CHAPTER VI
HOLLIS RENEWS AN ACQUAINTANCE
Rumor, that mysterious disseminator of news whose tongues are legion,whispered that the Dry Bottom _Kicker_ was to come to life.Wherefore curiosity led many of Dry Bottom's citizens past the door ofthe _Kicker_ office to steal covert glances at the young man whosefigure was bent over the desk inside. Many passed in silence afterlooking at the young man--he did not see them. Others commented gravelyor humorously according to their whim--the young man did not hear them.Seated at the desk he gave his attention to the tasks before him--he wasnot concerned with rumor; the curiosity of Dry Bottom's citizens did notaffect him. Seriously, methodically, steadily, he worked at his desk,while rumor wagged her tongues and curiosity lounged past the window.
It was Hollis's first visit to the _Kicker_ office; he had come towork and there was much that he could do. He had found the _Kicker_installed in a one story frame building, verging upon dilapidation,unpainted, dingy. The appearance of its exterior had given Hollis aqueer sensation in the pit of the stomach. He was cheered a little bythe businesslike appearance of the interior. It was not what he had beenused to, but he felt that it would answer very well in this locality,and--well, he planned to make improvements.
About twenty by forty, he estimated the size of the interior. Originallythere had been only one room. This had been divided into three sectionsby partitions. An old, flat-topped desk sat near the front window, aswivel chair before it. Along the wall above the desk were several rowsof shelving with paste-board boxes and paper piled neatly up. Calendars,posters, and other specimens of the printer's art covered the walls. Inthe next room was another desk. Piles of advertising electrotypes, emptyforms, and papers filled the corners. The composing room was in therear. Everything was in order here; type cases, stands, forms. Therewere a proof press, some galley racks, a printing press, with aforlorn-looking gasolene engine near it. A small cast-iron stove stoodin a corner with its door yawning open, its front bespattered withtobacco juice. A dilapidated imposing stone ranged along the rear wallnear a door that opened into the sunlight. A man stood before one of thetype cases distributing type. He did not look up at Hollis's entrance.
"Hello!" greeted Hollis.
The man hesitated in his work and looked up. "Hello," he returned,perfunctorily.
"I suppose your name is Potter?" Hollis inquired cordially. Judge Graneyhad told him that if he succeeded in finding the compositor he wouldhave him at the _Kicker_ office this morning. Potter had gone towork without further orders.
"Yes," said the man. He came forward.
"I am the new owner of the _Kicker_," Hollis informed him with asmile.
"Jim Hollis's boy?" inquired Potter, straightening. At Hollis's nod hestepped quickly forward and grasped the hand the latter offered him,squeezing it tightly. "Of course you are Jim Hollis's boy!" he said,finishing his inspection. "You are the living image of him!" He swepthis hand around toward the type case. "I am working, you see. JudgeGraney wrote me last week that you wanted me and I came as soon as Icould. Is it true that the _Kicker_ is going to be a permanentinstitution?"
"The _Kicker_ is here to stay!" Hollis informed him.
Potter's face lighted with pleasure. "That's bully!" he said. "That'sbully!"
He was of medium height, slender, lean faced, with a magnificent head,and a wealth of brown hair thickly streaked with silver. His thin lipswere strong; his chin, though a trifle weak, was well formed; his eyesslightly bleared, but revealing, in spite of this defect, unmistakableintelligence. In the first flashing glance which Hollis had taken at himhe had been aware that here was a person of more than ordinary mentalability and refinement. It was with a pang of pity that he rememberedJudge Graney's words to the effect that he was a good workman--"whensober." Hollis felt genuinely sorry for him.
"I have had a talk with Judge Graney," volunteered Potter. "He tells methat you are a newspaper man. Between us we ought to be able to get outa very respectable paper."
"We will," calmly announced Hollis; "and we'll get the first issue outSaturday. Come in here and we'll talk about it."
