The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1889-09-04
NO. l3.

went below to the boiler deck again,
still without attracting any atten-
ton.
Colonel Lee, seated at the card
table and in excellent spirits now
that the voyage was resumed, had
just passed. out on that particular
deal, when the csibin=boy, leaning
over the back of hiscIlair, whispered
something to him
Wants to soc mei exclaimed the
Colonel in surprise, but speaking
low.
ayes, sab. On the lower deck.
Port side, sab.
sWhat kind of looking man2
ssDunno. sab. Mighty dark out
dare whah he spolscts me. Couldn't
reilly see him, sah
The Colonel, rising, excused him-
self to the other participants in the
game and left the cabin. Outside
before descending the stairs to the
deck below. he transferred a revol-
ver from his hip pocket to the right
outside pocket of his coat, where it
lay in his hand, ready for usc. He
had reached the lower deck and
gonc one-third of the way along it
aft, when SUDDENLY, from behind a
pile of freight. the sGiant Flatboat.
man" stepped out and confronted
him.
The gambler. without waiting for
a word or hostile motion, threw ul,
his pistol and fired at the big man.
Before he could fire second shot
the weapon was torn from his grasp
and he was fclled to the dock.
The pistol-shot attracted alton
ton, and score of persons came
running from all directions, but
only one disinterested person, tho
second engineer, had seen it fred,
and knew that, whatever might
appear from tho present position of
the parties, the one on the deck had
been the aggressor Nevertheless
nobody seemed desirous of inter
fering in the affair. Darley's bat
had fallen off, and several recog-
nized him.
Looking down upon the gambler
at his feet, barley dcmandcd
"Archibald Lee, whore are my
wife and child?
The man addressed maintained a
sullen silence.
"What have you done with the
foolish woman and my innocort
child2 Who're arc they2" persisted
the giant.
al don't know anything about
'em, /" snarled the gambler.
"Archibald Lee, you lie. bold
you responsible for thcm." Raising
his eyes and looking upon the
crowd now surrounding them, tho
big fiatboatman said, with a voice
that seemed to have tears in il:
"Men, / had little baby girl that
was dearer than all the world 10
me, and wifc, foolish woman,
but l loved her. That follow came
to my house when 1 was away and
got the woman 10 run off with him
and to take her child with her.
Hc was seen bringing them aboard
this boat at Wheeling yesterday
followed and got aboad at the
wood yard tonight, and here I've
caught him. Some of you know
Ransc barley, guess, and those
who do, know that / don't lie.
Those are the facts. Now, what
wouTd you do with him if you wero
in my placer"
"Look ouu" shouted half dozen
voices at once, and in another In
stant another pistoI-shot was fred
by the fellow lying on the deck Mt
the man he had wronged. Tho
rascal had managed unobserved TO
draw derringer from his vest
pocket and use it before he could
be seized. But he had not been
able to take effective aim and the
shot did no harm to Darley. 1t
settled his fate, however.
The now infuriatcd giant seized
him by one ankle, twirled him over
the edge of the deck, which-as tho
boat was deep ladcn-was not moro
than two feet from tho water, and
there suspended him with his head
in the river, drowning him as one
might dog. For minute or two
the dying gambler vainly beat tho
water with his hands, kicked and
clutchcd at the boat, but the mighty
grip of the fatboatman's one hand
held him as easily as boy would
doll. When his struggle ceased
tho orr.i,, rr,s,e, ,.,SIn--<,,1 -