Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-06-12

hitched the horses. Then they came
back to the kitchen, where we ell sat
watching the storm. It grew darker and
darker, and at last Mary lit the lamp and
put the supper things on the table,. I
lay and watched them with that awful
faint feeling on me. At last spoke out
the thought that was on my mind:
81 wish had drink of that whisky,
boys!
Mary dropped the plate she was car
rying and looked at me so queerly that
I was ashamed of myself for speaking.
Iwished I had bitten my tongue off be-
fore I had let her know Of that part OF
my load.
'No I don't boys? I was only fooling,"
I said as quickly as I could-but they
looked at each other eagerly az then at
me. In few minutes they s.-,ted out
to the horses.
sOh what made you tell them about
it ?" Mary almost cried as she came over
to where I was lying. We were great
friends, you see It wasn't for the old
mans talk or the water alone that I had
stopped there so frequently. ''They are
good fellows won't drink too much;
you will be safe with themW said, but
she would not believe me.
81 can't trust my own father alone with
such stuff how can I trust them?" she
said, and she was right, for Charlie and
Ben both showed by their manner, when
they came in, that they had found the
Jug. Their eyes were bright and their
voices were little thick. They were
lavish in their attentions to me, but they
handled my leg with singular roughness,
and Ben nearly fell over the lounge.
After supper they made another trip
to the barn, and came back surly and
ugly. They took their seats by the stove
with their hats on. When Mary went
past them with pile of dishes Ben tried
to catch her by the arm. 1 couldn't
stand that.
"You miserable scampr' shouted, and
tried to get up from the lounge, but my
feet gave way under me, and I fell back.
I could not move. "Bring me that
gum" I said to Mary. I do believe I
would have killed them both if I could
have got that gun in my hands. But be-
fore she could stir Ben rose with fearful
oath and walked unsteadily to the corner
when the gun was standing. He raised
the gun in his drunken hands. I could
hear the lock click as he walked up to me
and pointed the gun within six feet of
my head. I tell you, boys, if you want
to see death you want to look into the
muzzle of loaded shotgun with
drunken man at the other end. Could
this be the friend who had carried me so
tenderly but few hours before? What
a cursed thing this whisky must be that
could change him thus.
He held the gun in front of me mo-
ment and then dropped the muzzle to the
floor. "Come," he said thickly, "let's go
and get another drink
He reached the door and opened it. The
wild biting storm blew directly into his
face. With snarl of rage he raised his
gun and fred both barrels at the open
door. Then clubbing the weapon, he
struck desperately at the snow and then
rushed out into the storm as if fighting
some unseen enemy. Charlie followed him,
yelling at the top of his voice, and Mary
quickly closed the door and bolted it.
I knew that this would be useless, for
they would only dash in the windows. I
begged her to lock herself in her own
room and leave me. At first she would
not listen to such proposition, but
when told her that her presence would
only serve to make them fiercer than
ever she consented, and at the first sound
of the rough voices outside she ran into
the inner room and shut the door,
though I never will believe she locked
it.
Charlie brought my miserable Jug
with him. He put it down beside the
stove with wild laugh; then he glanced
eagerly around him. "Where is that
gal?" he demanded, roughly. He stag
gered to my side and repeated the ques-
ton.
'She's gone," answered, trying to
raise myself on my elbow.
"You lie r. he shouted, in his thick,
brutal voice. "You lie! She's here
you've got her hid somewhere bring
her out p
He started as if about to drag me from
the lounge when suddenly new thought
seemed to strike him.
Bring the Jug here, Ben, and we'll
make him drink p
Ben unsteadily poured quantity Of
the whisky into dipper and brought it
to the lounge. With curse he caught
me by the arm to pour the drink down
my throat.
Inever can tell just how I did it, but
somehow I brought my sound leg up
against his breast and kicked him as
hard as I could. He staggered back,
and, falling upon Charlie, carried him to
the floor
Then they began to fight. They!
seemed to forget all about me and at
tackled each other just like dogs. Over
the floor they rolled just like brutes
kicking, striking, tearing and fighting
with horrible sounds which no one could
suppose would come from any human
throat. At times they fought up against
my lounge; once they fell across my
broken leg. Then they rolled over the
floor up against the table where the
lamp was burning. At last they rolled
up to the stove, Ben lay underneath,
Charles hand fell upon stick of wood
Under the stove. He raised it and struck
blow after blow at Ben's face, till the
hands stiffened out the neck turned,