Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1889-05-10

gold, when an unusual drowsiness. which
I attributed in part to my days journey,
began to creep over me, and in five
minutes I was asleep.
Some time during the night l woke
with vague fancy that a hand had been
inserted under my pillow, where l had
placed my pistol before falling asleep.
Rousing myself sufficiently to investigate,
1 found the weapon in its place, and, pre-
Stunning that I had been dreaming, re-
lapsed into what know must have been
a drugged slumber-if the expression is
allowable.
In the morning. having heartily thanked
Gordon for his kindness, / remOunted my
horse, after carefully securing the valise
in its place.
~ should like to ride little way with
you," said Gordon, ''but, unfortunately,
I have an engagement in the opposite
direction. Adios-and take care that
Manuel Sperros doesn't relieve you of
your money before you reach your jour
ney's end"
Making some careless reply, turned
my horses head toward Pachuca, and
half an hour later had left the little Will
age behind.
Suddenly the sound of hoof beats COM
ing up in the rear caused me to turn
my head. A heavily bearded man,
mounted on a powerful black horse, rode
rapidly up, and, almost before l could
collect my thoughts, lugged a heavy
my head, at the same time gruffiy bid
ding me dismount in excellent Spanish
My only reply was to snatch my own
pistol from an inside pocket. Cock
ing the right hand barrel with my thumb,
I aimed full at the robbers head and
pulled the trigger, but only the explo-
sion of the cap followed. I then tried
the left hand barrel with similar result,
and maddoned or made desperate by the
failure of the weapon, l hurled it fiercely
at the head of the bandit, whom naturally
presumed to be the Manuel SperrOs
I had been told about. At the same
time I spurred my horse forward with
some vague idea of riding him down or
graphing with him-I hardly knew
which!
His pistol flashed and the ball whizzed
past my ear, yet shall always think that
he aimed thus purposely, with = view of
intimidating me rather than of taking my
life. But 1 urged my horse forward, and
in another instant was upon him.
I remember clutching fercely at his
throat as he threw the muzzle of his
other holster pistol upward. Then came
second explosion, and with a gurgling
cry the robber fell backward from his
saddle, shot through his heart by his own
hand-his weapon having been in some
way accidentally discharged.
Horrifed beyond measure at the
tragedy, I sprang to the ground, and,
unable to realize for the moment that the
man was really dead, raised his head on
my knee. AS I did SO, in some way I
dislodged the spring or wire that held in
place a false beard, which fell to the
ground, leaving revealed to my astounded
gaze the features of Gordon, my host of
the night before
Well, after had recovered somewhat
from the shock of this strange discovery,
[ was no time in riding back to the vii
lage and notifying the alcalde-the only
man in authority that I could find. He
took the matter with great GOODNESS, as
A41CASSo NANA CA1OoC VI C11C RoI)uAclNO VIII az
companied me back to the spot where
the dead mans body lay, after l had
gone through with slight form of ex-
animation and satisfied the alcalde as to
my business.
I learned that Gordon had for some
time been under suspicion as a rather
doubtful character, but no one cared to
interfere as ?ong as no open deed of
violence had 3een traced directly to him.
Whether his name was really John Cor
don, or how much of the story he told
concerning himself was true, will prob
ably never be known. Certain, it is
however, that as Manuel Sperros, the re-
nowned bar lit, he had acquired repu-
tation which was somewhat more than
local, and to my surprise, found on my
arrival at Pachuca later on, where the
news of his singular death had preceded
me, that for the time being I was re-
garded as somewhat of a hero, when in
truth there was no good reason for it.
But [ had saved the company's money all
the same, and received thanks therefor
nothing else-The Arg0Sy.