American fiction -- 20th century; Gold mines and mining -- Fiction; Western stories
"Taggart ought to kill him for that," grunted Deveril. "And he probably
will before the night is over."
The girl shivered as she had done just now when she saw a rifle
raised and an axe flung. And yet within her, being woman, there was
the exultation which would not stay down, and the thought: "He is
magnificent.... A brute, maybe, but surely magnificent!" And she knew
that she would never be content until she had seen his face and looked
into his eyes. Already, being woman, she was concerned with his eyes;
whether they would be large or small, set wide apart or close together.
She wanted him to be the lion, not the wild boar.
The remainder of the night's happenings was to come, because of the
simple arrangement of rooms at the Gallup House, within the experience
of both Deveril and Lynette. They saw Bruce Standing go down the road
and followed him. He did not once look back. When he came to his
horse, he stopped only long enough to take down his rifle. Plainly
now he meant to go direct to the Gallup House. All the while men were
streaming by him, hurrying to join in the chase after the escaping
Mexicali Joe. So, by the time he came to Gallup's door, there were not
over a score of men remaining in the house.
The Gallup House was a long, squat building of two low stories, its
three main rooms on the ground floor facing the road. These were the
dining-room; a room given over to Gallup's office, and sufficient space
for a dozen chairs and a big sheet-iron stove--a sort of living-room
for Gallup's guests, when he had any; and, finally, a room which had in
older times been the barroom, and which, despite changing conditions,
remained in practice a barroom. At this hour both dining-room and
sitting-room were deserted, and the score or so of men, Gallup and
Taggart among them, were in the bar. Here were round tables, for it was
a big room, for games of cards or dice.
Deveril and the girl parted at the centre door through which she
entered direct into the general living-room. They saw Bruce Standing go
to the last of the three doors and step in unhesitantly, still carrying
his rifle lightly. Deveril followed him, and saw the looks on the faces
of Taggart and Gallup and some of their following.
"I stepped in to buy the drinks for the crowd," Timber-Wolf said
quietly, all the while his eyes flashing back and forth. "Gents, the
treats are on me."
Jim Taggart, his hands on his hips, was eying him like a hawk, and in
Taggart's face was a dull, hot flush. Gallup, however, standing close
at Taggart's side, was the first to speak. He cried out angrily:
"No man drinks with you in my house! Not as long as I live. And...."
Bruce Standing drew a wallet from his pocket.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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