THE OMAITA DAILY BEE : SATURDAY , FEBKUAHY 20 , 1SOG. 11
THE SHADOW OF THE GREENBACK.
t , l Mi by Holicrt Itirr. )
Hickory Sara needed but ono quality to be
j > e feet. Ho Kiould liave been an arranl
coward , Ho wati a blurtprlng bragaart , * !
vays bcastlng 6t the men lie h d nlaln , an 3
the o.lds he had contended against , filled wllli
BUrlcs ot hia own valor , but alas ! he shot
ntrnlgiit and rarely mlsred unless lie waa
Onmkcr than utuat , It would have been de-
llgMlut to tell how this unmitigated ruffian
lis.ll hern held up by some Innocent tenderfoot
from the eart and inaifo to dance at the muz *
zip of some quite new nml daintily orna
mented revolver , for thin loud-mouthed blow.
) iard wemed just the man to flinch when real
danger confronted him , but , sad tp say , there
v * nothing ot the white feather about Hick
ory Sum , for ho feared neither man nor gunner
nor any combination ot them. Ho was a *
ready to fight a do/.cn as one , and once had
actually held up the United States army at
Fort Concho , beating a mnpterly retrcjt back
ward with Ills face to the foe , holding n
trcnj ) In check with his two sevon-thootOM
that Memcd to point In every direction at
once , making every mnn In the company feel ,
with a shiver up his back , that IIP InJIvldti-
ally was "covered" nml would bo the first to
drop If firing actually began.
Hickory Sam appeared tuddonly In Salt
IilcU and speedily made good his claim to bo
the bad mnn of the district. Some old-timers
disputed this arrogant contention ot Sam's ,
but they did not live long enough to main
tain tholr own \\oll earned reputations as ob
jectionable cltlzene. And ro Hickory Sam
reigned supreme In Halt Lick , and every one
In the plico was willing and eager to stand
treat \o Sam or to drink with him when In-
lite ; ! .
Sam's chief place of resort In Salt Lick
wr.s the Hndes saloon , kept by Mike Davlln.
lllUo had not originally Intended this to be the
title ot his bar , but had first named It after
a little liquor cellar he kept In his early
days In Philadelphia , called "Tho Shades , "
but some cowboy humorist , particular About
the eternal fitness of things , had scrape.l
otfi the letter "S , " nml so thcjslgn over the
door had hecn allowed to remain. Mike did
not grumble. He had In Philadelphia taken
a keen Interest In politics , but nn unex
pected spasm of civic virtue having over
taken that city some years before , Davlln
had been made a victim am ) he was forced
to leave suddenly for the west , where there
were no politics , and whore a man handy
at mixing drinks wan looked upon as > n boon
by the rest of the community. Mike did not
Krnmblo when even the name "Hades"
failed to satisfy thi boys In their thlrsl for
appropriate nomenclature , and when they
took to calling the place by a shorter and
toiser synonym , beginning with the same
letter , he made no objection. Mlko was an
adaptive man , who mixed drinks , but did not
mix In rows. Ho protected himself by not
keeping a revolver and by admitting that he
could not hit hi * own tuloon at twenty
yards' distance. A residence In the quiet
city of Philadelphia Is not conducive to the
nlmbllng of the trigger finger. When the
boj-H In the exuberance ot their spirits be
gun to shoot , Mike promptly
dtirked under his counter and
nailed till the clouds of smoke
rolled by. Ho sent In a b'll for broken
glass , bottles , and the damage generally ,
when his guests were sober again , and his
accounts were never disputed and always ,
paid. Mike was a deservedly popular citi
zen lit Salt Lick and might easily have been
elected to the United States congress If he
had dared to go east again. Dul , as ho
himself said , ho was out of politics.
It was the pleasant custom ot the cowboys
of miller's ranch to como Into Salt Lick on
pay days and close up the town. Those
periodical visits did little harm to any one.
and seemed to bo productive of much amuse
ment for the boys. They rode at full
gallop through the one street iof the place
like a troop of cavalry , yelling at the top
ot their Voices'and trandiBblns/'thoIr weapons.
The first raid through Salt Lick was merely
a warning , and nil peaceably Inclined Inhabitants -
habitants took It as such , retiring forthwith
to Hie seclusion or their-homes. On--ther
return trip the bdys winged or lamed , with
imcirlng aim anyone found on the street.
They seldom killed a wayfarer ; If a fatality
ensued It was usually the result of accident ,
and much to the regret of the boy ? , who always -
-ways apologized handsomely to the surviving
relatives , which expression ot regret was
generally received In the amlcablfe spirit
, -Bltli which' was tendered. There was lions
of the rancor of the vendetta In these little
encounters ; if a man happened to be
blotted 'out. It was his Ill-luck , that
BJ > nil. and theic was rarely
nny thought of reprisal. This perhaps was
largely due to the fact that the community
V.HH a bhlftlng one , and "few had any near
relatives about them , for although the vic
tim might have Mends , they seldom hold
him In such esteem ns to be willing to take
tip hia quarrel when there wab n bullet hole
through him , Relatives , however , are often
nioro til 111 cull to deal with than are friends ,
In cases of sudden death , and this fact was
recognized by Hickory Sam , who , when lie
was compelled to shoot the younger Holt
brother Jn Mike's fcaloon , at once went , at
eomo personal Inconvenience and assassinated
the elder before John Holt heard the news.
'As ' Sam explained to Mike when he returned
ho had no quarrel with John Holt , but
merely killed him in the Interests of peace ,
for ho would have been certain to draw
and probably shoot several citizens when he
lieard ot his brother's deuth , because , for
some unexplained reason , the brother * were
fond of each other.
