Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-05-10

pull me. And 1 heerd tibet you're the
cuss tibet give me away, and are a-goin
ter witness again me. You needn't tel
deny it, We white-livered skunk! I'm
| hyer ter settle with ye, l am. I'll jest
be scalped eff ye witness agin me!'
Ralph thought of the tramp who had
been in the region few evenings be
fore. Somehow he had suspicioned
that he was not what he had seemed
Now he concluded that he must have
been detective in disguise, a con
clusion which was verified later.
AS Howe began to flourish his re-
volver Ralph arose from his seat and
faced him.
Il must inform you that have never
given you away to anybody he said,
earnestly, DESTROYS Of quoting the
old man by impressing him with
the truth. He could not imagine who
had told that he was the informer of the
grand jury. Ii he had an enemy he
did not know it.
"Who said 1 gave you away?" he
asked.
Nobody said it, but I know it, you
bet!' was the reply. I'm up to We,
dast ye, We young tenderhoof I'm
here to settle with We fer betrayin' ME.
I'm a-goin' ter kill vel"
He moved toward the young man with
his red eyes burning fiercely.
Just hold on, jackson" Ralph ex-
claimed. "How do you know the grand
jury's got you? Who told you?"
Buck Jarvis did. He heard it when
he went to town. Now, by gracious,
I'm goin' ter settle with YET"
Reynolds saw that the man, fired by
liquor, fully meant to carry out his
words. He was VIGOROUSLY bad when in
such a condition, and with his thirst for
revenge as second stimulous, he was
dangerous in the extreme.
The young man was unarmed; he was
not the owner of a revolver, and his gun
sat behind him in a corner of the cabin.
Yet he realized very we'll that he must
defend himself, and that with bold force
and alarcity.
Jackson Howe cooked his heavy re-
volver with fearful imprecation.
Before he could raise the weapon,
however, to execute his threat, he re-.
ceived blow in the face from the IRON
like fist of the sturdy young man which
sent him to the floor with force enough
to shake the cabin.
AS he went down his body struck the
stand whercon the tallow light rested,
overturned it and the room was en-
veloped in darkness, save for gloom
from the smoldering fire.
Ralph softly changed his position as
he heard his enemy scramble to his
feet, and it was we'll that he did so, for
an instant later there was a shot, and a
bullet cut the air that was last breathed
from his nostrils.
The young homesteader's indignation
was now aroused. He naturally re-
belled against the idea of being killed
in his own home by drunken old law
breaker, for no reason save groundless
suspicion. He resolved to put an end
to the trouble by disarming the old
man and throwing him out of doors.
He located Howes position and snrano
upon him as tiger might spring upon
his prey. He grasped his throat,
tripped him and bore him to the floor.
At this moment the cabin door was
flung open and the light of dark Ian.
tern streamed in on the wild scene.
With his knee on his assailant's breast
Ralph glanced quickly up and beheld
three men, the foremost of whom he
recognized as the tramp who had called
a week before.
"What does this mean ?" was inquired,
as the men pushed into the room.
Ralph planted his foot on the wrist
Of the hand that held the revolver and
arose to his feet.
jackson Howe attempted to shoot
me, and I was forced to floor him." he
informed the strangers. "NIay 1 ask
who you are?"
"Officers of the law" was the
answer. ave have come tonight
from X. to arrest jackson Howe
for selling liquor, and we are author
lied by the grand jury of the county
We We're Oh our way to his house when
we heard the shot and general rumpus
in here, and we came in to investigate
the trouble. I see we need 90 nc
further. Here's our man, fellows
Ralph drew back, and the officers
deftly disar,ned and handcuffed the
drunken whisky-dealer, who swore ter.
rib]y. Then, without any preliminaries,
they hustled him out of the room and
mounted him upon horse they had
brought for the purpose, and bidding
Ralph goodnight, remounted them.
selves and, with their prisoner, started
on their way to X.
At HOWe's trial. a weak later thc