And
when Hell's Half-Mile was thus in full eruption, the citizens of
Redding stayed away from Water Street after dark. "Drive's in,"
said they, and had business elsewhere. And the next group of
rivermen, hurrying toward the fun, broke into an eager dog-trot.
"Taking the old town apart to-night," they told each other. "Let's
get in the game."
To-night, however, the street was comparatively quiet. The saloons
were of modified illumination. In many of them men stood drinking,
but in a sociable rather than a hilarious mood. Old friends of the
two drives were getting together for a friendly glass. The
barkeepers were listlessly wiping the bars. The "pretty waiter-
girls" gossiped with each other and yawned behind their hands. From
several doorways Orde's little compact group was accosted by the
burly saloonkeepers.
"Hullo, boys!" said they invariably, "glad to see you back. Come in
and have a drink on me."
Well these men knew that one free drink would mean a dozen paid for.
But the rivermen merely shook their heads.
"Huh!" sneered one of the girls. "Them's no river-jacks! Them's
just off the hay trail, I bet!"
But even this time-honoured and generally effective taunt was
ignored.
Pages:
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99