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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 17, 1908)
f 'f T- - "' '? - wvmmmM' "Mmmm 'fl5TOMLLWdfC revolver lying upon the floor, and KwunK Slavin's discarded holt across his shoulder. "Stand aside. penMemen," lie com manded. "Stop hack, aiid let me pass!" They oheyed. He swept them with watchful eyes, stepped past and slam med the door behind him. Men were already beginning to pour Into the sa loon, uncertain yet of the facts, and shouting tjuestions to each other. To tally ignoring these, Hampton thrust himself recklessly through the crowd. Half-way down the broad steps Duck Mason faced him, in shirt sleeves, his head uncovered, an ugly "45" in his uplifted hand. Just an instant the eyes of the two men met, neither doubted the grim purpose of the other. "You've got ter do it. Bob," an nounced the marshall, shortly, "dead er alive." Hampton never hesitated. "I'm sor ry J met you. I don't want to get anybody else mixed up in this fuss. If you'll promise me a chance for my life, Buck, I'll throw up my hands. But I prefer a bullet to a mob." The little marshal was sandy-haired, freckle-faced, and all nerve. The crowd jammed within the Occidental had already turned and were surging toward the door. Hampton knew from long experience what this meant; these were the quickly inflamed co horts of Judge Lynch they would act first, and reflect later. His square jaws set like a trap. "All right. Hob," said the marshal. "You're my prisoner, and there'll be one hell of a fight afore them lads git ye. There's a chance left leg It after me." Just as the mob surged out of the Occidental, cursing and struggling, the two sprang forward and dashed into the narrow space between the livery stable and the hotel. Moffat chanced to be in the passageway, and pausing to ask no questions. Mason promptly landed that gentleman on the back of his head in a pile of dis carded tin cans, and kicked viciously at a yellow dog which ventured to snap at them as they swept past. Be hind arose a volley of curses, the thud of feet, an occasional voice roaring out orders, and a sharp spat of re volver shots. One ball plugged into the siding of the hotel, and a second threw a spit of sand into their lower ed faces, but neither man glanced back. They were running for their lives now, racing for a fair chance to turn at bay and fight, their sole hope the steep, rugged hill in their front. Hampton began to understand the purpose of his companion, the quick, unerring instinct which had led him to select the one suitable spot where the successful waging of battle against such odds was possible the deserted dump of the Shasta mine. With every nerve strained to the uttermost, the two men raced side by Fide down the steep slope, ploughed through the tangled underbrush, and toiled up the sharp ascent beyond. At the summit of the ere dump the two men flung themselves panting down, for the first time able to realize what it all meant. They could per ceive the figures of their pursuers among the shadows of the bushes be low, but these were not venturing out into the open the first mad. heedless rush had evidently ended. There were some cool heads among the mob lead ers, and it was highly probable that negotiations would be tried before that crowd hurled itself against two desperate men, armed and entrench ed. Both fugitives realized this, and lay there coolly watchful, their beath growing more regular, their eyes soft ening. "Whut is all this fuss about, any how?" questioned the marshall, evi dently somewhat aggrieved. "I wus just eatin' dinner when, a feller stuck his head in an' yelled ye'd killed somebody over at the Occidental." Hampton turned his face gravely toward him. "Buck, I don't know whether you'll believe me or not, but I guess you never heard me tell a lie, or knew of my trying to dodge out of a bad scrape. Besides. 1 haven't any thing to gain now, for I reckon you're planning to stay with me, guilty cr not guilty, but I did not kill that fel low. I don't exactly see how I can prove it. the way it all happened, but 1 give you my word as a man, I did not kill him." Mason looked him squarely in the eyes, his teeth showing behind his stiff, closely clipped mustache. Then he deliberately extended his hand, and gripped Hampton's. "Of course I be lieve ye. Not that you're any too blame good, Bob, but you ain't the kind what pleads the baby act. Who was the feller?" "Red Slavin." "No!" and the hand grip perceptible tightened. "Holy Moses, what Ingrati tude! Why, the camp ought to get to gether and give ye a vote of thanks, and Instead, here they are trying their level best to hang you. Cussedest sorter thing a mob Is, anyhow; goes like a