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About The Red Cloud chief. (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923 | View Entire Issue (April 7, 1905)
sptsrssrar TS 1 . . jai o7e Gentleman : i From Indiana By 'Booth Tarkigtoj 1.. . . .... ( .., Copyright. 1899. by "Doubtiday of., ..i;; Copyright. 1902. "w" " " flWlilMmWmilll4JlillliMMMMll (CONTINUED FIIOM LAST WEEK ; Watts tried to call tlicm back. "What's the use your getttn' killed?" be shouted. "Why not?" answered Llge, and. like the others, was Increasing his speed when old "Wimby" rose up suddenly from the roadside ahead of them and motioned them frantically to go back. "They're laid out along the fence wait in' fer ye," he warned them. "Git out the road. Come by the fields. Fer the Lord's sake, spread!" Then as sudden ly ns he had appeared he dropped down Into the weeds again. LIgo and those with him paused, and the whole body came to a halt while the leaders con sulted. There was a sound of metallic clicking and a thin rattle of steel. From far to the rear came the voice of old "WllkeiMm: "John Brown's body lies a-molderlne In the ground, John Brown's body lies a-moldcrlnjj in tho ground." A few near him as they stood wait ing began to take up the burden of thu song, Tinging It in slow time like a dirge. Then those farther away took It up. It spread, reached the leaders. They, too, began to sing, taking off their hats us they joined in, and soon the whole concourse, solemn, earnest, uncovered, was singing a thunderous requiem for John llarkless. The sun was swinging lower, and the edges of the world were embroider ed with gold, while that deep volume of sound shook the ulr, the song of a stern, savage, Just cause sung perhaps as some of the ancestors of these men sang with Hampden before the bris tling walls of u hostile city. It had Iron audited lu it The meu lying ou their guns in the ambuscade along the fence beard the dirge rise and grow to its mighty fullness, and they shiver ed. One of them, posted nearest tho advance, had his rllle carefully leveled at LIgo Wllletts, a fair target in the road. When he heard the singing ho turned to the man next behind him and laughed harshly, J'l reckon we'll see a big Jamboree otl'ier side Jordnn tonight, huh?" The huge murmur of tho chorus ex panded and gnthered in rhythmic strength and swelled to power and rolled and thundered across tho plain. "John Brown's body Ilea a-moldcrlng In the ground, John Brown'B body lies a-moldorlng In thu ground. John Brown's body lies n-molderlng In tho ground, His soul goes marching on! Glory, glory, hnllelulah! J Glory,. glory, halleluiah! j Glory, glory, hullclulah! His soul goes marching on!" A gun spat lire from tho higher ground, nnd Wllletts dropped where lie stood, but was up again in n second, with a red lino across his forehead where the ball had grazed his temple. The mob spread out like a fan, tho men climbing the fence nnd beginning the advance through tho Holds, thus closing on tho nmbuscadc from both sides. Mr. Watts, wading through the high grass in the Held north of the road, perceived the barrel of a gun shining from tho fence some distance In front of him and tho snmo second, although no weapon was seen in his hnnd, discharged a revolver at tho clump of grass and weeds behind the gun. Instantly ton or twelve men leaped from their hiding places nlong the fences of both fields and, firing hurriedly and harmlessly into the scat tered ranks of the oncoming mob, broke for tho shelter of tho houses, where their fellows were posted. Tak en on the flanks and from tho rear, there was but one thing for them to do to keep from being hemmed In and shot or captured. (They excessively pre ferred being shot.) With a wild, high, Joyous yell, sounding like the bay of young hounds breaking Into view of their quarry, the Plattvlllo men fol lowed. Tho most eastward of the debilitated edifices of Six Crossroads was the sa loon. It bore the painted legends, on the west wall, "Last Chance;" on tho east wall, "First Chance." Next to this and separated by two or three acres of weedy vacancy from the cor ners, where tho population centered thickest, stood If one may so predi cate of a building which leaned In sev en directions the house of Mr. Rob ert Skillett, tho proprietor of the sa loon. Hoth buildings were shut up as light ns their state of repair permit ted. As they were furthest to the east, they formed the nearest shelter, and to them tho Crossronders bent their lllght, though they stopped not