He led the way to the front room and seated himself at the desk,motioning Potter to another chair. Within the next hour he knew allabout the _Kicker_. It was a six-column sheet of four pages. Thefirst page was devoted to local news. The second carried some localadvertisements, exchange clippings, and two or three columns ofsyndicate plate matter. On the third page two columns were devoted toeditorials, one to advertisements, and three to local news in largetype. The fourth, and last page was filled with more plate matter and alitter of "foreign" advertising--patent-medicines, soaps, hair-dye.
At the first glance it appeared that the paper must be a payingproposition, for there were a goodly proportion of advertisements. YetHollis had his suspicions about the advertisements. When he had spokento Potter about them he discovered that quite a number of them were whatis known to the craft as "dead ads"--which meant advertisements uponwhich payment had ceased and which were carried either for the purposeof filling up the paper or because it was found cheaper to run them thanto set type for the space which would be left by their absence.
"We won't carry any dead ads!" announced Hollis.
"Several of these are big merchants," said Potter, pointing them outwith inky forefinger; "though the contracts have run out the appearanceof their ads lends the _Kicker_ a certain moral support--the littlefellows don't know that they are not paid for and it draws theirbusiness."
"We don't care for that kind of business," smiled Hollis; "we're goingto run a real newspaper. We're going to get paid ads!"
"I hope so," hesitatingly replied Potter.
"Of course you do," laughed Hollis; "but whether we get paid ads or notthis newspaper is coming out regularly and on time. Furthermore, we'regoing to cut down on this plate stuff; we don't want a paper filled withstale articles on snakes, antedated ocean disasters, Egyptian monoliths,and the latest style in opera hats. We'll fill the paper with localnews--we'll ginger things up a little. You are pretty well acquaintedhere--I'll leave the local items to you. What town near here compareswith Dry Bottom in size?"
"There's Lazette," returned Potter; "over in Colfax County."
"How far from here?"
"Eighty miles."
"Got a newspaper?"
"Yes; the _Eagle_."
"Bully! Step on the _Eagle's_ toes. Make the _Eagle_ scream.Get into an argument with it about something--anything. Tell Lazettethat as a town it's forty miles behind Dry Bottom. That will stir uppublic spirit and boom our subscription list. You see, Potter, civicpride is a big asset to a newspaper. We'll start a row right off thereel. Furthermore, we're going to have some telegraph news. I'll makearrangements for that to-day."
Hollis's enthusiasm was infectious; a flash of spirit lighted upPotter's eyes as he rose from his chair. "I'm going to set up the headfor the first page," he said. "Probably you'll want a slogan; that sortof thing is the style out here."
"We'll have one," returned Hollis briskly. "Set this in triple leads:_'We Herald the Coming of the Law! The Kicker is Here to Stay!'_"
"Good!" declared Potter. He went into the composing room and Hollis sawhis fine old head bent over a type case. Hollis turned to his desk.
He sat there long, his tall, lithe body slack, grim, serious lines inhis lean face. He had thought of his conversation with Judge Graneyconcerning ambition--his ambition, the picture upon which his mind haddwelt many times. A little frame printing office in the West was not oneof its features. He sighed with resignation and began methodically tolook over the papers in the desk, finding many things to interest him.He discovered that in spite of his father's one great fault he had beena methodical man. He smiled regretfully, wishing that he might have beenable to have seen more of him. Among the papers he hoped to find apersonal note--a word--from his father. He found nothing of thatcharacter.
After a time he took up a pen and began to write. Long ago he haddecided that in the first is
sue of the paper he would attack theCattlemen's Association. Judge Graney had ridden out to the Circle Baron the previous Saturday afternoon, remaining over Sunday, andaccompanying Hollis on the return trip Monday morning.
While at the ranch the Judge had spent much of his time in communicatingto Hollis his views of the situation in Union County and in acquaintinghim with the elder Hollis's intentions regarding the newspaper. Hollishad made some inquiries on his own account, with the result that when hereached the _Kicker_ office this morning he felt that he hadacquired a good and sufficient knowledge of the situation.