flock o sheep after a leader, an I bet I could name the fellers who are a-runnin' that crowd. How did IV I ' iht- thins? hannen?" Both men were intently observing the Ingathering of their scattered pur suers, but Hampton answered gravely, telling his brief story with careful de tail, appreciating the importance of reposing full confidence in this quiet, resourceful companion. "All I really saw of the fellow," he concluded, "was a hand and arm as they drove in the knife. You can see there is where it ripped me. and the unexpected blow of the man's body knocked me forward, and of course I fell on Slavin. It may be I drove the point further In when I came down, but that was an accident. The fact is. Buck, I have every reason to wish. Slavin to live. I was just get ting out of him some information I needed." Mason nodded, his eyes wandering from Hampton's expressive face to the crowd beginning to collect be neath the shade of a huge oak a hun dred yards below. "Never carry a knife, do ye?" "No." "Thought not; always heard you fought with a gun. Caught no sight of the feller after ye got up?" "All I saw was the crowd blocking the doorway. I knew they had caught me lying on Slavin, with my hand grasping the knife-hilt, and, somehow, I couldn't think of anything Just then but how to get out of there into the open. I've seen vigilantes turn loose before, and knew what was likely to happen!" "Sure. Recognize anybody in that first bunch?" "Big Jim. the bartender, was the only one I knew; he had a bung-starter in his hand." Mason nodded thoughtfully, his mouth puckered. "It's him, and half a dozen other fellers of the same stripe, who are kickin' up all this fra cas. The most of 'em are yonder now, an' if it wusn't fer leavin' a pris oner unprotected, darn me if I wudn't like to mosey right down thar an' pound a little hoss sense into that bunch o' cattle. Thet's "bout the only thing ye kin do fer a plum fool, so long as the law won't let ye kill him." "I'm really sorry that you got mixed i:p in this. Buck," said Hampton, "for it looks to me about nine chances out of ten against either of us getting away from here unhurt." r "Oh, I don't know. It's bin my ex perience thet there's allers chances if you only keep yer eyes skinned. If we kin only manage to hold 'em back till after dark we maybe might creep away through the bush to take a hand in this little game. Anyhow, it's up to us to play it out to the limit. Bless my eyes, if those lads ain't a-comin' up right now!" A half-dozen men were starting to climb the hillside, fallowing a dim trail through the tangled underbrush. Mason stepped up to the ore dump where he could see better, and watch ed their movements closely. "Hi, there!" he called, his voice harsh and strident. "You fellers are not invited to this picnic, an' there'll be somethin' doin' if you push along any higher." The little bunch halted instantly just without the edge of the heavy timber, turning their faces up toward the speaker. "Now, see here, Buck," answered one, taking a single step ahead of the others, and hollowing his hand as a trumpet to speak through, "it don't look to us fellers as if this affair was any of your funeral, nohow, and we've come 'long ahead of the others just on purpose to give you a fair show to pull out of it afore the real trouble begins. Sabe?" "Is thet so?" The little marshal was too far away for them to perceive how his teeth set beneath the bristly mustache. "You bet! The boys don't consider thet it's hardly the square deal your takin up agin 'era in this way. They 'lected you marshal of this yere camp, but it warn't expected you'd ever take no sides 'long with murderers. Thet's too stiff fer us to abide by. So come on down. Buck, an' leave us to at tend to the cuss." "If you mean Hampton, he's my prisoner. Will ycu promise to let me take him down to Cheyenne fer trial?" "Wal, I reckon not, old man. We kin give him a trial well 'nough here in Glencaid," roared another voice from one of the group, which was ap parently growing restless over the de lay. "But we ain't inclined to do you no harm onless ye ram in too far. So come on down, Buck, throw up yer cards: we've got all the aces, an' ye can't bluff this whole durn camp." Mason spat into the dump contemp tuously, his hands thrust into his pock ets. "You're a fine-lookln lot o' law abidin' citizens, you are! Blamed if you ain't. This yere man. Bob Hamp ton, is my prisoner, an I'll take him to Cheyenne if I have ter brain every tough in Glencaid to do it. Thet's me, gents." .