The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-11-27
"I beg of you don't be rash, Miss


movin. You mark my words, MIR. Bar
low, the Professors claim is safe-Nance
Williams say So"
She rushed out of the store and away
into the night A few minutes after a
horse came past at lightning speed with
Cap Nance crouching low in the
saddle and speeding away on her hare
Drained mission.
Shouts and yells came from Spangler's,
and not long after Nance had gone a
drunken rabble rode by the store
in the direction she had taken. I
felt certain something of serious nature
was threatened, so. as soon as I could
leave the store, I saddled my horse and
followed.
The moon had come out of the purple
sky overhead. In her light the land
scape was brought out with startling dis
tinctness. for Dakota moons are noted
for their intense brilliancy. Tom Jen-
kins's gang had a half-hour the start of
me and put my horse to the run in or
der that I might be on hand with as lit
tie delay as possible. As my horse clat-
tered over the bridge that spanned the
Pipestem, heard succession of faint
rifle shots from the direction of the Pro-
fessor's claim.
"My God," cried, ''the girl will be
killed." and I lashed my horse to greater
speed.
1t had never occurred to me that |
would be helpless in an encounter with
the drunken rabble. I had thought of
nothing but getting upon the ground in
the quickest possible time, for it was
more than probable that Nance Williams
would be alone at the mercy of the
crowd. As drew nearer and nearer my
destination I heard cries from time to
time, and my nerves were all a-tremble
with excitement and apprehension.
When I came close to the Professors
claim shanty, however, I realized that
Nance Williams was in no immediate
danger for the men, some ten or twelve
in number, stood counseling together.
From their talk I cleaned that they had
met with a disappointment-they had
thought that the Professor was in Jim
town, while they had found him IN the
shack, on hand to protect his property.
"What's the matter, boy?" inquired,
springing from my horse.
"It's Barlow" said Tom jenkins to
his associates in low and not very de-
lighted voice. Then, advancing toward
me, he asked: "What do you want, Ike
Barlow?'
"To see fair play" said I promptly;
"what are you fellows here for?"
"'Tain't nothin' to you. You 60
back to town an leave us alone.
While was harranguing Tom Jenk-
kins, Rice Fielding, his partner, tried to
steal up to the door of the house. He
had gone barely half way, however, when
a rifle was thrust through partly open
window and fired in his direction. The
bullet whistled uncomfortably near him,
and Rice retreated with more haste than
gracefulness.
"No use, Rice" said Tom Jenkins;
sthe feller 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 and I could see they were too
much bent upon mischief to be Influenced
by me.
"Say, Barlow. you know as well as
do that Charley Atwood hadn't no right
to jump that claim in the first place.
That there place belongs to me an Tom,
an the rest of the fellers are goin' to help
me get it back, so you just keep mum an
get out o the way"
All, that was the idea! 1t was fact
the quarter had originally been filed on
by Rice Fielding, but he never went near
it and made no pretension of living up to
the law, consequently it became jumpable
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 it fancied wrong ranked IN
Fielding's breast. In this view of the
case 1 thought best not to tell the men
they were battling against a woman. The
chances were they would consider her
more easily imposed upon than the Pro-
fessor and, pushing to greater ex-
tremities, the affair might be made in
finitely worse. I decided to draw one
side and watch the affair passively, and
then, when it reached climax, I would
do my utmost to protect Nance Williams.
Going to the rear of the house where
there were no windows or doors through
which a rifle could be fired, preparations
were made to burn the building. A
billet of wood was saturated with the oil
of lantern one of the men had brought,
and, lighting this torch and taking en-
armful of straw, Rice Fielding approached
to burn the Professors shack. Before he
could put his plan into operation, how
ever, figure appeared on the roof of the
house. Standing aloft, stern and un-
daunted, upon the fiat roof, Nance Will
Jams covered Rice Fielding with her
rifle.
"Not another STEP" she cried warn
inply, Hnot another inch or your a dead
mani"
"Good God!" yelled Fielding, "it's
Nancy"
There she stood, erect as statue "a
target for dozen guns!
'sNancy Williams" cried, "for Gods
sake come down"
s'If they take the Professors claim