Looking over the old copy of the _Kicker_ he studied some of theadvertisements. Evidently some Dry Bottom merchants had been braveenough to antagonize Dunlavey by advertising in the _Kicker_. Withthis copy of the _Kicker_ in hand Hollis rose from his desk, toldPotter he was going out, and proceeded to visit some of the merchantswhose advertisements appeared in the paper, hoping that their braverystill abided with them. He made a good solicitor. Some of the merchantsflatly refused, saying they did not care to risk Dunlavey's anger.Others demurred, confidentially announcing that they had neverconsidered the paper seriously and that there was really no good inadvertising in Dry Bottom anyway--the town wasn't big enough. Half adozen listened quietly while he told them that the _Kicker_ was inDry Bottom to stay and then smiled and told him to run theiradvertisements. They rather admired his "nerve" and were not afraid ofDunlavey.
At noon Hollis stepped into a restaurant called the Alhambra. While heate he was critically inspected; the Alhambra swarmed with customers,and the proprietor quietly informed him that he was a "drawin' card" andhoped he'd "grub" there regularly. In return for his promise to do soHollis secured his advertisement.
Leaving the Alhambra he returned to the _Kicker_ office, seatinghimself again at his desk. The sun came slantwise through the windowfull upon him; the heat was oppressive; the flint-like alkali dustsifted through the crevices in the building and settled over everythingin the room; myriad flies droned in the white sunlight before the opendoor. He heard nothing, felt nothing, saw nothing--for his thoughts weremiles away, in an upper story of a big office building in the East fromwhose windows he even now looked down upon a bustling city.
Life would be so different here. He heard a sound behind him and turned.Dunlavey was standing just inside the door, his great arms folded overhis chest. He had been watching Hollis, his eyes narrowed with acynically humorous expression.
Hollis knew that by this time Dunlavey must have discovered hisidentity. He swung slowly around in his chair, his face wearing anexpression of whimsical amusement as he greeted his victim of a few daysprevious.
"Welcome to the _Kicker_ office," he said quietly.
Dunlavey did not move. Evidently he had expected another sort ofgreeting and was slightly puzzled over Hollis's manner. He remainedmotionless and Hollis had an opportunity to study him carefully andthoroughly. His conclusions were brief and comprehensive. They wereexpressed tersely to himself as he waited for Dunlavey to speak: "Atrickster and a cheat--dangerous."
Dunlavey's eyes flashed metallically for an instant, but immediately thehumorous cynicism came into them again. "I don't think you mean all ofthat," he said evenly.
Hollis laughed. "I am not in the habit of saying things that I do notmean," he said quietly. "I am here to do business and I am ready to talkto anybody who wants to do business with me."
Dunlavey's hands fell to his sides and were shoved into his capacioustrousers' pockets. "Right," he said tersely: "that's what I'm herefor--to talk business."
He pulled a chair over close to Hollis and seated himself in it, movingdeliberately, a certain grim reserve in his manner. Hollis watched him,marveling at his self-control. He reflected that it required will powerof a rare sort to repress or conceal the rage which he surely must feelover his humiliation of two weeks before. That Dunlavey was able to somask his feelings convinced Hollis that he had to deal with a man ofextraordinary character.
"I recollect meeting you the other day," said Dunlavey after he hadbecome seated. He smiled with his lips, his eyes glittering again. "I'llsay that we got acquainted then. There ain't no need for us to shakehands now." He showed his teeth in a mirthless grin. "I didn't know youthen, but I know you now. You're Jim Hollis's boy."
Hollis nodded. Dunlavey continued evenly: "Your father and me wasn'twhat you might call bosom friends. I reckon Judge Graney has told youthat--if he ain't you've heard it from some one else. It don't make anydifference. So there won't be any misunderstanding I'll tell you that Iain't figgering on you and me hitching up to the mutual friendship wagoneither. I might say that we wasn't introduced right." He grinned evilly."But I ain't letting what happened interfere with the business that'sbrought me here to-day. I've heard that you're intending to start the_Kicker_ again; that you're figgering on staying here and runningthe Circle Bar. What I'm here for is to buy you out. I'm offering youfifteen thousand dollars for the Circle Bar and this damn newspaper."