-. &$ "Oh, come off; you can't run your notions agin the whole blame moral I V I iT I senrrmcn? of this camp." "Moral sentiment! I'm backin' up the law, not moral sentiment, ye cross eyed beer-sllnger, an' if ye try edgln' up ther another step I'll plug you with this '45.'" There was a minute of hesitancy while the men briow conferred, the marshal looking contemptuously down upon I hem, his revolver gleaming oin ineusly in the lifcht. "Oh. come on. Buck, show a little hoss sense." the haior rang out. "W'-'ve got every f lk r in camp along with us. an' there ain't no show fer ' f "Hi, There!" He Called, "You Fellers Ain't Invited to This Picnic." the two o ye to hold out against tht sort of an outfit." Mason smiled and patted the barrel of his Colt. "Oh, go to blazes! When I want any advice, Jimmie, I'll send fer ye." Some one fired, the ball digging up the soft earth at the marshal's feet, and flinging it in a blinding cloud Into Hampton's eyes. Mason's answer was a sudden fusilade, which sent the crowd flying helter-skelter into the un derbrush. One among them stagger ed and half fell, yet succeeded in dragging himself out of sight. "Great Scott, if I don't believe I winged James!" the shooter remarked cheerfully, reaching back into his pocket for more cartridges. "Maybe them boys will be a bit more keerful if they once onderstand they're up agin the real thing. Well, perhaps I better skin down, fer I reckon it's liable ter be rifles next" It was rifles next, and the "winging" of Big Jim, however it may have in spired caution, also developed fresh animosity in the hearts of his fol lowers, and brought forth evidences of discipline in their approach. Peering across the sheltering dump pile, the besieged were able to perceive th3 dark figures cautiously advancing through the protecting brush; they sped out widely until their two flanks were close in against the wall of rock, and then the deadly rifles began to spit spitefully, the balls casting up the soft dirt in clouds or flattening against the stones. The two men crouched lower, hugging their pile of slag, unable to perceive even a stray assailant within range of their ready revolvers. "This whole blame country is full of discharged sojers," he growled, "an' they know their biz all right. I reck on them fellers is pretty sure to git one of us yit; anyhow, they've got us cooped. Say, Bob, thet lad crawling yonder ought to be in reach, an' it's our bounden duty not to let the boys git too gay." Hampton tried the shot suggested, elevating considerable to overcome dis tance. There was a yell and a swift skurrying backward which caused Ma son to laugh, although neither knew whether this result arose from fright or wound. " 'Bliged ter teach "em manners onct in awhile, or they'll imbibe a fool no tion they kin come right 'long up yere without no invite. 'Taint fer long, no how, 'less all them guys are ijuts." Hampton turned his head and look ed soberly into the freckled face, im pressed by the speaker's grave tone." "Why?" "Fire, my boy, fire. The wind's dead right fer it; thet brush will burn like so much tinder, an' with this big wall o' rock back of us, it will be hell here, all right. Some of 'em are bound to think of it pretty blame soon, an then. Bob, I reckon you an' I will hev' to take to the open on the jump." Hampton's eyes hardened. God, how he desired to live just then, to uncover that fleeing Murphy and wring from him the whole truth which had been eluding him all these years! CHAPTER XXI. "She Loves Me; She Loves Me Not." It was no claim of military duty which compelled Brant to relinquish Miss Spencer so promptly at the ho tel door, but rather a desire to escape her ceaseless chatter and gain retire ment where he could reflect in quiet over the revelations of Hampton. In this quest he rode slowly up the val ley of the Bear Water, through the bright sunshine, the rare beauty of the scene scarcely leaving the slight est impress on his mind, so busy was it. and so preoccupied. He no longer had any doubt that Hampton had util ized his advantageous position, as well as his remarkable powers of pleasing, to ensnare the susceptible heart of this young, confiding girl. While the man had advanced no direct claim, he had said enough to make perfectly clear the close intimacy of their re lation and the existence of a definite understanding between them. With this recognized as a fact, was he jus tified in endeavoring to win Naida Gil lis for himself? That the girl would find continued happiness with such a man as Hampton he did not for a mo ment believe possible; that she had been deliberately . deceived ' regarding his true character he felt no doubt. That the girl was morally so fat above him as to make his very touch u profanation, and at the unbidden thought of it, the soldier vowed to op pose such an unholy consummation. Nor did he, even then, utterly despair of Y.in:ilri;. for he recalled afrt s'.i