Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va) 1886-1890, 1889-11-21


in a low tone:
"rd like ter speak with you, Mr. Bar
low"
She looked sideways at two or thre
loafers in the store, and l knew she de
sired to see me privately. l was some
what surprised, but conducted her to N,
little cubby hole of an Office.
"What do you suppose Rice Fielding
Tom Jenkins an all that gang are goin
ter do tonight"
Her voice shook with passion.
81 cannot imagine, Miss Williams,
said I in q tone of alarm.
They're over at Spangler's plottin' tt
beat the professor out O his claim!'
"You don't tell mer
81 do, though. You see, the professor
is out O town an that gang knows it, SC
they're goin' to try an steal his place"
"But they can't
"They say they can. They say they'll
try it an give the tenderfoot a big scare,
anyway. Why, I never heard of such
an outrage"
Glow do they intend to go to work to
get the professors claim?"
81 heard em talkin' it all over. Said
they'd take along key O. whisky an
move into his shack an stay there.
They're goin' up tonight. They won't
have any time tomorrow, cause the pro-
fessor'u get back then. You know, he
went to Jimtown Tuesday. Can't you
do somethin', Mr.. Barlow?"
''The law won't uphold them, Miss
She snapped her fingers.
"That for the law! tell you these
fellers sha'n't get into the professors
shack if can help it."
She drew herself together like an an
cry Amazon, and her eyes were twin
Goals of fire.
81 beg of you don't be rash, Miss VIII.
Jams. Remember"-
There came chorus Of yells from
Spangler's. Nance Williams listened a
moment.
Hear that, she said harshly; "they're
gettin' ready to 60 It's time was NOV
in. 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 q
horse came past at lightning speed, with
Madcap Nance crouching low in the sad
die and speeding away on her hair
Drained mission.
Shouts and yells came from Spangler's.
and not long after Nance had gone
drunken rabble rode by the store in the
direction she had taken. / felt certain
something of serious nature was threat
'ened, so, as soon as I could leave the
store, saddled my horse and followed.
\Ihe moon had come out of the purple
sky overhead. In her light the land
iscane was BROUGHT ont with startling dis
tinctness, for Dakota moons are noted
for their intense brilliancy. Tom Jenk-
ms gang had half hour the start OF me,
and put my horse to the run in order
that / might be on hand with as little de
lay as possible. AS my horse clattered
over the bridge that spanned the Pipe
stem, ] heard q succession Of faint rife
shots from the direction of the profes
sOrS claim.
"My Godr' cried, "the girl will be
killed." and dashed my horse to greater
speed.
1t had never occurred to me that ]
would be helpless in an encounter with
the drunken rabble. had thought of
nothing but getting upon the ground in
the quickest possible time, for it was
more than probable that Nance Will
dams would be alone at the mercy of the
crowd. AS drew nearer and nearer
my destination heard cries from time /
% time. and my nerves were all a-trem.
ele with excitement and apprehension.
When I came close to the professors
claim shanty, however, / realized chat |
Williams was in no Immediate
ct the men, some ten or twelval
stood couRseIing together
bud talk / cleaned that Sheyt
* 81 e. ~---.g