here, but dis appeared behind Sklllett's shanty, put ting It between thorn atid their pur-i suers, whose guns were beginning to speak. Tho fugitives had a good start, ami, being the picked runucra of tho SL McClurt Co. by McClurt. Thilttpj f3L Co. ff Crossroads, they crossed the open, weedy acres In snfety and made for their homes. Every house had become a fort, and the defenders would have to be fought and torn out one by one. As the guns sounded, n woman In a utility near tne rorge began to scroa. and kept on screaming. On came the farmers and the men of Plattvlllo. They took the saloon at a run, battered down tho crazy doors with u fence rail and swarmed Inside like busy insects, making the place hum like a hive, but with the hotter industries of destruction. It was empty of life as a tomb, but they beat and tore and battered and broke and ham mered and shattered like madmen; they reduced the tawdry Interior to a mere chaos and came pouring forth laden with trophies of ruin, and then there Was a charry smell In tho air, and n slender feather of smoke floated up from a second story window. At the same time Watts led an as sault on the adjoining house, an assault which came to a sudden pause, for from cracks in tho front Avail a squirrel rifle and a shotgun snapped and banged, fnd the crowd fell back in dis order, ifomer Tlbbs had a hat blown away, full of buckshot holes, while Mr. Watts solicitously examined n small They were coining. aperture in the skirts of bis brown coat. The house commanded the road, and the rush of the mob into the village was checked, but only for tho Instant. A rickety woodshed which formed a portion of the Skillett mansion closely Joined the "Last Chance" side of the fumlly place of business. Scarcely bad the guns of the defenders sounded when, with a loud shout, LIgo Wllletts lenped from an upper window on that side of the burning saloon and landed on the woodshed nnd, immediately climbing the roof of the mansion Itself, applied a brand to the dry, time worn clapboards. Itoss Schofleld dropped on tho woodshed close behind him, his arm lovingly Infolding a gallon Jug of whisky, which ho emptied (not without evident regret) upon the clapboards as Llge tired them. Flames burst forth almost lnstnntly, nnd tho smoke, unit ing with that now rolling out of every window of the saloon, went up to heav en in a cumbrous, gray column. As the flames began to spread there was a rapid fusillade from the rear of tho house, and a hundred men and more, who had kept on through tho fields to tho north, assailed It from be hind. Their shots passed clear through the flimsy partitions, and there was a screaming like beasts' howls from with in. Tho front door was thrown open, and a lean, flerce eyed girl, with a ease knife in her hnnd, ran out In tho face of tho mob. At sound of tho shots In the rear they had begun to advance on the bouse a second time, nud Hartley' Bowlder was the nearest man to the' girl. With awful words and shrieking Inconceivably she mndo straight at Hnrtley and attacked him with the1 knife. She struck nt him again and1 again, nnd In her anguish of hnte and ' fear sho was so extraordinary a spectn-! do that sho gained for her companions tne seconds they needed to escape from tho house. As sho hurled herself alono at the oncoming torrent they sped from the door unnoticed, sprnng over the fence and reached tho open lots to tho west before thoy were seen by Wllletts from the roof. "Don't let 'em fool you J" he shouted. "Look to your left! There they go! Don't let 'em got nway!" - Tho Crossroaders were runnlnc across tho field. Thoy wore Rob Skillett and, his younger brother, and Mr. Skillett' was badly damaged. Ho seemed to bo holding his Jaw on his face with both hands. Tho girl turned and sped after, them. She wns over the fence almost as soon as they were, and the three ran in single file, tho girl last. Sho wns ci ther mngnlflcently sacrificial and fear less or she cunningly calculated that the regulators would take no chances of killing a woman-child, for she kept between their guns and her two com panions, trying to cover and shield the latter with her frail body. "Shoot, Llge," called Watts. "If wo Are from here we'll bit the girl. Shoot!" Wllletts and Hoss Scholleld were still standing on the roof at the edge out of the smoke, nnd both fired at tho same time. The fugitives did not turn. They kept on running, and they had nearly reached the other side of tho field when suddenly, without any pre monitory gesture, the elder Skillett dropped flat on his face. The Cross roaders stood by each other that day, for four or five men ran out of tho nearest shanty Into the open, lifted the prostrate figure from the ground and began to carry it back with them. Hut Skillett was alive. Ills curses wer heard above all other sounds. Llge and Scholleld fired again, nnd one of the rescuers staggered. Nevertheless ns the two men slid down from tho roof the burdened Crossroaders were seen to break Into a run, nnd at that, with another yell, fiercer, wilder, more joy-1 .. ,i..... i... .1 i ii... ........ i uun iiiiiii inu lira i, mu I'lnilVllie 111011 followed. The yell rang loudly In the ears of rid Wllkerson, who had remained back In tho road, and at the same instant he heard another shout behind him. He had not shared In the attack; but, greatly preoccupied with his own his trionic affairs, was proceeding alone np the pike, except for the unhappy yellow mongrel still dragged along by the rope, nnd alternating, as was his natural wont, from one fence to the other, crouching behind every bush to lire an Imaginary rifle at the dog and then springing" out with triumphant bellowlngs to fall prone upon the terri fied animal. It was after one of these victories that a shout of warning was laiscd behind him. nnd .Mr. Wllkei-hon. by grace of the god Ruechus, lolling out of the way In time to save his life, saw a horse dash by him, n big. black horse whose polished flanks were drip ping with lather. Warren Smith was the rider. He was waving n slip of yel low paper high in the air. He rode up the slope and drew rein beyond the burning buildings just ahead of those foremost lu the pursuit. He threw his horse across the road to oppose their progress, rose In his stir rups and waved the paper over als head. "Stop!" he roared. "(Jive me one minute! Stop!" He had a grand voice, and he was known In many parts of tho state for the great bass roar with which ho startled his Juries. To be heard at a distance most men lift tho pitch or their voice. Smith lowered his an octave or two, and the result was like an earthquake playing an organ lu a catacomb. "Stop!" he thundered. "Stop!" In answer one of the flying Cross roaders turned and sent a bullet whis tling close to li I in. The lawyer paused long enough to bow deeply In satirical response; then, flourishing the paper, ho roared again: "Stop! A mistake! I have news! Stop, I say! Horner has got them!" To make himself heard over that tempestuous advance was a feat; for him, moreover, whoso counsels had so lately been derided, to Interest the pur suers nt such a moment enough to make them listen to And the word was a greater, and by the word and by gestures at once vehemently Im perious and imploring to stop them wns a still greater. Hut he did It. He had come at Just the moment- before the moment that would have been too late. They all heard him. They nil knew, too, that he was not trying to save tho Crossroads as a matter of duty, because ho had given that up be fore tho mob left I'lattville. Indeed, it was a question if nt the last he bad not tacitly approved, and no one feared indictments for the day's work. It would do no harm to listen to what ho had to say. The work could wait. It would "keep" for five minutes. They began to gather around him, excited, flushed, perspiring nnd smelling of smoke. Hartley Howlder, won by Llge's desperation nnd Intrepidity, was helping the latter tie up his head. No one else was hurt. "What Is It?" they clamored impa tiently1. "Speak quick!" There was another harmless shot from a fugitive, and then the Crossroaders, divining that the diversion was In their favor, secured themselves in their decrepit fastnesses and held their Arc. Mean while tho flames cracTUed cheerfully in I'lattville curs. No matter what tho prosecutor had to say, at least the Skil lett saloon and homestead were gone, und Hob Skillett and one other would be sick enough to be good for awhile. "Listen!" cried Warren Smith, nnd, rising In his stirrups again, read tho missive In his hand, a Western Union telegraph form. "Warren Smith, Plntt vllle," was tho direction. Found hoth shell men. Police, familiar With hoth, and both wnnted here. Ono arrested at noon in secondhand clothes store wearing llarkless" hnt; also trying to dispose torn full dress coat known to Jiavo been worn by HarklcsB last night. Stalnson lining believed blood. Second man found later tit freight yards In empty lumber ear left I'lattville 1 p. in., badly hurt, shot and bruised. Supposed