the intimacy f their few past meetings, his face brightened in memory of this and tliM brief word or shy g!ance. All the world loves a lover, and all the ftiri s guide him. As the offi cer's (yes glanced up from the dusty road, h" perceived just ahead the same steep hank down which he had plunged in his effort at capturing hia Hieing tormentor. With the sight then; came upon him the desire to loi ter a?:ain in the little glen where they had first met. and dream once more of her who had given to the shaded nook both life and beauty. Me swung himself from the saddle, tied a loose rein to a scrub oak, and clambered up the bank. With the noiseless step of a plains man he pushed in through the laby rinths of bush, only to halt petrified upon the. very edge of that inner bar rier. No figment of imagination, but the glowing reality of flesh and blood, awaited him. She had neither seen nor heard his approach, and he stop ped in perplexity. He had framed a dozen speeches for her ears, yet now he could do no more than stand and gaze, his heart in his eyes. And it was a vision to enchain, to hold lips speechless. She was seated with un studied grace on the edge of the bank, her hands clasped about one knee, her sweet face sobered by thought, her eyes downcast, the long lashes plain ly outlined against the clear cheeks. To draw back unobserved was impos sible, even had he possessed strength of will sufficient to make the attempt, nor would words of easy greeting come to his relief. He could merely worship, silently as before a sacred shrine. It was thus she glanced up and saw him with startled eyes, her hands unclasping, her cheeks rose colored. "Lieut. Brant, you here?" she ex claimed, speaking as if his presence seemed unreal. "What strange mir acles an idle thought can work!" "Thoughts, I have heard," he re plied, coming toward her with head uncovered, "will sometimes awaken answers through vast distances of time and space. As my thought was with you I may be altogether to blame for thus arousing your own. From the expression of your face, I sup posed you dreaming." She smiled, her eyes uplifted for a single instant to his own. "It was rather thought just merging into dream, and there are few things In life more sweet. I know not whether it is the common gift of all minds, but my day-dreams are almost more to me than my realities." "First is was moods, and now dreams." He seated himself comfort ably at her feet. "You would cause me to believe you a most impractical person, Miss Naida." "If that were only true, I am sure I should be most happy, for it has been my fortune so far to conjure up only pleasure through day-dreaming the things I like and long for be come my very own then. But if you mean, as I suspect, that I do not en joy the dirt and drudgery of life, then my plea will have to be guilty. Back of what you term practical some one has said there is always a dream, a first conception. In that sense I choose to be a dreamer." "And not so unwise a choice, if your dreams only teiyl toward re sults." He sat looking into her ani mated face, deeply puzzled by both words and actions. "I cannot help noticing that you avoid all reference to my meeting with Mr. Hampton. Is this another sign of your impractical mind?" : "I should say rather the opposite, for I had not even supposed it con cerned me." "Indeed! That presents a vastly dif ferent view from the one given us an hour since. The distinct impression was then conveyed to both our minds that you were greatly distressed re garding the matter. Is it possible you can have been acting again?" "I? Certainly not!" and she made no attempt to hide her indignation. "What do you mean?" He hesitated an instant in hie re ply, feeling that possibly he was treading upon thin ice. But her eyes commanded a direct answer, and he yielded to them. "We were informed that you expe rienced great anxiety for fear we might quarrel so great, indeed, that you had confided your troubles to an other." "To whom?" "Miss Spencer. She came to us os tensibly in your name, and as a peace maker." For a moment she sat gazing direct ly at him, then she laughed softly. "Why, how supremely ridiculous; I can hardly believe it true, only your face tells me you certainly are not in play. Lieut. Brant, I have never even dreamed of such a thing. You had informed me that your mission was one of peace, and he pledged me his word not to permit any quarrel. I had the utmost confidence in you both." "How, then, did she even know of our meeting?" "I am entirely in the dark, as mys tified as you," she acknowledged, frankly, "for it has certainly never been a habit with me to betray the confidence of my friends, and I learn ed long since not to confide secrets to Miss