When Hickory Sam was compiratlvely new
to Salt Lick he allowed the Duller's ranch
' to close tip the town without opposition.
' 'IT'S TOO LATi : TO TALK. " YEI.LKD SAM
It was their custom "lu-u the capital of
Coyote county had been closed up to their
catUfactton to ndjourn to Hades nnd tiero ]
blow In their hard uarticd gains tin the liquor
MIKe furnUhed. They also added to the
decoration * ot the siiloon celling. Several
cowboys had a gift of twilling their Win-
chuter repeating rtllon around the forrflnger
and flrlni ! It na ibo filng inutile momen-
tarlly pointed upward. The nun who tould
jmt tlio mo t bullets \\Ithln the tmiallefct
* pic" In the root wua the expert of the oc
casion and didn't have to pay for his drliiKt ,
Thjs exhibition might have mndu many
a man quail , but It bad nn effect on Hickory
Ham , who leaned ngilntt the bar and uncured
t the bhow us child's play.
"Pcrhapa you think you can do It , " cried
the champion , "I bet jou the drlnka you
Mil t "
"I don't have" to , " said Hickory Sum , with
Iho calm dignity ot a duitd ithot. "I don't
have to , but I'll tell you what I can do ,
1 r n nip the heuit out of a man with this
licro gun , " showing his ecvcn-ehootcr , "me
a-stniulliiB In h 1 hero and lib a coming out
of the bank. " For Rait Lick b lnu n progressive
gressive- town , had the Coyote County bank
oine illstance down the btrcH on the op-
jio lt ddo from the Enloon , "You're a liar. "
roired tlio chnmpton , wbcreapon all the toys
CtUKped Ihelr eun and \me ou the lockout -
out for trouble.
Hickory Sam merely laughed , strode to the
Uour , thrvw It oprii and walked out to the
middle of the deserted tborouchttre. "I'm
baJ man trum Way Hack , "
be yelled t the top ot hia
* ok-e. "I'm th tcueUfat CUSM In Coy
ote county , and no d d greasers from Dul-
ler's can close up this town when I'm .n It.
You hear me ? Salt Lick's wide open , and
I'm standing In the Hrcet to j > rcvo It. "
It tvas bad cnougli to have' the town de
clared cppn when ilftecn of them In a body
had proclaimed It Closed , 1)ul In add'llon to
this to bo called greasers was an Insult not
to b ; borne A cowboy despises a MoKlcan
almost as much arhe doe an Indian. With
a soul-terrifying yell tlie fifteen wcro out of
the talonn nnd on their horses like a cy
clone. They went down the street like a
tornado , whcillng nbout come distance ! below
the temporarily dosed bank , and cbirg ng
up again at full gallop , firing.In the direction
of Hickory Sam , whoA was crouching ba nd
nn empty whisky barrel-In front of the sa
loon with a "gun" In either hand ,
Sam made gooJ his contention by nipping
the heart of the champion when opposite the
bank , who plunged forward on hip face and
threw the cavalcadef Into contusion. Then
Sam flood up , and , regardless ot the scatter
ing shots , fired with both revolvers , killing
the foremost man of the troop and e'auRhtcr-
Ing three her es , which Instantly changed
the charge Into a roul. Ho then rctlreJ to
IIml03 and barricaded the door. Mike was
nowhere to bo seen.
But the boys knew wlion they had enough.
The } ; made no attack * on the saloon , but
picked up their dead , and , tUoraughly sobered ,
made their way , much more slowly than
they came , back" to Iluller'o Ranch.
When It was evident that they had gone
Mlko cautloiuly emerged from hia place of
retirement , as Sam was vigorously pounJlng
on the bar , threatening that If a drink were
not lorthcomlnR ho would go around behind
and help hlmeelf ,
"I'm n law and order man , by , " he
explained to Davlln , "and I won't have no
toughs from Uullcr'g Hanch clo ! > o up thlo
town and Interfere with commerce. Every
man has got to rcrpect the constitution of
the United Stales as long ns my gun can
bark , you bet your llfo. "
Mike hurriedly admitted that he was per
fectly right , and aaked him what he would
Imvo , forgetting In his agitation that Sam
took one thing only nnd that one thing
straight.
Ne.t day old Huller hlmoolt came In from
tase5 if anything could be done
about the latest affray. It was bad enough
to lose two ot his best herdsmen In a foolish
contest ot this kind , but to have three
trained horses killed as well was disgusting ,
liullcr had bacn one of the boys himself in
lib' younger days , but now , having grown
wealthy In thoicattle business , he was anxious
westward with strides
civilization move
to s > ce
a llttlo more rapid than It was taking. He
made the mUtako of appealing to the sheriff ,
au If that worthy man could be expected for
the small salary he rjcelved to attempt to
Sam. Betides
arret so dead a shot as Hickory
tides , aa the sheriff quite correctly pointed
out , the boys themselves had been the ag
gressors In the flrsl place , and It fifteen of
thorn could not take care of one man behind
an empty whisky barrel they had belter re
main peaceably at homo In the future , and
do their pistol practice In Ihe quiet Innocuous
retirement of a shooting gallery. They surely
could not expect the strong arm of the law In
she-rift to
peaceably-minded -
the person of a
reach out and pull their chestnuts from the
flic , when several ot thorn had already burnt
their fingers , and when the chcstnuls shot
and drank as straight as Hickory Sam.
Duller finding the executive portion of the
l > nv slnw * nd reluctant to move. sou pit advice
f i bin his own lawyer , the ono dlsclplo of
Cnkc-Upon-Uttleton In the place. The
liiwjor doubted If there was nny legal
uincdy In the then condition of society
ai > und Salt Lick. The safest plan perhupa
wnuhl bc"-mlnd , lie did not ndviao , but
merely suggesled to surround Hickory Sam
and wipe him off the face of the oarth. This
might not be strlclly according lo law , but
It would be effective , If carried cut without
an error.
