Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-09-03
1ales aud Sketfhfs.
THE SILVER BULLET.
Continued from yesterday.

de debbil cares for his own, and dis bullet
is made by his help, at night, in de grade
ward, and can't miss. knows EN- massa.
Use seen EN- afore.' Then drawing near
err, he whispered, Use made EN-"
and did they do their work ?" said
Nutting. laughing lightly.
.Dey did. massa" The officer now
opened draw in his desk, and took from
it an old-fashioned duelling pistol, which
he had picked up somewhere, and fitted
the bullet into its rusty muzzle.
'.Its just the thing, uncle. bring me nv
flask and III load it with the suicidal bull
let. It's best to have it handy by if get
the blues He laughed again. The SER
want obeyed.
mo use to fix him, massa. 'Twon't
ONLY kill de one it's made fer. suah an We
couldn't shoot verself wild it nowhow."
well, uncle III load the ole smooth
bore anyway said the marshal. suiting
the action to the word, land this afternoon
we'll try it at mark. If miss a half
dollar at dozen PAGES, I'll give up that
you're right. If hit, your suicide bullet
is no better or worse than leaden one"
"All right massa but you won't hit
replied the old darkey. Just as Nutting
cOtUDIbtdu Juc CiItI SlhS VI ilC "OdPOh, q
visitor called, and it was thrust hurriedly
into pigeon hole in the desk. His visit
Or's business detained him from the office
until night, and the plan of the morning
was forgotten. The duelling pistol with
its silver missile, lay unnoticed for months
in the desk,
The days and weeks passed, summer
came and went. and fall ripened the year.
A dozen times had the marshal organic
ed expeditions and secured the country,
seeking the notorious Allen. but each time
he had returned unsuccessful. Occasional
lv a still would be destroyed, or a quanti-
ty of liquor seized, but the man himself
remained free, and the winter was APP
preaching rapidly. Soon these raids must
be dropped for tee year. Nutting chafed
under his i'll success. One final effort,
however. was t. be made. Certain infor-
nation which he knew to be reliable had
at last, he felt sure, put the outlaw in his
hands, and he looked to his horses shoes
and loaded his pistols with unusual care.
At his orders mounted guards-men on
whom he could depend-patrolled all the
roads. Upon the morrow at dawn, with a
posse Of seven fearless mountalneers, he
was to storm the very stronghold OF the
moonshiners, and tomorrow night would
find vacancy either in the government
office or the ranks of the Illicit diStillers.
The expedition had thus far. Nuttng be-
lieved, been kept a secret. Because OF
this he looked forward with strong hopes
of success The officer sat at his desk
writing. He had a few pages to complete
IA letter or two to prepare tor the maitland
10 To In orb
never sit at that desk again.
As his ewes wandered over the mass of
papers, documents and duplicate reports.
| filed nearly away before him, he suddenly
noticed the butt end of his old dueling pis
/ tol half hidden in one of the compartments
and as the remembrance of how it came
there flashed over him, he was about to
draw it from its hiding place, when a
shuflling step at the door arrested him, and
an instant later an aged and bent woman
entered the door The hour was late and
Nutting regarded the new conner with
surprise, as he arose to offer her a chair.
She accepted it with a whine of thanks,
and sank painting into it. The marshal
resumed MS seat
"Ye are the gov'ment man, reckon ?''
said the woman, after pause, raising a
brown and wrinkled face, half hidden be-
meath IN immense hood and pair of
green spectacles, toward Nutting.
Yes, madam" replied that worthy.
1--we come right smart piece to see
We for an old woman. I'm true grit,
am, but gttin' wore out These yere
mountains are sight steeper'n they was
40 year ago" and she sighed. But see
here, I'm on business. | am want to
talk to ye. You don't know me,
reckon p
Il can't say that do" said Nutting
slowly.
IL reckon n0t-as We never see me be-
fore. I'm Mrs. Allen-Bethsheby Allen
an my boy he's Ruloff Allen. Ye've
heard of him, mebbe ?" and she paused
and gazed cunningly into listeners face.
"Yes | know him, and the man 5 brow
darkened
wall. now, I'll tellye. 1t pears yer
on raid arter him tomorrow-ve see |
know thing or two-an' we've got the
boy badly cooped up this time, shore
Not but what he'll fight. an some on yell
catch suthin' besides moonshiners. NV
boys smart. he is. | tell We, ahd he'll tote
We round considerable 'afore We gather him
in; but he's cooped all the same, an I'm
afeared yen catch him or kill him. An
I'm his nanny. We know" The old bag
paused and wiped her eyes. She was a
woman even yet. and Nutting's heart
softened towards her.
What can do in this matter, Mrs. AL
len? began the marshal. Yourson is a.
Never mind what he is-you can save
him. He's trapped, catched, cooped.
But he's my boy. an want ye to let him
go. Take his stills an his whiskey, take
everything-but let him 90, an I'll give
We my word-it's good. Bethsheby Allen
never broke it yit-that in less than three
days we'll be"
"Mrs. Allen. this is impossible. I'll try
not TO hut your son, but capture him
must and | shall"
but if he should capture you-what
them" At these words the green glasses
fell. the hood was thrown back. the bent
form became straight, and before the eyes
of the dazed officer stood Ruloff Allen
himself look of deadly hatred on his
face. a heavy revolver in his outstretched
hand.
Silence reigned a moment. as the young
man gazed into the deadly tube before him
with nerves tense as steel and face that
paled not. although he knew that he was
looking into his open grave.
al nana barn 70 triyo yot, ono los nhapna