Spencer." Apparently neither cared to discuss the problem longer, yet he remained silent, considering those questions which might decide his fate. "You speak of your confidence In us both," he' said, slowly. "To me the complete trust you repose in Mr. Don't Use sell, and what your prices are. Nine times out of ten your prices are lower, but the customer is influenced by the up-to-date adver tising of the mail order house. Every article you advertise should be described and priced. You must tell your story in an inter esting way, and when you want to reach the buyers cf this com munity use the columns of this paper. PLAY BASKET BALL SATURDAY The Platfsmouth High School Team Defeats Silver City High School Team Last Saturday evening' to a house, not overly crowed, the basket ball team of the city high school, played a game with the High school team of Silver City, la., which was very warm ly contested from the instant the game was called until the last play had been made. The boys here have been up against the real thing to that extent now that they have found that they have to play from the start to the fin ish in all the games, which is a good thing for them, for it makes a game more enjoyed by those who watch it. The team from Silver was one which knew the game and how to play it, as was evidenced by the score which they made. The line up for our boys were; C. Real and C. Eaton, forwards; Mil ford Bates and Ray Smith, guards; while Francis Whalen cared for the center. The score was Silver City 24; Plattsmouth 27. The Silver City line-up was as follows: HufTaker and Hofrman, forwards ; Moore, center; Reeves and White, guards, and C. B. Woodrum, princ ipal of the schools. Charles Wilkins umpire, and C. B. Woodrum referee. Wiii Close at Six o'clock Beginning Thursday, February 20th, 1908, we the undersigned will close our clothing stores at 6 o'clock every even ing, with the following exceptions. Saturday, pay-day, and the day following. This to continue until further notice. Signed: C. E. Wescott's Soxs. Kraft Clo. Co. W. W. Coates. M. Fangek. Wm. Holly. Exempt From Taxation. The revenue law of 1903 provides for the following exemptions: All property of the state, counties, and municipal corporations: property used exclusively for agriculture and horticultural socie ties, for school, religious, cemetery and charitable purposes; and for deprecia tion in value in real estate caused by any public easement, the increased value of lands by reason of live fences or forest trees grown and cultivated there on shall not be taken into account in the assessment thereof. DOC 0 We are agents for Electropodes, and the manufacturers instiuct us to sign a contract with each purchase agreeing to refund the monev if thev fail to cure. They are guaranteed to cure rheumatism in any form. They cure nervous headaches and all other nervous ailments. They positively remove all bad odors from the feet or any part of the body. They never fail to create a good circulation of the blood and make cold feet warm. They are worn in the heels of the shoes, where they cre ate a mild and soothing flow of electricity the whole day, which builds up the entire nervous system, thus removing that tired, draggy, worn-out feeling so common to most people. Electropodes cost one dollar per pair, and after you have worn them 30 days, if they have done you no good or fail to cure, return them to us and we will refund the money just as cheerfully as we take it. If you are afflicted with any of the above ailments, please give Electropodes a trial. u 0 MP IIH 0 PLATTSMOUTH, OIL a Scarecrow To Drive Away (lis Hail Order Wolf Yon can drive liitn out quickly if you tw the mail order houses' own weapon advertising. Mail order concerns are spending thousands of dollars every week in order to t trade from the home merchants. Do you think for a minute they would keep it up if they didn't get the busi ness? Don't take it for granted that eery one within a radius of 25 miles knows what vou have to BIS git: Carrying Money in any considerable amount is dangerous. Don't flatter your self that your habit of doing so is unnoticed. Thieves make it their business to find out such things. Better l)C on the safe side and deposit your money in Bank of Cass County. The sooner you do so the better. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of regret. THF BANK OFCASS COUNTY WHEN THE KETTLE SINGS it's a siim of coal satisfaction. Want to hear tbe music in your kitchen? Easy order coal from this office and yard. The output or the Trenton mine the fuel we handle has no su perior anywhere, its equal in few places J. V. EGENBERGER, 'PHONE I'lattsmonth No. L'J. PLATTSMOUTH, ,1'I, N.0 ' NEBRASKA DOC o 0 NEBRASKA. 0 -m. '' DOC