The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-09-11
For they had brought four bottles

VI CuOlC6 AAtuuoooy liOuA A1iiAOhesAAo
Manning's captured liquor case, and
these being opened by the simple
process of a clip across the neck with
a scalping- knife, the contents thereof
were degluting so to speak-down as
many copper-colored and copper-fast-
ened throats. How Millionaire Man.
ming. laying helpless and bound, with
his own throat as dry as the proverbial
lime-kiln, felt at the sight can not
rightly be put into words.
Having disposed of couple of pints
of fire-water, one of them brought for
ward the four fresh scalps torn from
the heads of the mutilated bodies Dick
had seen. and as vision OF the ghast-
ly victims came suddenly to mind one
of the seven devils possessing the
murderous fiends below must have
entered into Dick Prater
For his regard for the sacredness OF
human life had made him the recip-
lent of considerable "chaff" from his
rougher companions. Yet as the red
skins beneath suspended the CORY
scalps from willow wands, and per-
formed an unsteady war dance. utter
ing exultant yells, punctuated with
hiccups, Dick Prater told himself that
he would give a dozen ,three-year-old
steers to hold between his hands one
of the Winchesters leaning against
the face of the cliff below for two
brief moments.
But the futility OF the wish was no
sooner realized than the murderous
demon within called Dicks sudden
attention to the sandstone boulder at
his side, just as the four dancers be-
meath were posturing with the scalps
lifted over their heads, which were
so close together that their faces al
most touched.
Dick has told me that he was not
Dick Prater for the moment That
the alter ego of himself most suscep-
tible to the suggestions of the tempter
was in the ascendant.
Else how, unaided, did he, with one
convulsive upheaval of his broad
shoulders under the mass of sand
stone, dislodge it from the verge and
send it crashing downward on its ter
rible mission.
Shaking in every limb Dick, not
daring to look over the cliff, hurried
down the way he had come. Peering
cautiously round the projecting bluff,
he saw that the Indian sentinel had
vanished. Then, averting his eyes from
the fatal spot, Dick hurried toward the
captives. one of whom had wriggled
himself into sitting posture.
"Quick, stranger-thcy'll be here
directly they git over their scare
Dick did not understand, but lost no
time in cutting the speakers bends
Then he did the same for Millionaire
Manning, who, it is almost needless to
say, failed to recognize in the bronzed,
sinewed young borderman his former
confidential clerk.
Grab them Winchesters-they'rc
back here, by"
Five painted faces appeared at tho
mouth of the gorge. Three rifles
cracked. Two Indians fell, and one
staggered back against the rocks bad
ly wounded.
cat 'em before they git OFF,
Confused and bewildered, Dick fol-
lowed the speaker. rifle in hand. Mill
ionaire Manning limped across the
little space and seized one bottle oil
Hennessy unsmashed by the boulder.
The released prisoner, who acknowl'
edged to the name of Bunyap, took a
snap shot in the moonlight at a flying
Indian, and dropped him at hundred
yards Dick followed suit, but the In,
dian didn't.
They won't come back in a hurry
we've got the guns, amingnition and
the rest of the plumber" grimly re-
marked Bunyap. And they didn't
Dick was relieved to find that the
four redskins got out from under &
second before the boulder struck.
They must a thought the devi
showed it over onto Them" sale
Bunyap, "for they started on the dead
gallop through the gap like he were
clos't to their heels.'
Mr.. Morrison had finished the
brandy on their return and felt happy
So much so that when dick introduced
himself and casually mentioned thai
he was making money in cattle hanG
over fist, the millionaire greeted hin
with effusion.
"Only l wish'd you'd taken better
aim with that boulder and mashed the
whole covey," he said, regretfully.
Dick said nothing. The one he had
shot weighed heavily on his mind, justi
fable as was the deed. Four would
have been as crushing a weight a.
the boulder itself. And he inwardly
returned thanks.
A prospecting party that happened
along on the following day helped
them bury the dead and hitched spare
mules to the reloaded wagon. Dick
accompanied Millionaire Manning te
his lodge where, to his wild-eyei
amazement and delirious delight, HI
found Doris established as mistress o
the manse for a few weeks.
Six months later Dick repeated tn,
question whose answer made such g
radical change in his life; and Million
aire Manning, who had been making