Tlio particulars of nullcr's Interview with
the sheriff spread rapidly In Soil Lick and
caused great Indignation among the residents
thereof , especially those who frequented
Hudcs , H WHH a reproach to the place that
the law should bolnvokcd , all on account ot
a trivia ! Incident | ( ko that of the day before.
Sum. who hud Mfl\ celebrating his victory
at Mlke'n , hoard the news with bitter , If
somewhat client resentment , for he had
advanced so far In his cups that ho was
nil but Kpef-clilcsti. Ilulng a magnanimous
man he ivould have been quite content 10 let
bygones be bygoneu , but this unjustifiable
action of llullcr'a required prompt and
effectual clia tUcment. Ho would tend
the wealthy ranchman to keep company
with hla slaughtered hordemcn. Thun It
was that when Duller mounted his horse
after his futile vUlt to the lawyer , ho found
Hlckoiy Sam holding tut street with his
guns. The fuxllaJe tliat.followed was with
out remit , which dlsappolnllng termination
Is accounted for by'tho fact that Sam \\au
exceedingly drunk at11 the' ' time , and the-1
ranchman was out of practice. Seldom had
Salt I.lek Rent BO much powder burnt with
in damage except to the-window ulaes In the
vicinity. Hulltr went back to the lawyer's
oRlce and afterwards had an Interview with
the bank manager. Then he got quietly
out ot town unmolested , for Sam , woeplng
o\tr the Inaccuracy of hlu aim , on Mike's
shoulder , gradually ennl ; to sleep In n corner
ot the taloon ,
Next morning \vlon | Sam woke to torn-
pouiy sobriety no cit ) word to the ranch
tlmt he would shoot old Duller on tight and
nt the tame tlmo npologUed for the previous
eccentricities of ' hluIn ) , promising that
such an anuo'ylnn exhibition should not
occur again. Ho signed himself "Tho
Tcircr of Salt I.ick , nnd th Champion of
Law and Order , "
It wo * rumored that old Duller , when he
returned to the lawyer's oltlco , had made his
will and that' th bank manager had wit
nessed It. Thlt suppofcil action of DuPer
W B taken * * a moit delicate compliment to
Hickory Sam's determination and marksman-
elilp , and ho was justly proud of the work he
had thrown Into HID lawyer's handa.
A week paeacd bcfotc old Uuller came to
Salt Lick , but ulicn ho came Hickory Bam
wu * waiting ( or him , and this tlina the
dojperado wan not drunk ; that In to say , he
hail not had more than hull a dozen Clauses
of forty-rod that morning.
When the rumor came to Hades that old
Uuller was approaching the town on horse
back and alcno Sam at once bet the drlnka
that he would flif but ono shot , and so. In
a measure , stone for the Ineffectual racket
ho had nude on the occasion ot the previous
encounter , The crowd etocd by , In safe
placo.1 , to see the mult ot th * duel.
Sam , with DUO revolver In hto right hand ,
etood tQuare lo tb center ot tbe street , With
the turdy bearlnR ot one. who has his quar
rel Just , and who besides can plerca the ace
spot on a card ten yardi further away than
any other mnn In the county.
Old Uuller came riding up the street as
calmly as If he were on his own \ ranch.
When almost within range ot Sam'a pistol
thn old man raised bolh lunds above h'i
heoil. letilng the reins fall on the horse's
neck. In this extraoidlnary attitude he rode
f irward , to the amazement of the crowd , and
the evident embarrassment ot Sam ,
"I am rot armed. " the old man shouted ,
"I'vo came to talk this thing over and sst-
to It. "
"It's too lale for talk , " yelled Snln , Infurl-
n'cil ot the prospect of missing his victim
after all. "Pull your gun , old man , and
rtoot. "
"I haven't gst n gun on me , " said
Duller still ad\anclng , and still holding up
Lit hnnds.
"That's trick played out , " shouted Sam ,
flinging up his right hand and firing.
Thf old man , with hands above his bend ,
leaned slowly forward 1'kc ' it falling tower ,
then pitched head foremost from his horse
to the ground , where he lay wlthrul a strug
gle , lace down and arms spread out.
Great as was the fear cf the desperado , an
Involuntary cry of horror went up from Ilia
crowd. Killing Is all right and proper In Its
way , hut the shooting ot an unarmed man
who voluntarily hold up his hands and kept
them up. was murder , even on Ihe plains.
Sam looked savagely around him , glaring
al Iho crowd Ihnt shrank away"from him , the
smoking pistol hanging muzzle downward
from his bands.
"It's all n trick , He had n shoollng Iron In
his bcol. I see Ihe bull ot It slicking oul.
That's why I fired. " ,
"I'm not saying nolhln' , " said -Hike , ns the
fierce glance of Hickory resled on him.
' "Taln't any affair cf mine. "
"Yes It Is , " cried Hickory.
"Why , I didn't have nothln' to do with It , "
protcslcd the saloon keeper. -
"No , but you've got somcthln' lo do with
It now. What did wo elect you coroner fur ,
I'd like to know ? You've got ti > hlisllo
around and 'panel your jury an' bring In a
verdict of accidental death or somcthln' of
that sort. Hrlng any sort kind of verdict
that'll save trouble In future. I believe In
law and order , 1 do , an' I like to scc things
done regular. "
" ' for them cow-
"Hut wo didn't have no jury
boyu. " said Mlko.
