Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-12-21

ling to the interior. The master who,
startled by his voice. had made his way
through the loosc grain to the rear, reached
il rs Seth hall cruwlcd, half tumbled
through Their eyes met in a single fash of
rage. but before Seth could utter an cutlery,
the master had dropped his gun, seized him
around the mock and crammed thick hand
ful of the soft hay. he had hurlicdly snatch
cd up. into his face and gasping mouth. \
furious but silent struggle cnsued the
yielding hay ON which they both fell, dead
cncd all sound OF a scuffle and concealed
them from view masses of it. already
/ looscned by the intrudcr's entrance and
! dislodgcd i'm their ContortiOns began to slip
! through the opening to the ground. The
/ master still upp. rmost and holding Seth
firmly down. allowed himself to slip with
them. showing his adversary before him
! the maddened Mssourian detecting his pur-
pose, made desperate attempt to change
his position. and succeeded in raising his
knee against the masters chest Ford,
| guarding against what seemed to be only
! wrpstler'S strategy. contcntcd himself by
locking the bent knee firmly in that posi-
! ton, and thus unwittngly gave Seth the
! the lookcd-for opportunity of drawing the
! bowie knife concealed in his boot leg. He
| knew his mistake only n Seth violently
| freed his arm. and threw it upward for the
blow. fIe heard the steel slither like
/ scvthe through the hay, and unlocking his
| hold desperately threw himself on the mp
lifted arm The movement saved him. For
the released body of Seth slipped rapidly
! through the opening upheld for n single in
! slant on the verge by the grasp of the mas
ter's two hands ON the arm that still held
the knife. and then dropped heavily down
ward Even then the hay that had slipped
! before him would have broken his fall but
his head came in violent contact with some
| farming implements standing against the
wall, and without a cry he was stretched
| scnsoless on the ground. The whole occur
renee passed so rapidly and so noiscessly
that not only did McKinstIy's challenge fall
upon his already unconscious ears but the
| loosened hay which in the masters strug
/ giles to recover himself still continued to
slide ntly from the loft, actually hid him
| from the eyes of the spectators who sought
him a moment afterwards A mass of hay
and wild oats, dislodged apparently by Mrs.
Mckinstry in securing her defences. was all
that met their eyes even the woman her
self was unconscious of the deadly strug
gle that had taken place above her.
The master staggered to an upright posi-
! ton half choled and half blinded with dust
turgid and bursting with the rush of blood
| to his head, but clear and collected in mind
and unremorsefully triumphant. Uncon-
| sCiouS of the real extent of Seth's catas-
trophe he CROPPED for and seized his gun. ex-
amined the cap and eagerly waited for a re-
| newed attack He tried to kill me he
would have killed me if he comes again |
must kill him, he kept repeating to him
self. 1t never occurred to him that this
was inconsistent with his previous thought
indeed with the whole tenor of his belief
| Perhaps the most peaceful man who has
been once put in peril of life by an adver-
sary, who has recognized death threatening
him in the eye of his antagonist, is by some
strange paradox not likely to hold his own
life or the life of his adversary as dearly as
before. Everything was silent now The
suspense irritated him. he longer dreaded
but even longcd for the shot that would
precpitate hostilities, What were they do
ing Guided by Seth, were they concerning
a fresh attack
Listening more intently he became aware
of distant shouting, and even more dis
| tinctly, of the dull heavy tramping of
! hoofs. A sudden angry fear that the Nc
| Kinstrys had been beaten off and were fly
ing-a fear and anger that now for the first
over him, and he scrambled quickly towards
the opening below. But the sound was APP
preaching and with il came a voice.
Hold on there, sheriff ~
II was the voice of the agent Stacey.
There was a pause of reluctant murmur-
| ing. But the warning was enforced by a
command from another voice-weak, m
heroic, but familiar, Il order this yer to
stop-right Yer -
a burst of ironical laughter followed
The voice was Uncle Bcn's
'Stand back This is no time for fool
in, " said the sheriff roughly.
Hes right, Sheriff Briggs" said Stacey S
voice hurriedly, you're acting for him
he's the owner of the land
what That Ben Dabney?'
Yes he's Daubigny, who bought the
title from us"
There was a momentary hush, and then a
hurried mulmur
(Which means. gents rose Uncle Ben 5
| voice persuasively, that this Yer Young
man, though far-ninded and well -intended.
hez bin a leetle too clipper and previous IN
orderin out the law, This yer amt 10 law
matter with me boys 1t amt to he set
| tied by lawpapers, nor shot guns and de
| ringers It's suthn' To be chawed over so
| claDc-llkc, between drinks III any harm
hez hin done. ef anythin'S happened, I'm
yer to 'demnify the sheriff and make it
conf able ali round Her know me- boys.
I'm talkin' It's me-Dabney, or Daubig-
ny. which ever way You like it,
But III the silence that followed the pas
Sions had not vet evidently cooled. 1t was
broken by the sarcastic drawl of Dick Me
kmetry: IF them Harrisons don't mind
heven had their medderS trampled over 10y a
few white men, why
The sheriff ez Identified for that, - in
terrupted Uncle Ben hastily.
N ef Dick Mcknstry don't mind the
damage To his pants in crawlin' out q gun
shot i'll the tall grass retolted Joe larri-
son.
I'm yer 10 settle that, boys, " said Uncl,
Ben cheeriuly.
But who'll settle this - clamorei til,
voice of the older Harrison from behind tn,
barn where he had stumbled in crossing tn,
fallen hay. "Yer's Seth Davis lynn in tn,
hay with the top of his head busted. Who
to pay for that
There was IA rush TO the spot, and quicl