Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-06-09

SOlDS W SuOOl TIE u1dIl lIldG NdlhOu
over George Atwood, and pitch his
body down over this bluff"
What could the old trapper mean?
Was the murderer even then lurking
in the vicinity? or was the dark stran-
ger jim Cortland?
If this were the case, the action of
the trapper's young 'pard," in seating
himself at the gamblers right hand,
might be part of precOncerted plan
to "wipe out" the murderer.
Not being a fighting man myself, |
naturally began to look for some place
of refuge. None offered, unless | went
down the steep descent of the loose
rocks, near at hand, and that looked
like a dangerous feat.
But the gambler did not appear to
understand the significant words and
dark looks of Abe Lewis any better
than [ did.
"Where is this Jim Cortland ~ he in
quired.
''You see that strip of pine?' said
Lewis, without moving his eyes from
us three, but with one hand pointing
across the canon rumbling at the foot
of the precipice, two thousand feet be-
low to where the shadows were dark
ening over a long stretch ofpines. "Well,
Jim Cortland came up the river, this
afternoon, on the ontside of them
woods [ came up on the inside"
Here | met the steady gaze of the
trapper, and | was struck with sud
den fear l had come up to the river
along the edge of the pine forest.
Could he suspect me of being a muir
derer?
But on the second thought felt east
er. The other stranger might have
come up where [ did, and [ could east
ly prove an alibi at the time of the
murder by my friends in Virginia
City.
All this passed rapidly in my mind
while the gambler was saying:
care you sure you've spotted the
right man? You never saw him. All
you've got to go by is the description
given by the Beaver Ridge men?'
81 know the man Fam after" assert
ed Lewis. "He's about your size"
closely watching the gambler, who
never changed muscle as he gazed
into the fire. under the sarcumstan-
ces, | kin describe him pretty close.
He's got black hair, black beard and
square shoulders. His face is a little
tawny, and his nose peaked He's a
tOugh-loOkin' cuss, but he won't kill
another man, unless he gifts over me.
Pm on his trail, and one or t'Other of
US Ii have to kick the bucket"
/ answered to this loose description,
and so did the gambler, but there was
no other point of resemblance between
us.
eff you are certain as to the man."
said the stranger, with a cool glance al
Lewis, "let's all go for him. How far
ahead is he now, do you think? Come,
old man, give us a hand in the game. :"
''Pll do that, stranger. But the muir
derer amt ahead of this crowd-nOt
much he amt"
ooh, then you've passed him-you
are on the lay for him?" said the gam
bier, looking uneasily down the rugged
darkenlng slope which we had ascend
ed,
''He amt behind neither" said Abe
Lewis.
"What! Then it must be this galoot. :"
And the gambler seized my shoulder
with one hand, while the other rested
on his revolver, and his eyes were fixed
not on me, but on Abe Lewis.
Before | could make move the old
trapper cleared me of the charge.
mo, sir" Moderated Lewis, at the
same instant drawing his revolver
jim Cortland whipped out his weap-
on, and both men fired.
The gamblers revolver flashed first,
but the ball sped harmlessly over the
head of the trapper.
Young Andrews had knocked up the
villains arm at the right moment,
The shot fired by Lewis took effect
III the murderer's brain, and he fell
backward over the log, dead.
The trapper Immediately approached
the body of his victim, and lifting it up
as if it was mere child's, he bore it to
the brink of the precipice and hurled
1t down over the loose rocks.
Several big stones accompanied it in
its downward course, and 1t was soon
swallowed up in the gloom that was
deepening over the canyon.
81 couldn't bury him to better ad-
vantage among these rocks. If he
comes to life, he can't climb out of
that hole, " said Abe Lewis, cody re-
Stunning his pipe before the fire
But the chances of any spark of life
remaining in the body of the murderer
of poor George Atwood, after the we'll
directed shot from old Abe's revolver
had reached its mark, was very small
indeed; and So without further thought
on the subject, we wrapped ourselves
IN our blankets, and turned in" for the
night.
We were reused from our slumber
early next morning by Abe, who had
prepared our morning meal, after par
taking of which, us our paths lay in
different dlrections-I being on my
way to join my old "pardner" in the
mountains, and Abe and his young
Yankee friend being engaged in their
regular business of trapping, we parted
company.
Thus, after long years of pa lent
search, had Abe Lewis avenged the
murder of his old partner George At
wood; and with a consciousness that
he had done his duty by his dead
friend, we separated as we took one
last look over the yawning precipice
where had that day been an eye-wit-
ness to The Tragedy Of the Cliff"
The CaricaturiStS on COnkIing.
Roscoe Conkling was, of course, a
shining mark for caricaturists, and
they have all made centre-shots on him
this week. Puck represents the late
senior Senator as IN immensely infat-