llark less mndo hard light. Hurt man taken to hospital imonnsclous. Will dlo. Other uiuii refuse. o tulk no far. Check any fftdvament CroKJironrin. This clears Bkll lett, etc. Coma over an 9:15 accommoda tion. Tho telegram wns signed by Homer, the sheriff, and by Harrott, the super intendent of police at Itouen. "It's all a mistake, boys," the lnwyer said as he handed the paper to Watts nnd Parker for Inspection. "Tho Indies nt the Judge's were mistaken, that's all, nnd this proves It. It's easy enough to understand. They were frightened by tho storm, and watching n fence a quarter of a mile nway by flashes of lightning any one would have been confused and Imagined all the horrors on earth. 1 don't deny but what I be lieved It for awhile, and I don't deny but the Crossroads Is pretty tough, but you've done n good ileal here already today, i' '"c'ro saved lu time from u mistake mat would have turned out mighty bad. This settles It. Horner got 7l(! vuide vlraluht tit llartlcu. 'a wire to go soon us they got track of tho llrst man. That was when we saw him ou the Itouen accommodation." A slightly cracked voice, yet a huskl ly tuneful one, was lifted qunvcringly on the ntr from the roadside, where an old man and u yellow dog sat lu the dust together, the latter reprieved at the last moment, his surprised head raklshly garnished with n hasty wreath of dog fennel daisies. "John Brown's body lies a-moldcrlng In the ground, While wo go marching on." Three-quarters of an hour later tho Inhabitants of the Crossroads, saved, they knew not how; guilty, knowing nothing of the fantastic pendulum of opinion which, swung by the events of the day, had marked the fatal moment of guilt now on others, now on them who deserved It these natives and refugees, conscious of utroclty, dum founded by a miracle, thinking the world goin mad, hovered together In a dark, ragged- mass at the crossing comers, while the skeleton of the rot ting buggy in the slough rose behind them against the face of the west. They peered with stupefied eyes through the smoky twilight. From afar, faintly through tho gloaming, came mournfully to their ears the many voiced refrain, fainter, fainter: "John Brown's body lies a-moldcrlng In the ground, John Brown'B body lies a-moldcrlng In tho ground, John Brown's body lies mold wo go tnurch on." CHAPTER X. I a T the city hospltnl In Rouen fl that night n stout young man frjTt-lt1 Introduced himself to Hur IE?4SJ t'ctt, superintendent of po lice; Warren Smith nnd Horner, sheriff of Cnrlow. He spoke In u low voice. "My nmiiG is Meredith," ho said. "Mr. Harkless was an old and and " He paused for a moment. The I'lattville men nodded solemnly. "An old nnd dour friend of mine," he went on, with some difficulty, and Warren Smith took hlui silently by tho hand. "You can come in und seo this man, the Teller, with us if you like, Mr. Mer edith," said the superintendent. "Your friend made it very hot for him be foro the two of 'em got away with him. He's so shot and hacked up his mother wouldn't know him If she wanted to. At least that's what they say out here. We haven't seen him. He's called Jer ry the Teller, and ono of my sergeants found him In the freight yard. Know it was the Teller, because ho was stow ed nway In one of tho empty cars that came from I'lattville lust night And Sluttcry that's his running mate, the ono wo caught with tho coat and hat owned up thut they beut their way on that freight. Looks like Slattery let the Teller do all tho fighting. lie ain't scratched. We've been nt Slattery pretty hard, but he won't open his head, nnd wo hope to get something but of this one. He's delirious, but they say he'll come to before he dies. Do you want to go In with us?" "Yes," said Meredith simply, nnd a young surgeon presently appeared and led them down n wldo corridor and up a narrow hall, and they entered a small, quiet ward. There was a pungent smell of chem icals In the room. Tho light was low, nnd the dimness was Imbued with a thick, confuted murmur, incoherent whisperings that came from a cot In tho corner. It was the only cot In use in the ward, and Meredith was con scious of a terror that mnde him dread to look nt It, to go near it. Reside it nurse sat silent, and upon It feebly tossed the racked body of him whom Bnrrctt had culled Jerry the Teller. The head was a shapeless bundle, so swathed It was with bandages and cloths, nnd what part of the face wan visible was discolored and pigmented with drugs. Stretched under the whlto sheet the man looked