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Brand, Max, 1892-1944

"Black Jack"


"And you're like the old boy," declared Denver. "You got to find out for
yourself. It'll be that way with this work idea of yours. You've lost one
job. You'll lose the next one. But--I ain't advising you no more!"

CHAPTER 21

Terry left the hotel more gloomy than he had been even when he departed
from the ranch that morning. The certainty of Denver that he would find
it impossible to stay by his program of honest work had made a strong
impression upon his imaginative mind, as though the little safecracker
really had the power to look into the future and into the minds of men.
Where he should look for work next, he had no idea. And he balanced
between a desire to stay near the town and work out his destiny there, or
else drift far away. Distance, however, seemed to have no barrier against
rumor. After two days of hard riding, he had placed a broad gap between
himself and the Cornish ranch, yet in a short time rumor had overtaken
him, casually, inevitably, and the force of his name was strong enough to
take away his job.
Standing in the middle of the street he looked darkly over the squat
roofs of the town to the ragged mountains that marched away against the
horizon--a bleak outlook.


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