River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-06-13


be at hand. Hammer" was only used
at such rare intervals that the girls
proper name had been almost forgotten.
Her father. kind in his shiftless way,
usually considered Han" sufficiently
comprehensive, and few called her
any thing else. excerpts Jacks. 1t
had been "Haunie' with him, and
then with Sharpley. just now the
girl did not remember but two previ-
Gus occasions upon which he had dig
nified her as Hammer" One was
when his wife, her mother. had died.
The other was only last week, when
the Riggs "boys" had been arrested,
and carried away on a journey that,
after some delays. ended at the peni-
Tertiary, the said ''bOys" having been
captured by United States marshal
and his posse while engaged in man.
ufacturing ''moonshine" whisky at a
cleverly-concealed still-house- ~
So. all things considered, the girl
felt sure that the news that little Sol
Bender had brought on the wheezy
horse had been of much moment.
Han stood looking after her father.
and wondering what was about to oc-
cur.
Must be somethin' right import
ant, " she said. We'll, it won't keep
me. spite o. his sayin'. Don't you stir
often this place till to-mor'.' To-mor'
TlI-Tm goin' to see it at last-the
great big, bright world beyond the
timberi'
Old Jerry Pottle did not see Jacks
Hamlin as he turned from the path and
plunged into the timber. Now and
then, as the hOmely man t-udged to-
ward his lonely home. he muttered,
half aloud, in a dreary, despairing
way: lit is all over. nOwr' he groaned.
''Hannie-little HAMMER
Night found Hamlin IN his small
house, bowed over his homemade Ia
bic, seemingly savagely intent upon
devOuring the contents of one of the
dry books But the light of the splut-
tering candle could not dissipate the
shadow that seemed obscuring the
printed page-a shadow that in spite
of his determination, kept resolving it.
self into the face of girl-a bright
face framed in a tangle of wavy hair.
lie stared fiercely at the page before
him. and passed his hand across his
vision as if to brush away the shadow
that, in spite of his effort TO think of 1t
no more, his thoughts would keep
bringing up. And when. in angry
despair, he turned away from the book,
the face was before his vision still.
''Hannie! Hannie!n he said, half aloud.
/ u"
There came patter of footsteps
without in the darkness, and little
figure with frightened face and pant
ing breath staggered in at the open
door and sank into the first chair.
HAMMER cried the man, in aston
I Ishment.
'Oh, Jacksr gasped the girl. Save
him, Save him! They are goin' to kill
/ him. an"
1t was evident that she was terribly
/ frightened about something.
They'll kill him-kill himr' she
walled. "An'-an' he was goin' to
take me away from here an show me
all the great world. an make lady
NV mean I'd never have to wear
these old ragged elOze no more. An,
an now they're goin' to kill him!
/ They drove me away when | tried to
plead with them-my ole father showed
me away an called him spy. An
you'll save him! You can--yOu cant
/ You know so much, an
O"Him? Who? Sharpley?"
'.Yes. He was goin' to take me ost
into the big. bright world. an'-an'
now they are goin' to kill him"
WAS he going to make you his
wife," the man asked. sternly.
Deed an double he was. an"
Gomez was all the man said.
/ They left the house and hurried
away in the darkness, the man striding
along ut a terrific pace, seemingly I'M
mindful of the snags and brambles that
clutched him now and then. often tear
ing his clothes and scratching his flesh.
The girl ran at his side, telling more
of the story in a gasping, excited. half
incoherent way.
That night Sharpley was 10 have
taken the girl away-away out into
the great, bright world. But, while
/ Sharpley was waiting at the trysting-
place, they had come and dragged him
away. Aud now they were going to
kill him, she mOaned-kill him, an
A CLEAN Of light filtered through the
/ bushes ahead. and presently they were
/ just without the circle of brightness
east by n fire that, blazing cheerily,
revealed a weird. wild scene. The fire
light shOne on the despairing face of
man bound TO a sapling--S Sharp
/ ley. II lit up the stern. deter
mined cOUntenances-fam all of
! them. to the couple beyond the circle
I of light-Of men intent upon executing
what they considered just vengeance.
/ The making of ''mOOnshine" whisky,
/ though nominated in the statutes of
/ this great Government as heinOus
/ Offsasc. was regarded by them with
extremely lenient eyes, while the Civ
| ing Of information leading TO the
capture Of such offenders was con-
/ sidGred the chef atrocity in the cata-
lOgue of mans crimes against his fell
I bowman.
The girl would have rushed forward,
/ but Hamlin held her back, almost saw
/ agely.
Guilty. er not gulty?" old Jerry
Puttle was asking Of the group of
stern-faced men about him.
Guilty
'.SharpIey." began old Jerry, grave
". you've ben foun' guilty. am"
They'll kill hira," the girl gasped.
"Save-save--
The hand OF the man beside her
closed riercely on her arm
let them" he whispered. Kissing
/ ". .'He came between--'
but, he was goiu' TO take me way
from here an make lady NV met
the girl whispered. pleadingly.
$50 will--But. | forgot Ugly
ugly
You've BEN foun' guilty" old Jer-
~ was saying guilty NV givin' the
/ information that sent the Riggs boys
Z F..,trr, sbafr