Dunlavey had lost a little of the composure which had characterized hisactions since entering the office and the last words of his speech hadwrithed venomously through his lips.
Hollis's face betrayed absolutely no emotion. Though Dunlavey's visit tothe _Kicker_ office had surprised him he was not surprised at hisoffer for the ranch and the newspaper, for according to Judge Graney hehad made some such offer to the elder Hollis. Coming now, with anaddition of five thousand dollars, Dunlavey's offer seemed to advertisehis reluctance to continue the war that he had waged. Hollis appreciatedthe situation. If Dunlavey were to buy him off now there would come anend to the warfare that had already been an expensive one for theinterests represented by Dunlavey. Likewise, the acceptance of the offerwould give Hollis an opportunity to withdraw gracefully. Dunlavey hadplaced the issue squarely before him. The young man held his future inhis hands and he did not reply at once.
He sat silent for a few moments, studying the coarse, brutal face of theman seated before him, noting that his under jaw had come forwardslightly, and that the cold, hard glitter had come again in his eyes.However, Hollis's silence meant nothing beyond the fact that he wasgoing slowly over the history of the fight between his father and theman who sat there representing the interests which had begun the war. Hehad no thought of surrendering--that would be dishonorable. He wasmerely revolving the situation in his mind, considering how best to wordhis refusal. He did not want to appear belligerent; he did not want toprecipitate war. But he did want Dunlavey to know that he purposed tohave his rights; he wanted Dunlavey to know that he could not befrightened into surrendering them. He clasped one hand over his knee andleaned back in his chair, his gaze meeting Dunlavey's steadily.
"Dunlavey," he said quietly, "what is the actual value of the Circle Barranch?"
Dunlavey smiled blandly. "You couldn't find any man around these partsto take it at any price," he returned.
"Why?" questioned Hollis.
Dunlavey grinned mysteriously. "I reckon you know why," he returned;"you're pretty much of a tenderfoot, but I reckon Judge Graney has putyou wise to the situation. There ain't nobody wants to buy the CircleBar except me."
"Why?" persisted Hollis.
"I reckon you know that too," laughed Dunlavey. "It ain't no secret. TheCattlemen's Association is running things in this here county and itain't wanting anyone to buy the Circle Bar except me. And nobody is foolenough to antagonize the Association. That's the why, if you want toknow real bad."
"You are frank about it at any rate," conceded Hollis smiling slightly."But that doesn't get us anywhere. What I am trying to get at is this:what would the Circle Bar bring in cash if the Cattlemen's Associationceased to be a factor in the county?" Dunlavey grinned broadly. "For atenderfoot you're real amusing," he derided. "There ain't nobody outhere crazy enough to think that the Cattlemen's Association will ever beput out of business!"
Hollis's lips curled a little, but his gaze was still steady.
"That's evasion, Dunlavey," he
said quietly. "You will remember that Iasked you what the Circle Bar would bring 'if' the Association ceased tobe a factor."
Dunlavey favored Hollis with a perplexed grin. "I don't know whatdifference that makes," he returned. "We're dealing with what's beforeus now--we ain't considering what might be. But if you want to know mypersonal opinion it's that the Circle Bar might bring thirty thousand."
"Thanks," said Hollis dryly; "that's getting somewhere. And now we'll beable to talk business. We've got thirty thousand to start with. I amtold that when the Association began its war against my father he wasrather prosperous. Usually he rounded up about two thousand head ofcattle. But we'll call it a thousand. We'll say that they brought aboutthirty dollars a head, which would make an income of thirty thousanddollars a year, gross. We'll deduct fifty per cent for operatingexpenses, losses, and so on. That would leave about fifteen thousand.You've been fighting the Circle Bar for several years. We'll call itfive. Five times fifteen thousand is seventy-five thousand. Thatrepresents the sum which my father would have made from the Circle Barif you had not fought him. Add to that the thirty thousand which youadmit would be a fair figure for the ranch if the Association wereeliminated as a factor, and we have a total of one hundred and fivethousand dollars." He smiled and leaned a little farther back in hischair, narrowing his eyes at Dunlavey. "Now we have reached a pointwhere we can get somewhere. I'll take one hundred thousand dollars forthe Circle Bar."