"Well , cowboys Is dlffersnt. It didn't M
much matter about them. Still It'd oughtcr
been done oven with cowboys If we were
more'n halt civilized. Nothln' like bavin *
things done on the record dtraight nnd t-hlp
iJiapo. Now rame o' you fellows help me In
ONE RAISED A FINGER TO STOP HIM.
wllh the body and Mlke'll 'panel his jury in
three shakes. "
There Is nothing like an energetic , public-
spirited man for reducing chaoa to order.
Things began to assume their normal atli-
ludo , and the crowd began to loik to Sam
for Instructions au to the proper tjilng to do.
He ficemed to understand the etiquette of
thcso occasions and those presenl foil thai
Ihoy were Ignorant and Inexperienced com
pared with him ,
The body was laid out on a bencji In the
room at the back ot the saloon while the
Jury and the spectators wore accommodated
with such seata as the place affordoi. Hick
ory Sam himself taking an elevated posltlan
on Ihe top of a barrel where ho could , as It
were , preside over the arrangements. It was
vaguely felt by those present that Sam bore
no malice toward the deceased , and this was
put down rather to his credit.
"I think , " said the coroner , looking hesl-
lulingly up at Sam , with an expression which
showed ho was quite prepared to withdraw
hlo proposal If It should prove Inappropriate ,
"I think wo might hive the lawyer over here.
Ho known how these things should bo done
nnd ho'o the only man In Salt Lick that's
got a bible to swear the Jury on. I think
they ought to bo eworn. "
"That's n good Idea , " concurred Sam.
"One of you run across for him and tell
him lo bring the book. Nothing , llko bavin'
those things regular and proner and ' accordln' '
to law. " ,
The lawyer had heard of the catastrophe ,
and ho came promptly over to the saloon
brlrglng the book with him and some papers
In Ills hand. There was now no doubt
abcut Sam's knowledge of thfc proper thing
to do , when it was found that thp lawyer
quite agreed with him tlmt an Inquest , under
the circumstances , was justifiable and ac-
coidlng to precedent. Thp jury found that
the late Mr. Duller had "died through
misadventure1 which phrase , sarcastically
suggested by the lawyer , when he found
that the verdict was going to be "accidental
death , " pleased the Jury , who'at once
adopted It.
When the proceedings were so pleasantly
toimlnatcd by a verdict acceptable to all
parties , ( bo lawyer cleared his throat and
sold that his late client , having perhaps a
premonition ot his fate , had recently made
a will and he had desired Iho lawyer to
make the will public as soon as possible
after his death. As the occasion seemoi
In every wey suitable , the lawyert 'proposed ,
with the permission of the coroner , to read
that portion which Mr. Duller desired should
receive the widest possible publicity ,
Mlko glanced with Indecision at the
lawyer and nt Sum sitting'high above the
crowd on the barrel.v
"Certainly , " said Hickory. "We'd all like
to hear the will , although I suppose It's
noneof our business. "
.The lawyer mudo no comment on this
rcimtik , but bowing to the 'assemblage un
folded a panc-r jind read It.
Mr. Duller left nil bis property to his
nephew In the east with the exception of
JCO.COO in greenbacks , then deposited In the
Coyotu County bank at Salt Lick. The testa ,
tor had reason to suspect that a desperado
named Hickory Sam ( real name 'or designa
tion unknown ) , had doalgns on Ihq testator's
life. In care thcso designs were nuccessful
this whole ot thin money -wan to go to the
person or perrons who buccecdod | n removing
this scoundrel from the faca of ths earth.
In case the sheriff anceted tbo said Hickory
Sam and bo wati trleU and executed , the
money was to bo divided between the sheriff
and these who assisted In the capture. It
any man on hia own responsibility shot and
killed tbe said Hickory Ham , Iho $50,000 be
came his sola properly and -yould be
bunded over to him by the bank manager.
In whom Mr. Duller expressed every .confi
dence , an soon ns the flayer ot Hickory Saw
pioved tbo deed to the satisfaction of the
manager , In every csse the bank manager
had full control of the disposal < u the fund ,
and could pay It In bulk , or dlvlarJH ( among
thoco who hud succeeded In eliminating
from a contentious world ono piIts moit
crmtcntloun members.
The nmuod silence which fftMwed the
reading ot this document w .b 6k n by a
loud jeering nd defiant laugh from the man
on th lisrrel. Ha laughed long , but no one
Joined him , cud , s he noticed this , Ills
hilarity died down , becoming In ft metsuro
forced and mechanical. Ths lawyer methodi
cally folded up his pipers. As tome of the
Jury glanctd down at the face of the dead
man who had originated this financial
scheme -post-mortem vengeance , they al
most Uncled the ? saw a. mullcjons leer about
the half-open tyes and lips. An nweo
whisper ran around the assemblage , each
nun said to the other under his breath
"Fit ty thous and dollars , " as If the
dwelling on each syllable made the totii
seem larger. The same thought was Ir
every man's mind , n clean , cool little fortiim
merely for the crooking ot A forefinger nm
the correct levelling of n pistol birrcl.
The lawyer had silently taken hU depart
tire. Sam , soberer than ho bad been to
many days , tlld down from the barrel , am
with hlti hand on the butt ot hto gun , sidled
hi * back agalnM the wall , toward Iho door
No one ralrcd n finger to stop htm ; all ca
there watching him as If they were hypno
listed. Ho nas no longer a man In theli
eyes ? , but the embodiment of n pum to bi
earned In a momty ) ! , for which thousand :
worked hard all their lives , and In vain , t (
accumulate.
