was the boss all

o be pushing

d timepiece. Bud glanced at him. He could see the ghastly hu

up, Jeff," he said quickly

bar. Then his eyes came searching

look in his hard eyes. "Looks sick, too. Say, I didn't git his n

He understood most of the ways and expressions of the men of the prairie. The hot blood surged under his calm exterior. His gray

e places, an' some folks, it ain't good to see a heap of. Ther's fellers with minds like sinks, an' others with natures like rattlers. Neither of them things is as wholesome as a Sunday-school, I allow. Jeff ain't yearnin' to explore no sinks, human or any other. An' I've generally noticed his favorite pastime is killin' rattlers. So it's jest about the only thing to do-quit this saloon, same as I'm goin' t

emed to devour the unwholesome picture confronting him. The aggressive chin beard, the continual mastication of the cigar which protruded from the corner of the mo

*

overy in the Cathills valley. It had been no figure of speech when Jeff had described his twin brother as part of himself. The shock the man had received was, to Bud's mind, as though his heart had been torn asunder. Hanged as a cattle thief! Was there anything more dire, more terrible in the ima

very detail of his attitude. In the straining of his blue eyes, in the deep knitting of his fair strong

battle now, once and for all. When victory had been achieved, then perhaps his sympathy might become he

e grass sought to secrete at its attenuated roots. The world about them was unchanged. Every scene was similar in its characteristics to all that which had be

oments when his soul had cried out in agony. There had been moments when the hideousness of his weak brother's fall had driven him to the verge o

ad passed a long stretch of flat grass-land, and were breasting an incline. Jeff, on the lead, had reined his horse down to a walk. In a moment t

e said. "We must drive ahead without any looking back. There's still things in

ise his effort. Now he turned and looked into the fac

f-everything. But it's over, and now I sort of feel I've got to get busy, or I'll forget how to play the man. I don't guess I'll ever hope to forget. No, I don't want to forget. I couldn't, just as I couldn't forget