Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-11-18

| on some county business, and the
Burleson boys and others Of that like
had taken advantage of the TACT to
make things lively in the little town.
More or less disturbance had been
carried on all day, pistol shooting,
yelling and quarreling, but nobody
hurt" as yet. In the afternoon the
boys all collected round store on
the plaza for The intellectual amuse-
ment of pitching dollars. Ed. Burle-
son, magnificent specimen of a west
Texan, was the luckiest or most skill
full pitcher, and his dollar entered the
hole every time.
EDS ez lucky with his dollars ez
his bullets said 81 Hawkins, a typic-
al cowboy from neighboringranch.
"What dye mean by THAR" asked
Ed, sharply.
What I sez,n drawled the other.
eyer dollars hits the mark ev'y time;
as does yer bullets, even in Their dark.
An did heartfelt ez Sheriff Thomas
hev been lookin' fur you, long er
them lucky bullets er yourn"
"He won't hev ter look fur" cried
the young man hotly. "l'm ginerelly
ter be found by them ez looks fur me,
'thout their searchin' like they wuz
lookin' fur needle in a haystack.
Sheriff Thomas can find me whenever
he wants me, an mebbe when he does
find me he'll wish he hadn't"
Find he's cotched er Tarter, heyP
WAL, howsever that mebbe, low ez
yer'll be wanted lore long fur tibet
leetle affair er yourn las spring"
"What leetle affair? / dunno what
yer tat&in' bout, SIAN don't b'lieye
yer know yerself."
II mean ther 18th er las April,
when Manuel Garcia was foun' dead in
Their brush, ans his sweetheart ramov-
ed Their same Fight, ans never been
heered OF since"
II never killed Manuel Garcia, if
that's what yer mean; an il Joe
Thomas tries to rest me fur that, he
find himself mistaken. that's all"
AT that moment, Throw up your
hands, Ed. Burleson," said quiet,
but stern voice behind him.
| He looked round. There stood Joe
Thomas covering him with six
shooter. TO yield or die were the on
ly alternative. He chose the former,
threw up his hands, and sullenly sur
rendered TO the law.
whats the row about, Joe2" he
asked, carelessly. what you 'restin'
me for?"
"For the murder OF Manuel Garcia"
replied the sheriff, quietly.
al never done it! an yer amt got no
shadder er proof agin me-"
i..iJ k,,r
significantly Burleson's bronzed
cheek blanched. He opened his lips
to speak, but Thomas stopped him.
"Best say nothin' bout it to me"
he advised. Least said's soonest
mended, yer know. 'Tain't my bust
ness to say eff yer inherent er guilty.
All | he'd ter do was ter rest yer, an
thet's done"
II s'pose yer'll carry me ter Lare.
do2' asked Burleson.
Course. Thar amt no jail nur
lookup here ell hold yer, an yer've
too many frien's in these diggin's. An
it'shigh time we was of; so jess hustle
yer bones er LITTLE, will yer? an less
be movin'. Igot yer boss ready here
with mine, an Their sooner we start
ther sooner we'llgit thar"
81 amt in sech ain ALFRED hurry to
git jailed" said theother sulkily, "but
what mus be mus | s'pcse."
Han over yer weapons, then, an
we'll start" sE## tal. 4.
With manifest reluctance six-shoot.
er and knife were passed over; the
crowd meanwhile standing by and
passing comments on the proceedings
according to the manner OF crowds.
As the sheriff and his prisoner moved
away together Burleson turned and
directed a quick look and significant
gesture of head and hand to two men
who were standing near by and who
Immediately withdrew from the throng
and walked away together. They
were the uncle and brother OF the pris-
oner, and would probably not have
submitted so quietly to his arrest had
they not been overawed by the mum.
Der present who would be sure to side
with the sheriff should rescue be at
tempted.
Its gittin' late" remarked Joe
Thomas, as he, his prisoner, and his
posse, consisting of one man, 81 Haw-
kins, rode out OF town. "We shan't git
ter Laredo ter night
"Why no.?" asked the prisoner;
1--WE kin git thar if we ride all night"
II thought yer wafn't hankerin' ter
be iailed?" remarked Joe. dryly.
81 amt, but / might is we'll be in Jail.
ez ridin' long here with you when |
want ter be somewheres else, dod burn
it all! Where'll yer stop, then? camp
out?" .UE -
'Ruther airish fur tibet. No, / reck-
on we'll git to ole Mis- Hawkins Sis
mothers, bout dark, an we'll stop
thar fur Their night. reckin she'll gin
us er shake-down an err bite er sum
pun t'eat." ~. .F q
"Course, said 81. Hospitality; IAN
glad er Their chance"
1t was desolate spot where they
drew rein shortly after dark. A de-
lapidated hacal standing in the weed
grown soddened margin of q little
lonely lake, its slanting walls and
grass-covered roof giving the only in
dication OF human habitation in that
wilderness. Mesquite and cactus grew
close up to the shutterless door, and
the chirping of night insects in the
trees, the melancholy croaking offrogs
in the pond, were the only sounds in
vading the silence.
Inside, however, things looked
more cheerful. A bright fire was blaz-
ing in the cavernous fireplace-mes-
quite, if fit for nothing else, makes
capital fuel-and hot supper soon
smoked on the table. After they had
done full justice to it, the men drew
their ide-bottomed chairs round the
fire, and became, to all appearance,
as coy and comfortable as if they
had been three friends in camp
hunt instead of officers OF the law
and their prisoner, arrested on o
charge of murder.
"Ez it air Christmas eve, Joe," said
81 Hawkins, II reckin Yer won't say
nuthin' agin er leetle ticker, an know
Ed won't. Local option don't hender
er man none from hevin' his jug an
treatin' his friends
The jug was accordingly handed out
from under the bed, and a cracked
lumber and two cups being produced,
they were speedily filled.
Here's yer health, Ed" said 81,
politely, IAN wishin' yer may git clar
off when yer brought forsther court. !"
Whiz! bang the glass fell in frag-
msnts at his feet, and blood, mixed
with the whisky, running down his
arm.
"Hai rescued" cried the sheriff and
his ever ready pistol covered Burle-
son. "Pm er dead man, s'pose,' he