Sam'o brain on.a . prpblcm was nol s <
quick aa hip linger on a ; trigger , but It begat
to filter slowly lnn | hl mind tint he wni
now face to facouWlUi a danger ngalnsl
which Mo pistol was powerless. Heretofore
roughly speaking , nearly everybody had beer
his friend ; now the band of the world wa ;
against him , with n most powerful motive
for being agnlnpt Mm ; a motive which h
hlmnslf could undoYMtuM. Kor a moro frac
tlou ot $50,000 lid' ' would kill anybody , K
lone us Ihe deed cfctild bo done with reason
able safely to himself. ' Why , then , shcuh
nny man stay hls linnd agalnsl him will
such a toward halK1liK'A\cr ( hs ! head ? As
Sam retreated backwards from among bis
former friend * , thei' sdw In his eyes what
they had never sccrf thjre before , something
thai was nol uxaclly fear , bill a look of fur
tive suspicion against the whole human race
Out In the open air once again San
braathcd moro froaly. He must get away
from Salt Lick and that quickly. Once 01
the prairie ho could make up hlti mind wha
the next move waa to be. He kept hia revolver
volvor In his hand , not daring to put It Into
Its holrter. Every sound made him jumi
nnd he was afraid to stand In the open , ycl
! * could not remain constantly with his
back to the wall. Poor Butler's horse , fullj
accoutred , cropped the grass by the s.lde oi
the road. To bo n horse thief was. cl
course , worse lhan to be n murderer , bill
there was no help for It ; without the horse
escape nas Impossible. Ho secured the
animal with bul little trouble , and sprang
upon Its back. As ho did so n shot ranp
out from the salcon. Sam whirled arouui ;
In the saddle , but fco one was to bo SCEII ;
iiclhtng but a thin film of p'slol smokemcll -
'ns In the nlr above Iho open door. The
rider fired twice Into the empty doorway ,
then with a curss turned towtrd the open
country nnd galloped away , and Sail Lick
was far behind him when nlghl fell. He
tethered his horse nnd threw himself down
on the grass , but dared not sleep. For all
lie knew , his pursuera might bo within a
tow rods of where he lay , for ho was certain
they would be on his trail as soon as they
knew he had left Sail L'ck. The prize was
loa great for no effort to bs made to secure
It.
There Is nn enemy before whom the strong
est and bravest mc'n must succumb ; that
enemy Is slceplersncss. Whsn daylight
found the desperado , he had not closed an
eye all night. His nerve was gone , and
pethaps for Ihe first time In his life ho felt
a Ihrlll ot fear. The emptiness ot the
prairie , which should have encouraged him ,
struck a chill cf loneliness Into him , and he
longed tor Iho s'ghl'of a man , even though
hs might have to fight him when ho ap
proached. He must have a comrade , he said
to himself , If he could find any human being
In straits as lorrlble as his own ; some one
who would keep walch and watch with him
through the night. Dul Ihe comrmlc must
L'lther be Ignorant of the weight of money
that hunt ; over tbe desprado's head or there
must be a price on his own. Au Innocent
man would not sco the use of keeping such
itr'.ct watch ; a gu'lly man on learning Ihe
ctrcumslances of Ihe case would sell Sam's
life -lo purchase his own freedom. Fifty
thousand dollars , In the desperado's mind ,
would do anything , and yet he himself of all
the 00,000,000 people In the land was the
3iily one who could not earn It ! A comrade
then , Innocent or guilty , was nccpssary If
the warderer was to liave sleep.
The horse was In distress through lack of
ivator , and Sam hlmslf was both hungry
ind thirsty. Ills next halting place , must be
near a stream , yotvperhaps his safety.Jilting (
the first night wasofluei to the fact that' h's
pursuers would naturally have loolted for
him neaf some watbr course and not on the
opsn prairie. ' 1B °
Ten days later MIltelDavlIn was awakened
at 3 in the mornlnif to'find standing by his
bed a gaunt , haggard'living skeleton , hold
ing a candle In one hand and pointing a
cocked revolver aV Mike's head with the
other.
"Get up , " said the apparition hoarsely ,
"and get me somcuilng to cat and drink.
Drink first , and bcqi > lck about It. Make no
noise ; Is there an > b'otdy'fclso In the house ? "
"No , " said Mll < t shivering , "you wait
here , Sam , and I'll'bring you something. I
thoughl you were among Iho Indians , or In
Mexico , or In Iho Dad , Lands long ago. "
"I'm In Dad Lands enough here. I'll go
with you. I'm ' not poing lo lei you out ot
my s'ght , and no trjcks , mind , or you know
'
what will happen. " 'j
"Surely you trusl me , Sam , " whined Mike ,
gelling up. '
"I don't trust any llvng man. Who fired
that shot at me when I was leaving ? "
"So help me. " protesled Mike , "I dunne , 1
wasn't In Ihe bar al the time. I can provo
I wasn't. Yer not lookln' well , Sam. "
"Curse you for a slow dawdler , you'd not
look well either , If you had .no . sleep for a
week and was starved Into the bargain. Get
a move on you. "
Sam ate like a wild boast what was set
before him , and although ho look a fctllt
glass ot whisky and water at the beginning ,
he now drank sparingly. He laid the re
volver on the table at Ills elbow , and made
Mike sit opposite him. When the ravenous
meal was finished ho pushed the plate from
him and looked across at Davlln.
"When I said 1 didn't trust you , Mike , I
was a liar. I do an' I'll prove It. When
It's your interest lo befriend a. man , you'll
rln It rtvorv tilnn ' *
no it rvery mno.
"I will that , " said Mike , not quite un
derstanding what the other had said.
