Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1889-12-05

Nv
Hear that she said harshly.
they're gettin ready to 90. It's time /
was movin. You mark my words, Mr..
Barlow, the professors claim is safe
Nance Williams says So"
She rushed out OF the store and away
into the night. A few minutes after a
horse came past at lightning speed with
Mad-Cap Nance %crouching low in the
saddle and speeding away on her hare
Drained mission.
/ Shouts AMI yells came from Spangler's.
and not long after Nance had rome 4
drunken rabble rode By the store in the
direction she had taken. / felt certain
something Of a serious nature was
threatened so. as soon az I could leave
the store. / saddled my horse and fol
lowed.
The neon bad come out Of the purple
sky overhead. In her light the land
scape was brought out with startling
d%istinctness, for Dakota moons are noted
for their intense br~illiancy. Tom Jen.
kins' gang had n half-hour the start OF
nc and | put my horse to the run il or
der that | might be on hand with az
little delay As possible. As my horse
clattered over the bridge tha spanned
the Iipe-stem. | heard a succession OF
faint rife shots from the direction of the
professors claim.
MY God, I cried. '.the girl will be
killed." and | dashed my horse to greater
speed
IL had never occurred TO me that
would be helpless in an with
the drunken rabble. | had thought Of
nothing but getting upon the ground in
the quickest possible time. for IL was
more than probable tina Nance VII
liams would be- alone at the mercy OF the
crowd. As ! drew nearer and nearer nv
destination heard cries from time to
time. and my nerves were all a-tremble
with excitement and apprehension.
When | came close 70 the professors
claim shanty. however, / realized that
Nance Williams vas in no immediate
danger Tor the men, some ten or twelve
in number. stood ~counseling together.
From their loud talk | CLEANED thai they
had met with a disappointment-thev
had thought that the professor was in
Jimtown. while they had found him in
the shack. on hand to protect his prop
erty.
What's the matter. boys?" / in
quired. springing from my horse.
Its Barlow. said Tom Jenkins to
his associates in a low and not very de-
lighted voice. Then. advancing toward
me he asked: What do you want, Ike
Barlow
ITO see fair play" said /. promptly:
what are you fellows here for?r
fain't nothin to YOU You go back
to town an leave Us alone
While was h~aranguing Tom Jenkins.
Rice Fielding. his partner, tried To steal
up TO the door Of the house. lie had
gone barely half way. however. when a
rifle was thrust through a partly-open
window and fired in his direction. The
bullet whistled uncomfOrtabIy near him.
and Rice reiterated with more haste than
gra~eefulness.
No use, Rice" said Tom jenkins:
.the TELLER means business. There's
only one way to get at him. an that's to
burn him out
Look here. ] cried. excitedly: have
you men any idea Of the crime YOU are
perpetrating? This outrage -
There were several derisive yells from
the crowd n | could see they were too
much bent upOn mischief to be influ-
enced by me.
Say, BARLOW, you know as we'll a.
do that Charley Atwood hadn't no right
to jump that claim in the first place.
That there place belongs 10 me an Tom.
an the rest of the feIlers are goin 70
help me get 1t back. 80 you Just Keep
mum an get GU o the way!-
All, that was the idea, Ii was 4 fact
the quarter had originally been filed on
by Rice Fielding. but he never went
near it and made no p~retension of living
up TO the law. consequently it became
Iumpable and Charley Atwood had taken
advantage Of this fact. All the while
Atwood held the place. Fielding had
made no move TO get it back. but now
that the professor had bought il a fan
eied wrong ranked in Fielding's breast
In this view of the case | thought best
not to tell the men they were battling
against Il woman The chances were
A'AAAt III ~ EASILY I'M
posed pon han the professor and
pushing to greater extremeties. the af-
fair might be made infinitely worse.
decided to draw one side and watch the
affair p~assively. and then. when il
reached 4 climax. | would do nv utmost
to protect Nance Williams.
Golng to the rear Of the house where
there were 10 windows or doors through
which a rifle could be fired. preparations
were made TO burn the building. bill
let OF wood was saturated with the oil
OF a lantern n of the men had brought.
and. lighting this torch and taking an
armful of straw, Rice Fielding ap-
preached to burn the professors shack.
Before he could put his plan into opera
ton, however. a figure appeared on the
roof of the house. Standing aIoft. stern
and undaunted. upon the fat roof. Nance
Williams covered Rice Fielding with
her rifle.
Not another step she cried. warn
lngiy' not another inch or you're a
dead man.
Good Godr' yelled Fielding, Its
Nance
There she stood. erect as a statue
target for a dozen guns.
Nance Williams / cried, for Gods
sake come down
IF they take the professorsclaim they
walk over my dead body ter get it. What
are you goin' to do. Rice Fielding?r
Don't shoot boys Nance-pus M
your gun-Iu quit. In heavens an
don't stand there