The Night-riders

A Western Romance
=============
An excerpt:
At last he broke the silence, and all eyes were turned on him.

"And do you mean to say there is no law to protect people on these outlying stations? Do you mean to

tell me that men sit down quietly under such dastardly tyranny?" His questions were more particularly

directed toward Shaky.

"Law?" replied the carpenter. "Law? Say, we don't rec'nize no law around these parts--not yet. Mebbe

it's comin', but--I 'lows ther's jest one law at present, an' that we mostly carries on us. Oh, Jake

Harnach's met his match 'fore now. But 'tain't frekent. Yes, Jake's a big swine, wi' the muscle o' two

men; but I've seen him git downed, and not a hund'ed mile from wher' we're settin'. Say, Ike," he turned

to the man behind the bar, "you ain't like to fergit the night Black Anton called his 'hand.' Ther'

ain't no bluff to Anton. When he gits to the bizness end of a gun it's best to get your thumbs up

sudden."

The saloon-keeper nodded. "Guess there's one man who's got Jake's measure, an' that's Black Anton."


Genre: Literary Fiction