"Now , listen to mo , Mike , and be sure
you do exactly as I tell you. Go to where
the bank manager lives and rouse him up
as I roused you. He'll not bo afraid when
be sees H'H you. Tell him you've got mo
over In the saloon and that I'vo como lo
rob Ihe bank ot that d d $50.000. Say that
I'm desperate and can't be taken short of a
dozen lives , and there is 410 Ho In that , as
you know. Tell him you've fallen In with
my plans and lhat we'll go over there ami
hold him up. Tell hlnj the only chance of
catching me Is by a trick. He's to open the
door of the place where the money Is and
you're to sttovo mo In and lock mo up ,
lint when be opens the. doer I'll send a bul
let through htm and you and me will divide
the money. Nobody will suspect you , tor
nobody'll know you were there but the bank
man and he'll be dead. Dut If you make
one move except as I tell you , the first bul
let goes through you. .See ? "
Mike's eyes opened wider and wider as
the scheme was disclosed. "Lord , what a
bead you have , Bam , " he said. "Why didn't
you think ot lhat before ? The bank manager
Is In Austin. "
"What the devil Is ho doing there ? "
"He took the money with him to put It In
the Austin bank. He left the day after you
did , for he eald the only chance you had
was to get that money. You might have
done thla the night you left , but not since. "
"That's straight Is It ? " said Sam sus
piciously.
" ' ' Vm " asserted
"It's God's truth speaking ,
Mlko earnestly. "You can find that out for
yourself In the morning. Nobody'll-molest
you , Yer jug dead beat for want o' sleep , I
can see that. Go upstairs and go to bed.
I'll keep watch and not a soul'Il know you'ro
here. " i
Hickory Sam'f ' * shoulders sank when he
heard the money wu& gone , and a look of
almost despair came' Into his halt closed
eyes. Ho rat thus for a few moments un
heeding the other's''adrlce ' , then with an ef
fort ( book oft his lethargy.
"No , " he said at last. ' 'I won't go to bed.
I'd like to enrich you-Alike , but that would
bo too easy. Cut im > oft Komo slices of this
cold meat And put'them between chunks of
broad , I want a three days' supply and a
bottle ot whisky. " i
Mlka aid BB requested and at Sam's or
der * attended him-to - bis horse. It was still
dark , but there was , a suggestion of tbo
coming day in the eastern sky. Dullor's
hone was at Jaded -and fagged out as Its
ridor. As Bam , BtyplDC like an old man ,
rode away , Mike hurried to his bed room ,
noiselessly opened the window and pointed
at the back of the dim retreating man a
shotgun loaded wltl sjugs. He could hardly
have missed killing- both iiorso and man , if
ha had had tie courege to fire , but hia hand
trembled and the drop * ot perspiration stood
tin his brftw. He knew that If he mlss <
thla time thcro would be no question In Sam
mind about who fired the shot. Kesllng tr
gun on the ledge and keeping his eye alor
the barrel , ho had not the nerve to pull tt
trigger. At last the retreating figure dtsai
pe.ircd , and wllh II Mike's chance ot a to
tune. He drew In the gun and softly close
the window with a long quivering sigh t
Sidney Duller went west from Detro
when be received the telegram that at
nounccd his uncle's death nnd 'told him li
was heir to the ranch. He wni thirty yeai
ycungcr than bin uncle had been at th
t'mo ot his tragic death , nnd he bore a n
maikabte likeness to the old man ; that Is ,
likeness more than striking , when II wa
rcincmbcrc'l that one bad lived all bl 111
In a clly whllo Ihe other iiad spent most c
his days on the plains. The young man ha
scon the sheriff on his arrival , expecting t
Hud lhat active steps had bo"ii taken toward
the arrest of the murderer. The sheriff as
mired him that nothing more effective con !
be done than what had been dcno by th
dead mnn himself In leaving $50,000 to th
killer ot Hickory Sam. The sheriff ha
made no move himself , for he tiad bee
confidently expecting every day to hear tha
Sam was shot. Meanwhile nothing had hoc
board or seen of tlio derpcrado since bo lei
Salt Lick on Hie back of the murdered man'
horse. Sidney thought this was rather
slip-shod nay ot administering justice , bu
he said nothing , and went back to his rancli
Dut If the sheriff had been Indifferent hi
own cowboys had been embarrassingly active
They had descried Iho ranch In n body an *
were scouring tbo plains searching for th
murderer , making the mistake of going to
far afield. They , like Mike , had expcctc *
Sam would firlko for the Dad Lands , am
they rode far and fast to Intercept htm
Whether Ihey were actuated by a desire t
share the money , a liking fcr ihclr old "boss,1
cr haired of Hickory Sam himself , the :
themselves would have found It difficult t
tell. Anyhow , It was n man-hunt , alid thel
hunting Instincts were keen.
In Ihe eirly morning Sidney Duller walkc
forth from the buildings ot the ranch nm
struck for the open pratrle. The sun wa
up , but tlio morning was still cool. Do
fete ho had gene far he sawapproachln )
the ranch , a single , riderless horse. Al
the animal came nearer and nearer , tt whin
nted on seeing him , and finally change/
Its course and came directly toward him
Then ho saw thai thcro vas n man on id
back , a man cither dead or asleep. Hh
hand hung down nerveless by the horse' :
side shoulder , mil swung helplessly to ant
fie ns the animal walked on ; thu man' :
head resled on the horde's mane. Thi
here ? came up to Sidney , thrusting Its nodi
out to him , whlnnoylng eontly , ns It o
knew him.
"Hallo , " cried Sidney , shaking the mar
by tbo shonldcr. "What's the matter ;
Arc you hurt ? "
iLBlantly the .desperado was wide awake
sitting bolt upright and staring at SIdncj
with lerrlfiod recognlllon In his eyes. Hi
raided his rlghl hand , but the pistol had evi
dently dropped from It when he , overcome
liy fatigue , and drowsy after his enormous
meal , had fallen asleep. Ho flung hlmscll
Dff , keeping the animal between himself and
lijs suppjscd 'enemy , pulled Ihe other re-
reiver and fired at Sluiiey across ths plung
ing horse ; -Before he could fire again , Sid
ney , who was an athlete , brought down
the loaded head of his cant on the pistol
nrlst of the ruffian , crying-
"Don't fire , you fool , I'm not going tc
liurt you. "
As thes revolver fell to the ground Sam
aprang savagely at the throat of Ihe young
man , who , slcpplng back , slruck the as
sailant a much heavier blow lhan ho In
tended. The leaden knob of Ihe slick fell
on Sam's temple and be dropped as It shot.
