Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-02-15

raised some three feet above the flush
deck In the end fronting the bow was
the one window or aperture intended
for small, narrow sash. T. rough this
came the light of a smoking cabin-lamp,
a cloud of tobacco smoke and the muir
muir OF voices. Creeping over the rail,
Duke wormed himself along the dirty
deck to the square opening.
"Wot's the use waitin' a hour longer?'
one of the trio, an il-lavored, black
bearded fellow addressed as Ben, was
saying. eff you're so sot on carryin'
off the gal an MARVIN her outer hand,
whether she's willin or not, why not
set to work one time wells another,
Buck ?'
"That blasted tenderfoot, comm SO
unexpected, has kinder upset my calc'-
lation," growled Cummings, filing a
cracked mug three-quarters full of fiery
corn whisky from a jug on table before
them. and swallowing it at draught.
He don't count, contemptuously
put in jim Brady. "He don't even
kerry gun slung to him. [ say as Ben
does" he went on, there amt no use
of waitin' hour, no more half hour.
Old man Brant is a-lyin' on the perarie
with ball through his skull, an. 'cep-
tin the tenderfoot, thar's only the two
women in the shebang. [ say, less
make q move, if we're gwine to-"
Duke could hardly trust the evidence
of his own ears. Brant dead, and these
villains deliberately purposing young
girls abduction and a forcible marriage
with the lowbrowed, blonde-moustached
young desperate almost within reach Of
his hand
CAL right, them" responded Cum
mings, rising to his feet; 'and mind.
you two fellers, before the door is
smashed in or thing done, [ calc'late
to take snap shot through the winder
at young tenderioOt.
Duke began to think it high time to
withdraw. Softly rising, he was tiptoe-
ing to the rail, when his foot caught in
the mooring rope, and down he went
with tremendous thump. Before he
could regain his feet two of the men
were on him, and five minutes later he
was lying, gagged and bound, on the top
of the shanty, in such a position that by
the light of the moon he could distinctly
see everything that was going on:
"When we come back with the girl
I'll settle your hash, my young ban
tam ~ said Cummings, exultingly.
And then the three left poor Duke
to his own reflections and stepped
ashore.
Dukes feelings, as, laying bound and
helpless, he watched the villainous trio
approach the door of Brant's dwelling,
cannot well be put into words. Though
he himself had everything to live for,
his own fate seemed comparatively of
small moment as he thought of the liv-
ing death awaiting the young girl. And
he ground his teeth in impotent wrath
as he saw Buck Cummings draw back
the butt of his gun, as though to drive
it through the panels of the door. But,
to his great surprise, the door was
thrown open before a blow was struck.
The river was swollen by the rains, and
the deck of the boat lay nearly on lev
ell with the top of the little bluff And
the house itself was not 20 feet from its
edge.
So, from where he lay, Duke could see
by the flood of light that streamed
through the door that Mrs. Brant and
daughter appeared to welcome, rather
than repel, the invaders. And, en- sill
houette, against the background Of light,
he noticed black bottle standing on the
table. Ali this was torture to poor Duke,
particularly when he saw Buck Cum
mings, the only one of the trio who APP
peared armed, lean his gun against the
wall and drop heavily upon a stool, in
which example he was followed by the
other two.
The clinking of glasses, blended with
hoarse laughter, reached his beWIldered
ears, and Duke was beginning to wonder
whether the whole were not some part
of terrible nightmare, when all at once
he saw the young girl steal from the
open door. Selling the ak, which stood
by the chopping- block in the yard, she
ran directly toward the boat, looking
back as she did so.
The reason was obvious. A moment
later, Duke, whose heart was beating
almost to sufocatien, was conscious that
Mrs. Brant had snatched Cummings
rife from its place and followed her
daughter.
"Quick, motherp'
And as Mrs. Brant sprang aboard the
shanty boat Kitty severed the mooring
line with two quick blows of the ak.
Then, Selling setting pole, the girl
pushed he bow into the stream, and, as
the swift current swung the shallow craft
clear of the bank, she dropped the pole
and ran to the tiller.
The whole affair had been cleverly
planned and so swiftly carried into exc
culion that before the three men were
fairly out Of the house their boat was a
dozen yards out in the turbid current,
which was beginning to sweep it down
ward with considerable force.
Tall and bareheaded, Mrs. Brant stood
holding the cooked rifle in readiness,
while a grim smile was visible on her
careworn visage as the three men, rush
ing wildly along the river bank, raved
and swore and threatened terrific i'm
probabilities.
''We'u burn your old shebang down it
YOU don't head the boat inter the bank ~
yelled Jim Brady, clutching madly at his
hip.
Alas the heavy pistol, which usually
was so handy, lay with the other two on
the rude table in the boats cabin.
cts time John was home; he'll hev
word to say about that, " retorted Mrs.
Brant, whose faith in her husbands
fighting powers were evidently of the
frmest kind.
''Give him my love when you see
him ~ shouted Jim Brady, mockingly.
"Im sorry to hev to say that Buck here
got the drop on him this mornin' at
South Bend Forks, an he's a-layin' I'M
der the wagin deader'n"-