Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1886-06-12


ne In a few minutes they started out
to the horses.
sob 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. 1t wasn't for the old
mans talk or the water alone that I had
stopped there so frequently 'Ihey are
good fellows-they won drink too much
you win be safe with them!' said, but
she would not believe me.
II 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 a 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 a pile Of dishes Ben tried
to catch her by the arm. L couldn't
stand that.
.sYou miserable scamp L shouted, and
tried to get mp from the lounge, but my
feet gave way under me, and L fell back
I could not move. Bring me that
gun" L said to Mary. do believe 1
would have killed them both If 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. / could
hear the lock click as he walked up to me
and pointed the gun within six feet of
my head. tell you, boys, If Won want
to see death You want to- look into the
muzzle OF a loaded shotgun with a
drunken man at the other end. Could
this be the friend who had carried me so
tenderlY but a few hours before? What
a cursed thing this whisky must be that
could change him thus.
He held the gun in front of me a 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 a snarl of rage he raised his
gun and fired 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.
knew that this would be useless, for
they would only dash in the windows. I
begged her to lock herself IN her own
Oh Z
not listen to such a proposition, but
when I told her that her presence would
only serve to make them fercer 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 L never will believe she locked
it.
Charlie brought my miserable Jug
with him. He put it down beside the
stove with a 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" I answered, trying to
raise myself on my elbow.
you lie 20 ne shouted, in his thick,
brutal voice. 'You lie She's here
you've got her hid bring
her out p
He started as if about to drag me from
the lounge when suddenly a new thought
seemed to strike him.
Bring the jug here, Ben, and Wen
make him drink p
Ben unsteadily poured a quantity of
the whisky into dipper and brought it
to the lounge. With a curse he caught
me by the arm 10 pour the drink down
my throat.
L never can tell Just how did it, but
somehow 1 brought my sound leg up
against his breast and kicked him as
hard as 1 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 1pon a stick Of wood
Under the stove. He raised it and struck
blow after blow at Ben's face, till the
hands stiffened ont, the neck turned,
and the chin dropped down horribly.
Charlie at last came back to me. He
/ staggered toward me. muttering as he
came. threw myself back till my head
/ pressed against the corner of the wall
He stopped within three feet Of me-
steadied himself, and raised the ak high
above his head. May be killed before
1 ever live another five seconds like that
again. I could see the AK coming near.
er and nearer through the air. L could
hear it cry. My head felt as though q
red-hOt iron had been drawn across the
place where L knew the blow would fell
1 could not close my eyes.
The drunken arms missed their aim
The ak swerved and plunged into the log
wall within an inch Of my head. I could
feel its cold side against my cheek.
Before Charley could draw It out FOL
another blow the door of the other room
few open and Mary sprang like a pan
ther to my side. She gave the drunken
man a push and sent him sPrawlng. Be
! fore he could raise she placed her httl,
foot on his throat and pinned him to tn
floor till I could pull out the ak anC
stun him with blow from the handle
She turned him over on his face an,
, tied his hands behind him with a towel
Then for the first time she screamed
threw herself into a chair, covered he