Alarmed at the effect cf his blow , Sydney
tcro open the unconscious man's' shirt nml
tried to get him to swallow Eomo ot Ihe
whisky from Ihe bottle ho found In hU
pocket. Appalled to find all blci efforts un
availing , ho sprang on the horse and rode
to the stables for help.
The foreman coming out cried :
"Good heavens , Mr. Duller , that's the old
man's horse ; where did you get him ? Well ,
Jerry , old fellow , " ho continued , pattlnp
the horse , who whinnied affectionately ,
they've been using you badly and you've
como homo 'to ' be taken care of. Whore did
you ' 'find111111 ' , Mr. Duller1'
"Out on the1 pfalrlc , and I'm afraid I've
killed tbo man who was riding him. God
knows I didn't Intend to , but ho fired at
mo and I Jilt harder lhan I thought. "
Sydney and the foreman ran out together
to where Jerry's late rider lay on the grass.
"He's done for , " paid the foreman , bending
aver the prostrate figure , but laklng the
precaution to have a revolver In his hand ,
"Ho's got' his dose , thank God. This is the
man who murdered your uncle. Think ol
him being knocked over with a city cane ,
ind think ot Ihe old man's money back In
to the family again ! "
J. W. Pierce- , Republic , la. , says : "I have
ised Ono Minute Cough Cure in my family
ind tor myself. VNlth results so entirely
iatlsfaclory Ihal I can hardly find words lo
ixprpss myself as to Its merit. I will ne\er
'all ' to recommend It to others , on every oc-
: aslon that presents Itself. "
.siiviii mvnx A I'-IIOST.
YclllMV Ml'llll ( 'OIlHpU'llCMIN nt II
llaiiiliirt of ColoratlmiiiH.
Gold in millions , gold In trillions , golden
\cmen , girls and children ; golden eloquence
tearing llko a tliccn cf brilliant suns Into
he empyrean ; champagne that flowed In
; oldeii cascades down throats ot gold ; gold
hat knows no limit ; gold lhat Is going lo
evolullonlze" world ; gold that will soon
wamp the Dank ot England such , In n
rord , was the drift ot the banquet of the
lew York Mining exchange last Friday oven-
nK at the Hotel Metropole.
The westurn contingent were a bit chilled
t the start , relates the New York Herald ,
iy a notice that was displayed conspicuously
over the door o [ the banquet nan :
"Please check your shooting Irons at the
office. "
Some obeyed the Injunction , others didn't.
Ono of the offenders Is said to have been
Colonel "Hob" Ammon , the toaslmaster of
ho evening. Color Is given lo this report by
ho speech the colonel made In his powerful
golden baritone voice 'When ho Introduced
Portland Jim : "
"I want everybody , boys and girls , " said
le , "lo pay attention and lot gossip pass. I
vant to introduce a warm , personal , particu-
ar friend of mlno. nnd you don't have to
check your gun wljen 'Portland Jimmy' gets
up to tulk. Now. the first man , boy , or
! lrl , who opens his head while Jimmy's
alkln' , I uwoar I'll plug him. "
There was an ominous pause at this , and a
ew hands .went toward tholr owners' hip
lockets. ' Dut "Jim" Is such a universal
avorlto that as soon as he rose all resent
ment was drowned In cries of "You'ro a
brandled old peach , Jim ! " "Let her nicker ,
old hoes ! " And "Jim's" speech was simply
nuggety. Ho laughed at his own points , too ,
so as not to embarrass "the boys. " "Jim"
aid :
"I'm not a talker , but a worker ; one of
hose common fellows ( laughter by Jim , In
rhlch 'tho boys' joined ) who's got there ,
'in proud to Bay wo produced $2,000,000'
ast year , but we had to carry all o' that
lown hill ro the other fellow wouldn't know
about tt. Pretty eon we'ro goln' to have
a boom , and it'll bo my ambition to produce
he days of ' 49 once more on thla continent. "
Cries of "You'ro a gold brick , Jim ! "
Jim straightened himself up and produced
this peroration , amld great and golden
silence ;
"When I look around at these flags I think
bat united we bhould stand , and to Colorado
you'll como for your gold , and not to the
Dank of Bngland. "
A voice : "You're the stuff , Jimmy ! "
When the bird and the bottle were brought
on Colonel Anunon aroo and Introduced
Judge McCant of Texan. The judge made a
giant speech , while the boys nipped their
qualt and sipped thelrt champagne from
golden beakcrB.
"I como from tbe camp. " said Judge Mc
Cant , ln > voice llko thunder In the Hodden ,
'thst lifour ( ' years ha leaped from beef to
julllon , from cattle fields to golden fields ;
'rom the camp where no mlno lias ever yet
) lticbed out , for the deeper you go the richer
and wldeVthe vein ; froir the camp where
thp young carpenter , with Indomitable pluck ,
valkcd from Colorado Springs' over old Plke'a
i'eak and discovered the great Portland mine
a mlno capitalised at $3,000,000. If
Oarnato had that mine he'd stock It for
; i5,000,000 , and thp swells 'ud bo breakln'
.heir neck to get some ot It.
