Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-08-18

had passed that way he had been
kindly treated by Mrs. Tracey, and
perhaps that had something TO do
with the alacrity of his movement. and
he hastene1 down the road till it
brought him to small stream, on the
bank of which stood saw-mill. Mr..
Tracey, the owner of the HALFWAY
House, was engaged at work here, and
he turned aside to speak to him.
I'm on business for the King. and
I'm goin' TO your house" he an
nounced, with the dignified gravity that
belonged to his royal commission.
"On business for the King, and goin'
to my house. eh?' answered the person
addressed. good-natured smile cross
ing his kindly face. well. l reckon
that's high honor to me. You've got
a tramp afore you, though, Nat-a good
seven miles"
II must obey orders" replied Nat,
simply.
That's right-obey orders. Well,
if you do 90 tell Mrs. Tracey I'll be
home tomorrow night Tell her, too,
not to be uneasy about that money be-
in in the house, cause I'll see to it when
/ come"
"What moneys that?' asked a fellow
workman rs Nat turned away.
4" My pension. My claim was allowed
last week, and 1 got my money-6ve
hundred Enthusiastically. l was fool
ish not to put it in the bank right off,
but didn't, and as didn't have time
to 60 TO town yesterday l had to leave
it at home. reckon it's safe enough,
though, till tomorrow night, and
them
"Histr' interrupted his companion,
suddenly. whats that?"
Tracey paused to listen.
81 didn't hear anything" he said.
% thought l heard some one over
there" pursued the other pointing to n
large, high pile of boards few feet
distant-the boards being piled in form
OF a square, with large cavity in the
center. Most likely it was rats,
though"
" More likely to be rats than anything
else, there's so many about here, .
answered Tracey. Then he added
iocularly: Maybe, though, it's them
burglars that's been playin' mischief
round these parts for the last week or
so-may be they're slowed away in that
! pile of lumber. My! if l really believed
/
would have heard all l said about my
pension"
"What burglars is that?'' inquired
the other
what burglars? Why, man, don't
you read the papersP Why, only yester-
day the Sheriff and his deputies rode by
my house on the hunt for EN-. Last
Saturday night they broke into Lawyer
RIrn'
carried off about hundred dollars, and
then on Sunday night they got into the
railroad station, broke open the safe,
and made off with about three hundred
more. That's the biggest of their hauls,
though they've entered several other
places.
The conversation was continued on
this topic for few minutes, and then
dropped. Neither of the men thought
1t worth while to investigate the cause
OF the noise, and they pursued their
work for n short time and were then
called over to the other side of the mill.
just rs they disappeared face peered
over the top of the board-pile from the
inside, another followed Il moment later,
and presently two rough, villainous-
looking men came into view, and seeing
they were unobserved, sprang quickly
to the ground and fastened into the
forest.
"Close shave that, as bein' rs we was
hid there all last night and all day till
now," said one, as he pushed through
the underbrush.
Yes; thought rs once them mill
chaps was a comm to look, - responded
the other. Good for 'em as they
didn't, an took us for rats; cause the
p'lice be on the lookout now an we
don't want TO use no shootin' irons an
make things too hot. We must move
out lively from ere, Bill"
mot till we get that ere pension"
answered Bill, significantly. "That
layout were as good as pitched Of us,
an 1t d be pity not to take it. Sides,
the Gov ment owes me pension for all
the time I've lost in jails and prisons,
an this ere's q good chance to get it. 1
knows where the crib is, cause we
stopped there last week for somethin' to
eat, don't you mindP This Teller that
owns it was there at the time There is
nobody but 4 woman an two little uns,
an they're easy fixed, an there amt no
other house nigh"
said as he was goin' there?'
Him? He's crazy, an if he goes
there at all he'll only stop bit an move
on. A tap on the head'll settle him,
anyway, if he's there-but then he won't
be there
During this time Nat was not idle.
His tall form, with long and steady
stride, was Fastening forward =" ON bust
ness for the King 1t did not occur to
him what he should do when he reached
Tracey's, and had been supplied with
food. At present he was LOBBYING or
ders and beyond that his thought did
not 60. 1t was, indeed, long walk be
had undertaken, and il was just at dusk
that he reached his destination. The
Halfway House was lonely hosiery,
situated at the intersection of two roads,
with no other house in sight, and was q
common stopping place for persons pass
ing to and from the city. Nat stepped
boldly upon the broad piazza in front,
and with full consciousness of his right
walked unheSitafinUlv into the nlaaSant