Desert Dust

H AN

hough I was not the only person here in Eastern guise, nevertheless about the majority

rry ere the

he stores close, can you tell me?"

rveye

dog fight, pardner. Business runs twenty-five hours

ll I find a h

k English. W

outfit; a per

er. Levi'll outfit you complete and t

ere is

aside. "You could shut your ey

of the large sign "Levi's Mammoth Emporium: Liquors, Groceries and Ge

tacked goods that bulged the partially boarded canvas walls. At last I

for you, sir?" He rubbed his hand

a serviceable ready-made suit,

the things for yo

e line, sir?" he asked,

s not u

id yesterday; twelve so far this week. Averaging t

erstand,"

e could use it he'd build through to California without a halt. But looks now a

long with the 90 others," I answer

t the course," he complimented. "

evolver, a belt

hat's the favorite holster gun in us

l

you're broken in to the country, but as you know a new belt and holster are apt to be viewed with suspicion and a gentleman sometimes has to draw when he'd rather not, to prove himself. T

ollars, the hat eight, shirt and suit in proportion, and the red

, ate my supper, thence hastened through the gloam

ed when I came in; occupied on the outside by a plump, round-faced, dust-scalded man, with piggish features accentuated by his small bloodshot eyes; dressed in Eastern mode but stripped to the gal

it!" he observed in a mome

here a shor

to peel, like me. I been her

r of things in

he stuff. I got the best line of sure-thing stock-strippers, humps, rounds, squares, briefs and marked backs-that ever were dealt west of the Missouri. Judas Pries

I never

w I'm gettin' out." He groaned. "Take the train in a few minutes. Dasn't risk myself on the street again. Sent my baggage down for fear I

e so, sir,"

lf sa

few straight banks, too. You're no crabber or piker; I can see that. You go to the North Star. Tell Frank that Jakey

t?" I uttere

ay, friend, could you lend me twenty dollars? You've s

d I. "I have no more money than will see me throug

re than your twenty 93 back, at the North Star," he urged inconsistent. "If

and my pantaloons in my boots, and my red silk handkerchief tastefully knotted at my throat, and my six-shooter slung; and I could scarcely deny that in my

ly in my ointment. Therefore, preening and adjusting

Tent? Where is it? I

ain't. I've a family to think of. You ain't been there? Say! There's where they all me

hoarse shouts and shrill frightened cries, the scurrying rush of feet, all in the street; and in the 94 h

ith the agility of a jack-

hrough the door and pelting down the hall. Overcome by the zest of the moment I pelted aft

ed and inert flat in the dust, with stooping figures trying to raise him; then, beyond, a man bareheaded, whiskered, but as white as death, hustled to and fro from clutching hands an

room was vacant-and more than vacant, for of my clothing not a vestige remained! My bag also was gone. Worse yet, prompted by an inner

he floor had swallowed my belongings. I had been absent not more than five minutes. Surely t

loring. Every room door was wide open, every apartment blank; but there was a splashing, from the bath-I listened at the threshold, gen

d reinstated himself behind the counter. He composedly gree

hanging, sir," he said. "That is, unless you'd prefer to hurry up

that I scarcely recognized, so piping and aghast it was.

queried, with a gl

these things; the street fight sounded; I was gone not five m

mented evenly,

outrage. But you seem remarkably cool ab

rows. "Nothing. They

respectable h

attend strictly to our business and e

s safe for me to leave

placard that said, among other matters: "We are not responsib

ice?" I demanded. "You ha

the mayor's office or else at the North Star gambling hall, three blocks up the street. I don't think he'll do you any good, though. He's not likely to bother

't? Wh

mart gentleman to slip into your room while you were absent, go through it, and make hi

nt out before me but he might have doubled,"

know hi

faced man-sold groceri

er One, bed Number Two is assigned to Mr. Bill Brady, who do

n east," I pursued desperately. "A round-bel

ny train, that train

e bath, ten or fif

ne. You may find your clothes, but I doubt it. You are next upon the bath list." And he became all business

th,

for a bath, at present. And," I faltered, ashamed, "I'll have

hough it is against our rules," he replied.

lars, say, until I shall have procu

r his face. He

nnot. We never

an," I pleaded. "This dollar and a half will ba

, may I ask?" His voice

nel before. My references

. "I do not question his integrity, nor your father's. But we

k come up ye

u'd rather have

e it might walk out the hall w

It is out of the weather. We're not responsible

? Very good. Will you advance me twenty dollars and keep the

me up

eyor? Connected

N

our busine

ng for health, where it's high and dry." He smiled. "And high and dry I'm landed in short order. But the trunk's

th the porter,

he and the gnome evidently had hefted the trunk and view

, sir." He wrote, and passed me a slip of paper also. "And your receipt. Whe

" I asked un

business, but we have trunks piled to the ceiling in our storer

ed from home; for I could see that to be stranded "high and dry" in Benton City of Wyoming Territory would be a dire situation. And I could not hope for much from home. It

t me to the telegraph

siness. If you wish to send a private dispatch you should forward it by post to Cheyenne, one hundred and seventy-five miles, whe

-I had been foolish not to have borrowed fifty dollars on the trunk. So I decided t

will I find the place

with peculi

that I've anything against it, understand. It's all right, everybody goes there; perfectly le

fly explained. "Further than that I have no bus

Benton indulges. I wish you the best of luck, sir. You are heeled, I see. No one will take you for a pilgrim." Despite the as