"Dut Ibis young man has sprung phoenix-
Iku from poverty to the state of tbo mil-
lonalre. He's In tbe ranks ot the Vander-
BRIGHTS DISEASE
Is the most dangerous of all
Kidney Diseases. Pains in
the Back , Irregularities in
the Urine , Swelling of the
Limbs or Abdomen are the
first symptoms
LI EY BALM
-1
Has proven , in thousands of cases and for many 4 ]
years , to be the Peerless Remedy for this dreaded
disease , It relieves promptly and works a per
manent cure
ron SALE cvtnvwHtnt. PRICE , 31.00 pen BOTTLE
THE DR.J. H. MCLEAN MEDICINE CO..ST. LOUIS , MO.
fc > TjT T TeTsTft
A DUB DUD.
THREE IMAIDCATTHETOB ,
ALL USINQ SAMTA GLAUS SOAP.
MILLIONS DO THE SAME.
Sold everywhere. Made only by
THE N. K. FAIRBANK COMPANY ,
CHICAGO. .
i gi < g MMHajt
Ills and AstOrs , and that carpenter hasn't
ot the big head. "
Colonel Amman then arose to Introduce
Ate Pence , former populist representative
rom Colorado. "Now- , boys , " said Iho
oloncl , "I ain't goln' to Introduce to you
ny holt dollar Idiot , and I want you , Judge
IcCant , to keep quiet with your boat girl
own there. "
The Judge wnu accompanied by Mrt < . A. N.
' 'itch , a very handsome wotrrn lady ami H
elutlvo of his. Ho wan Inclined to tiilio
ffonso at Colonel "llob'u" jocularity , and
or a moment thuro win a distinct rattle of
hooting Irons , When it was explained to
is judge that Ammoii'n 'Alt ru vamrthlnR
10 learned In New Vcrk ho was roclflud
nd allowed I.afc Pence to prcccod.
The representative wnrmod IIH ! hcaror to
nthuslasm when ha ppokc cf the eastern
rospcctorb who camn to Cripple Cieek and
Id their prospecting ( ram a hotel and
wanted a bobtulli-d p Ulcreed Iior.io to rldo
p Colorado mountain on ,
General Frank M , Ilcardon ' .MIS down to
peak nn "Compound Interest , "
'Look nt my faca , " said he , "and loll mo
whether I look llko a man that can do com
pound Interest. I've faced fifty-two re-
olvers , of different i-lmdes of rollgiiui * lie-
Icf , and co they put mo here tsu nn oiator
n ft town that'a produced the eloquence ot the
nlverse , "
Speeches wcro also made by Judge Drami
f Aspen , President Porter of the New York
dining exchange nml Invln Mason ,
A Itomnrkiiltlo Onrn of
While driving nno day last winter. Mr , J.
I , Thompson ) of D clipr'a Point , Pa. , w
aught out in a oold rntn. Thu next morn-
tip ho was unnble to move liU bend dr arnii
wing to an attack ot Inflammatory rhoumi-
Ifm. Hia clerk lolfphouttd for n pliyhlclan ,
> ut bf-fore the doctor -came mggciiied that he
BO ChamberUUi' Vain Halm , there being a
ottlo optn on thb counter. After lulus
ubbed thoroughly with Pln Ililm , over the
ffected parts , Mr. Thompson doied nfr to
Icep and when tie nwoka about a half hour
Bter , the pain was gene entirely and ho has
ot fclnco been troubled. Ho enyi : "Peopj
omo hero from many miles around to buy
bli liniment. "
I'OWDUIl COSTS MO.M2V.
Hullier lixiietiHlvf tn S.ilulitin -
mill tlio Ncltlnur Nun.
It rnsU the government ] ust $20,000 a
year at present to flro two salutes a day to
the Amorlcan flag nt each military post In
the United States , euys thn New York Sun.
The army regulations provide that every sta
tion where a flig Is flotvn nl ( where ord-
tianuo U maintained the Hag must he ea-
lulcd at Kiinrleo and sundown each day of
the year. The powder utcd In the old umootu
bore guns costi 20 cents a pound , but ro-
"
ccniiy a man in "sew von ; nas uucovercu a
brand which can be manufuctured far 8
rents , and IH capable of making just as mucli
nolro , which In all that Is necessary. For
years th urmy and. navy ) m\c been using
powder that remained In the magazine * at
the cloK ) of Iho war , and thla cupply ban now
become nearly exhausted. For modern gun
It waS tiBolem , and as long as It lasted the
government waa KitlMled to use It for falut-
Ing purpoaon. Now that tome new brand
murt bo mippllcd , the question ot cost has
ailwn. Hereafter the tulnlcs will be fired
with the tarno regularity , but the cost will
bo Iniu than one-half what It has been here
tofore.
The War department has for years ex
pended $200,000 every fiscal year for ammuni t
tion used In target practice. Tucnty-nvu In
fantry regiment * , ton of cavnliy and five ot
in tiller/ , and the engineer butlallon , have
been supplied with cnrtrldites , but ulncij tua
Introduction of the ticw ttniall nnn It linn
been found that the regular appropriation Is
InenlTIrlcnt to give the troops tlio praotlco re
quired , Aildo from the roundB used In target
practice the government I * without authority
to lay In n reserve nupply of ammunition ,
and Mimild there be u will for thu urmy ( ho
authorities woiiKl find thenuiclvea handU
capped by luck of thcllt for the rlflo. Gen
eral Klaeler advoctea a yearly appropriation
of $00,000 with which to purciAW ) > animunl *
tlan to bo laid In roBcrve In cato of vuddcrt
demand for tCe army.
Ono Mlnuto Cough Cure touches the right
spot. It also touches It et the right time If
you take II when you liavr a cough or cold.
See the point ? Then don't cough.