The calm announcement had no effect upon Dunlavey except to cause him togrin derisively.
"For a tenderfoot you're pretty slick," he allowed, his teeth showing."You've figgered it out so that it sounds right reasonable. But you'veforgot one thing. The Cattlemen's Association ain't eliminated. It saysthat the Circle Bar is worth fifteen thousand. You'll take that or----"He smiled grimly, holding back the threat.
"I think I know what you mean," said Hollis quietly, without changingcolor. "You mean that the Cattlemen's Association will continue itsfight and eventually ruin the Circle Bar. Perhaps it will--no man cantell what lies in the future. But I can tell you this: you can't retardprogress."
"No?" said Dunlavey with an irritating drawl.
Hollis smiled composedly. He spoke without bitterness. "Dunlavey," hesaid, "I'm going to tell you something which you perhaps know but willnot admit. Your Association has been successful in pulling the stringswhich make the politicians at Washington jump to do your bidding. Idon't accuse you of buying them, but in any event they have greased theways over which your Association has slipped to power. And now you thinkthat the impetus you have gained will carry you along indefinitely. Itwon't. Everything in this world runs its natural course and when it doesthere comes an end.
"If you were endowed with the average foresight you would be able to seethat things cannot always go on the way they have. The law must come. Itis inevitable. Its coming will be facilitated by such organizations asthe Cattlemen's Association and by such men as you. Back in the East theforces of Good and Bad are battling. The forces of Good will bevictorious. The government at Washington is familiar with the conditionsthat exist here and sooner or later will be compelled to act. When itdoes the small cattle owner will receive protection."
"We're holding tight till the law comes," sneered Dunlavey; "which won'tbe soon."
"Perhaps not," admitted Hollis dryly; "good things come slowly.Meanwhile, if you don't care to accept my figure for the Circle Bar Ishall follow your example and hold tight until the law comes."
"Meaning that you won't sell, I suppose?" sneered Dunlavey.
"Meaning just that," returned Hollis quietly. "I am going to fight you.I have offered the Circle Bar at a fair figure and you have respondedwith threats. I wouldn't sell to you now if you offered one hundred andfifty thousand. The Circle Bar is not for sale!"
Dunlavey had not moved. He sat quiet, leaning a little forward, hishands resting on his knees, his eyes narrowed to glittering pin-pointsas he watched Hollis. When the latter had concluded he leaned back,laughing hoarsely.
"What are you going to do with this damn newspaper?" he demanded.
"The newspaper will be used as a weapon against you," returned Hollis."It will kick loud and long against such organizations as theCattlemen's Association--against such men as you. Ostensibly the_Kicker_ will be a Dry Bottom newspaper, but it will appear inevery city in the East; the matter that appears in it will be reprintedin Chicago, in Washington, in New York--in fact in every city in which Ihave a friend engaged in the newspaper business--and I have a number. Iam going to stir up sentiment against you. I am going to be the Law'sadvance agent!"
Dunlavey rose, his lips curling with contempt. "You make me sick!" hesneered. He turned his back and walked to the door, returning andstanding in front of Hollis, ominously cool and deliberate. "So that'sthe how of it?" he said evenly. "You've come out here looking for fight.Well, you'll get it--plenty of it. I owe you something----"
"Wait, Dunlavey," Hollis interrupted, without excitement; "I want you tounderstand that there isn't anything personal in this. I am going tofight you because you are a member of the Cattlemen's Association andnot because you were my father's enemy. I am not afraid of you. Isuspect that you will try to make things decidedly interesting for mefrom now on and I suppose I ought to be properly troubled. But I am not.I shall not be surprised at anything you do. I think that is all. Pleaseclose the door when you go out."
He turned to the desk, ignoring Dunlavey. Sitting there, his sensesalert, he heard the door slam. From beyond it came a curse. Silenceagain reigned in the office; Hollis was alone with the dust and theheat--and some very original thoughts.