The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-09-17
CHAPTER Y.
A lark ADVENTURE.

MIR. Miles started his team M. and
swept ont of the village at good round
trot He felt somewhat veXed that
any one would suspicion his hired man
of being an outlaw and thief.
The sun was down as he entered the
wooded road that led up Preston Flat
The horses trotted on and the wagon
ratified along the road while the dust
rolled in volumes from the wheels. set
Ting on the trees and bushes at the
edge of the highway.
'.Who could have put such a notion
in Dawes head?" sol;loquized Mr.
Miles. Il wonder who thinks | would
harbor thief; and besides it Is An in
suit to Gods handiwork to call that
boy thief. He is the very picture of
honor. and the man who can look into
those blue eyes and call him thief is
a fool ami liar"
1t was evident, however. from the
troubled manner of the farmer. that
his mind was not quite at rest on the
subject Il might be fooled. and it
might be true that he does belong to a
gang of rascals, who had taken it into
their heads to rob me. cont believe
it. but it NAV be so. No, Walter
Browntieid is honest-blast the eyes of
the man who would even so much rs
suspicion him"
1t was now quite dark and the horses
were going along at an even walk.
Mr.. Miles was so busily engaged with
his own vexatious thoughts that he did
ness or the slow gait of the horses.
Il will watch him anyway" he final
IL concluded. 1T will do no harm to
watch the boy An honest man don't
care if he is watched, though l know
he's no thief"
The wagon ratified on. the night air
was cold and frosty. Suddenly loud
shouts were heard on the road ahead
of him
''Helloa, what does that mean?' said
Mr.. Miles, stopping his team.
Help! murder: robbers. murder!
murder!" cried shrill voice.
''Get up. Bally, Blaze. there is trouble
ahead" shouted the farmer. laying the
whip TO the horses and starting them
forward at a gallop.
bang went a shot from the same
direction whence came the sounds for
help.
Help, murder. thieves thieves,'
cried the same voice. though evidently
growing weaker each moment. Mr..
Miles could hear other voices. the
snoring and fiying of a horse and
heavy sounding blows.
knife him. cuss him and stop his
noise" one rough voice was heard to
say.
There was a heavy blow, a wild
shrek. and just at that moment the
farmer wagon came around bend
in the road, not forty yards from where
the struggle was going on.
10, YES, here We come, a whole reg
iment of Us. shouted the undaunted
Mr.. Miles. standing up in the wagon
holding his heavy whip to fell the as
sassin with the butt. He saw strug-
Cling mass through the darkness and
heard q few muttered oathS. With a
snort of terror. a horse attached to i
buggy run up the road at full speed.
There was also cracking of brush as
though persons We're trying to escape
through the woods.
''Eire on the rascals, boy! Shoot
them down! We've got them at lastr'
shouted the farmer, waving his whip
aloft. as though he was addressing a
thousand men. His horses ran up to
the spot where the struggle had taken
place, and SHE'D to one side of the
road and stopped.
..Helloa, what did you see?" SAID
Mr.. Miles. A deep grnan came from
the ground; he looked and discovered
the dark outlines of an object lying on
the ground.
Some one is hurt" said the brave
farmer. leaping from the wagon
Say. mister, are you bad hurt?
No reply came.
II guess ne Is, said Mr.. Miles. bend |
fng over the body and raising the
head Who can it be?'' He knew
that he was large man the moment |
he attempted to raise him. He struck |
a match, and by the light of it gazed
on tie face Of man pas. middle age.
The hair was short, face smooth |
shaved, and there was an ugly wound
on the back of the head and another on
the shoulder.
Its the stranger at Bushville, and
they have tried to murder him." said
Mr.. Miles, in astonishment- He is
not dead, though, and must get him
in the wagon"
This mas no easy task. but the !