The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1879-06-24

Of spass oeuld he heard.
half q dozen horsemen
swept around & low rock. At sight Of
who's the capior grusted.
Heres Captain Jio. Mind your
mspners new. for hss the perli,est
man l ever met"
Thecaptive shivered. When . boy he
was detected in an act that brought up
on him the wrath If the teacher of the
school in the New England village he
would never set more. The eagle eye
of the teacher singled him Ous from .
score of mischief makers. and he
shivered as he felt that the punish
ment awarded out incurrigibles wss
unavoidable. But he braced himself
walked out promptly to the middle of
the floor the moment his name Was
called. aud to his lasting surprise.
was let 90 with a mild rebuke. In
much the same manner Dick Hart
ford braced himself for the interview
with the leader If the most desperate
gang of miscreanis that ever leived a
tax upnn the travellers who crossed
the plains. This was the man he had
dreamed of circumventing. The case
was reversed.
The road agents rude forward with
out order, and surrounded the horse
man and captive.
"What have you got. Barham?"
snake your how. Its Captain
Jim" said Bsrham. Then to Captain
Jims query: That's for Won to find
cut. I obeyed orders"
What a magnificent front the cap
tive presented. His gaze was As clear
and steady and level rs though he
were looking right through Captain
Jim, away beyond the rancho. and ID
to the mountains 10 the distance.
"What have you got tn say for
yourself, anyhow" Captain Jim's
sinister face clouded still more as he
met the unwavering gaze of the cap
tive.
Nothing" replied the captive As
he walked in front of the leader.
"You are locked up. ana the keys
are lost" said Captain Jim. sneeri"g-
". IL think l know your business.
I've a mind to send Ben Halliday
your ears. No. I'll send him your
heart. This trips failure, and Ben
ought n know L. If YOU won't talk"
I'M die first!". The words were
flung at him 50 passionately that even
Captain Jim was moved to admir-
alton.
"Die it is, then! !" exclaimed one OF
the gang.
"You are seven to one" said Hart
ford.
I'VE are in the majority mostly"
said Jim. ''But I'll give you chance.
You are plucky. Now. what does q
milkshop do for you? Come along
with US, share and share alike. and
we'll give you excitement. and op-
portunity to show the stuff your are
made of.
"To make one Of a gang Of murder
ers who are afraid to cope man to
man" said the captive.
One of the gang at that moment
leveled his pistol at Hartford's
head. But the leader ordered
him to keep his FIRE until there was
need for it. "Iet us do this thing in
order" said Captain jim. as the scar
on his cheek became liviG. then dull
red. "WeIl ride down tn the old
place and pull him up like q dog.
You got what was on him ?" to Bar
ham, Bsrham nodded: There was 4
word said further. TIE party rode
on perhaps twenty minutes, when the
defle deepened. narrowed, and the
rocks shot over the horsemens heads.
Then at a word from Jim the men
dismouuted. Advancing to Hartford,
he said, with cruel smile:
"Say your prayers. you have got
five minutes to live. Mount that
stone" There was ledge above the
captives's head, with a jutting point,
over which rope vas thrown, and q
moose made at the end Of it.
"Will you allow me to speak ?
BLOW away" answered Captain
Jim.
Il may as well tell you We know all
about YOU. You've Travelled fifteen
hundred miles tn trap us. Ben Hail.
day tried that game often. You gave
yourself away. You expected to
master the road, and the biggest
BOBBY among Us mastered you. Now
fire away
"WeIl, then, lot me predict what
your end will be-" said the captive.
With the moose around bis neck, and
gloating eyes and fierce faces for his
audience, he spike out clearly.
deiantly. "When you've murdered me
me, you may prepar for the hereafter.
There will he no rest for you. A man
will come after me who will hunt YOU
down like the cowardly dogs you are.
He will never rest until you are out
of the country. aud his )reach will
sweep to California. Once he marks
4 man, that mans fate is sealed. He
is my friend. He knows my
and. IL it fails. he will shoot
every man down with his own hand
whom be suspects Of knowing any.
thing about me. or my death. That's
all. I'm ready now"
whats that" exclaimed one Of
the gang. listening.
up with him." The rope tighten
ed around Hartford's throat, be felt
himself strangliDg, the color faded out.
he was 10 . void. then shooting pains
pierced his temple, myriad sparks
played before his eyes. blinded into
brilliant colors, and stlll he could bear
he voice of Captain Jim. Nov II was