Immensely tall bb Horner saw with vague misgiving nnd lie lay In an odd, Inhuman fash ion, as though he. had been all broken to pieces. Ills attempts to move were constantly soothed by the nurse, and lie us constantly continued such at tempts, and one hnnd, though torn nnd bandaged, was not to be restrained from u wandering, restless movement that Meredith felt to be pathetic. He bad entered the room with a flare of hate for tltc thug whom he had como to see die and who had struck down the old friend whose nearness he had never known until It was too lute. Hut nt llrst sight of the broken figure ho felt nil animosity fall away from him. Only awe remained and a growing traitorous pity ns he watched the long white lingers of tho Teller pick nt tho coverlet. The man was muttering rapid fragments of words nnd sylla bles. "Somehow I feel n sense of wrong, Guy," Meredith whispered to the sur-( goon, whom he know. "I feel ns If I had done the fellow to death myself, ns If It were all out of gear. I know now bow Henry felt over the great Gulsard. How tall he looks! That doesn't seem to me like n thug's band." The surgeon nodded. "Of course If there's n mistake to bo made you can count on Harrett and Ids sergeants to make It. I doubt If this Is their man. When they found him, what clothes he wore wero torn and stained, but they had been good once, especially the linen." Barrett bent over the recumbent fig tire. "Sec here, Jerry," be said. "1 want to talk to you a little. Rouse up, will you? I want to tulk to you ns a friend." Tho Incoherent muttering continued. "See here, Jerry!" repeated Harrett more sharply. "Jerry l Rouse up, will you? We don't rnnt nny fooling, un derstand that, Jerry!" He dropped his hand on tho man's shoulder und shook him slightly. The Teller uttered a short, gasping cry. "Lot me," snld Gay und swiftly In terposed, landing over the cot, he snld In u pleasant voice: "It's nil right, old ! man; it's nil right. Slattery wants to know what you did with that man down at I'lattville when you got through with him. He can't remember, ond he thinks there was money left on him. Slattery's head was hurt. He can't remember. He'll go shares with you when he gets it. Slattery's going to stand by you If he can got the money." The Teller only tried to move his free hand to the shoulder Harrett had shak en. "Slattery wants to know," repeated Aie young surgeon, gently moving the hnnd back upon the sheet. "He'll divvy up when he gets It. He'll stand by you, old man." "Would you please not mind," whis pered tho Teller faintly "would you please not mind If you took care not to brush against my shoulder again?" The surgeon drew back, with an ex clamation, but the Teller's whisper gathered strength, nnd they heard him murmuring oddly to himself. Mere dith moved forward, with n sturtled gesture. "What's that?" be said. "Seems to bo trying to sing, or some thing," snld Barrett, bending over to listen. The Teller swung his nrm heuvlly over the side of the cot, .the lingers nev er censing their polnful twitching. Tho surgeon leaned down and gently moved the cloths so that tho white, scarred lips wore free. They moved steadily. They seemed to be framing the sem blance of nn old ballad that Meredith know. The whisper grew more distinct. It became a rich but broken voice, and they heard It singing like the sound of some far, halting minstrelsy: "Wavo willows murmur waters golden minbeu smile, Earthly nu.c cannot waken lovely Annie Lisle." Meredith gave nn exclnmatlon. The bandaged hand waved Jauntily over the Teller's head. "Ah, men," ho said, almost clearly, and tried to lift hlmseir on his arm, "I tell you It's u grand eleven we have tills year! Thcro will bo llttlo left of anything that stands ogulnst them. It's our cham pionship. Did you seo Jim Romley ride over his man this nfternoon?" As tho voice grew clearer the sheriff stopped forward, but Tom Meredith, with a loud cry of grief, threw him self ou his knees beside the cot and seized tho wandering fingers in bis own. "John!" he cried. "John, is it you?" (to he continued.) HOLLISTErV ftneky Mountain Tea Nuggets ! A Juay Medicine for Busy People. Brings GolJaa Health and Itenowoi Vigor. A sricIllo for Constipation, Imllgoitlon, Live ' nnd Klilney Troubles, l'lmple. Kecmi, Impur Uootl, Il.ul breath, Rlngglsh bowels, Headache '.nd Hudmrlio. It's Rocky Mountain Tea In tao t form, a"5 cents u box. Genuine- mndo by lor.usTEa Unco Oompanv, Mmllgon, Wis. OLDEN flUQGETS FOR SALLOW PEOPLE f. i' i A' Hi- ' X i . u it JT Ji