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Las Vegas Carmichael was a product of his day

The Pan Handle of Texas, the old Chisholreat cattle herds northward, Fort Dodge, where the cowboys conflicted with the card-sharps--these hard places had left their hting stock And a cowboy's life was strenuous, wild, violent, and generally brief The exceptions were the fortunate and the swiftest uns; and they drifted fro with them the reckless, chivalrous, vitriolic spirit peculiar to their breed

The pioneers and ranchers of the frontier would never have made the West habitable had it not been for these wild cowboys, these hard-drinking, hard-riding, hard-living rangers of the barrens, these easy, cool, laconic, sied with fire and who possessed a er and death

Las Vegas ran his horse froe to Turner's saloon, and the hoofs of the goaded steed crashed in the door Las Vegas's entrance was a leap Then he stood still with the door ajar and the horse pounding and snorting back All the as knehat it portended No thunderbolt could havecrowd They recognized with kindred senses the nature of the man and his arrival For a second the blue-hazed room was perfectly quiet, then men breathed,crash of chairs and tables

The cowboy's glittering eyes flashed to and fro, and then fixed on Mulvey and his Mexican coled out these two, and the sudden rush of nervous men proved it Mulvey and the sheep-herder were left alone in the center of the floor

"Howdy, Jeff! Where's your boss?" asked Las Vegas His voice was cool, friendly; his manner was easy, natural; but the look of him hat made Mulvey pale and the Mexican livid

"Reckon he's home," replied Mulvey

"Hoin' out hyar at Auchincloss's," replied Mulvey His voice was not strong, but his eyes were steady, watchful

Las Vegas quivered all over as if stung A flaular hue

"Jeff, you worked for old Al a long tias "Thet ain't no mix of mine But you double-crossed Miss Helen!"

Mulvey ulped slowly His hands appeared less steady, and he grew paler Again Las Vegas's words signified less than his look And that look now included the Mexican