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The Lone Star Ranger-Part29_Zane Gray(1872-1939)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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politics for a while, and of the vast territory west of the



Pecos that seemed never to get a benefit from Austin. He talked

enough for Duane to realize that here was just the kind of



intelligent, well-informed, honest citizen that he had been

trying to meet. He exerted himself thereafter to be agreeable



and interesting; and he saw presently that here was an

opportunity to make a valuableacquaintance, if not a friend.



"I'm a stranger in these parts," said Duane, finally. "What is

this outlaw situation you speak of?"



"It's damnable, sir, and unbelievable. Not rustling any more,

but just wholesale herd-stealing, in which some big cattlemen,



supposed to be honest, are equallyguilty with the outlaws. On

this border, you know, the rustler has always been able to



steal cattle in any numbers. But to get rid of big

bunches--that's the hard job. The gang operating between here



and Valentine evidently have not this trouble. Nobody knows

where the stolen stock goes. But I'm not alone in my opinion



that most of it goes to several big stockmen. They ship to San

Antonio, Austin, New Orleans, also to El Paso. If you travel



the stock-road between here and Marfa and Valentine you'll see

dead cattle all along the line and stray cattle out in the



scrub. The herds have been driven fast and far, and stragglers

are not rounded up."



"Wholesale business, eh?" remarked Duane. "Who are

these--er--big stock-buyers?"



Colonel Webb seemed a little startled at the abrupt query. He

bent his penetrating gaze upon Duane and thoughtfully stroked



his pointed beard.

"Names, of course, I'll not mention. Opinions are one thing,



direct accusation another. This is not a healthy country for

the informer."



When it came to the outlaws themselves Colonel Webb was

disposed to talk freely. Duane could not judge whether the



Colonel had a hobby of that subject or the outlaws were so

striking in personality and deed that any man would know all



about them. The great name along the river was Cheseldine, but

it seemed to be a name detached from an individual. No person



of veracity known to Colonel Webb had ever seen Cheseldine, and

those who claimed that doubtful honor varied so diversely in



descriptions of the chief that they confused the reality and

lent to the outlaw only further mystery. Strange to say of an



outlaw leader, as there was no one w;ho could identify him, so

there was no one who could prove he had actually killed a man.



Blood flowed like water over the Big Bend country, and it was

Cheseldine who spilled it. Yet the fact remained there were no



eye-witnesses to connect any individual called Cheseldine with

these deeds of violence. But in strikingcontrast to this



mystery was the person, character, and cold-blooded action

of Poggin and Knell, the chief's lieutenants. They were



familiar figures in all the towns within two hundred miles of

Bradford. Knell had a record, but as gunman with an incredible



list of victims Poggin was supreme. If Poggin had a friend no

one ever heard of him. There were a hundred stories of his



nerve, his wonderful speed with a gun, his passion for

gambling, his love of a horse--his cold, implacable, inhuman



wiping out of his path any man that crossed it.

"Cheseldine is a name, a terrible name," said Colonel Webb.



"Sometimes I wonder if he's not only a name. In that case where

does the brains of this gang come from? No; there must be a



master craftsman behind this border pillage; a master capable

of handling those terrors Poggin and Knell. Of all the



thousands of outlaws developed by western Texas in the last

twenty years these three are the greatest. In southern Texas,



down between the Pecos and the Nueces, there have been and are

still many bad men. But I doubt if any outlaw there, possibly



excepting Buck Duane, ever equaled Poggin. You've heard of this

Duane?"



"Yes, a little," replied Duane, quietly. "I'm from southern

Texas. Buck Duane then is known out here?"






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