The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1890-04-11

| shorew
.'WalI, " he added, presently, some is
bout as shore as the other If the boys
don't down him, the fever will. Mount
ain fever's first cousin to the grave
yard. ?"
The sufferer moaned and tossed feebly
in his delirium, and, when Sigsby held a
tin of water to his lips, he drank with
almost frenzied eagerness.
"Dryer'n a bonel" remarked Sigsby.
'fWal, the boys IL soon ease his misery,
reckon. Pore cussl He's in hard row
O. stumps, but now he's come out here to
hunt the boys; he ortn't to kick if they
hunt him"
The sufferer rolled his head slowly from
side to side and moaned.
''Do your groanin' now. remarked the
visitor grimly, ''fer the boys'll deprive
you NV that privilege soon. Thar'll be
detective on tree for breakfast, reckon.
Wal, l must be a-gettin'. Don't seem to
be nuth'n' worth packin' off. By Georgei
mighty nigh forgot his letter. I'll jest
see what orders his bosses has sent him.
Mought do me some good and they never
will him"
He opened the oddly addressed en-
velope, and slowly spelled out the epistle
it contained When it was done, he
spelled it clear through a second time
.'Wan, I'm blabbergasted!" he ejacu-
lated, as he laid the letter face upward
on the table. 1t was short message and
was printed in the same eccentric fashion
as the address.
oval, I'm blabbergastedl old man
Sigsby repeated. Plumb blabbergasted
Some how, that minds me w"
He paused.
Presently, he said, slowly:
''Prays fer him every night an
mornin'. Names Bessie. Minds me Nv
never mindm He shook himself
iercely.
observes all he gits," he SAID,
hoarsely. didn't he come yere to hunt
the boysl Yer bet yer life he did,
He answered himself with fierce
energy, shaking his fist at the moaning
figure on the bed. Then he turned to
leave the shanty, but paused, with his
hand on the rude latch.
| L ne ,a tisr Somebody ort to
write an tell her when he's downed.
L"
He took step toward the letter that
lay face upward on the table. The
quaint characters seemed staring him in
the face.
''Prays fer him, " he muttered slowly.
Names Bessiel Minds me, no-Fll-
I'll do it. Do it er drop a-tryingl" he
cried with fierce energy.
The sick man moaned again.
"Her dad-Bessie's dadw old man
Sigsby muttered, and laid his cooked
revolver on the table beside the letter.
Then he took down the sick mans
repeating rife from the wall and placed
it near the other weapon.
Likes not III groan like him purt'
soon," he said, with nod toward the
bed 1.-The boys mean business"
They mean business!" he repeated
presently. $50 do l."
There was a noise outside and a
knock at the door.
''Comel" cried Sigsby.
The repeating rife in his hands and
the revolver beside the letter were both
cooked and ready for instant use. As
they threw open the door and ushered in,
Big Jim Perdue and the rest of the
"boys" found themselves looking into
the muzzle of a repeating rife held by a
stern-faced man who stood behind the
table.
Cup with yer handsl" cried Big Jim
sternly, as he burst across the threshold
There were explanations of surprise as
the gang recognized the holder of the
rife.
"What dye mean, SigsbyG What are
you dom yerel" demanded Big Jim.
''Nuthin', returned old man sigsby,
doggedly.
fWhur's the cuss?"
"Tharl" answered Sigsby, moving to
one side that the light might fall Oh the
sick man. "Thar, an thar he's goin' to
stay"
Mountain fever" some one said. at
sight of the delirium-fushed face.
Big Jim and the gang glared at old
man Sigsby and the rife muzzle that
stared them in the face.
"What does all this meant" Big jim
demanded with an oath.
s'Nuthin'l" the old man replied.
,'Yeres his orders from headquarters, an
I'm a-carryin' them out"
He tipped the letter toward the group
and Big Jim picked it up. When the |
big man had silently spelled out its con-
tents, he handed it to the next man.
From one to another it passed till all !
had read Bessie's letter.
No one made any remark, but there
was dimness before the eyes of several |
that made the muzzle of old man Sigs-
by's repeating rife looking less formula
bic.
''wall" questioned sigsby.
oval" Big jim returned in an accent
less voice.
s'Prays fer him every day." the old
man said, as if addressing himself.
"An' faint no good prsyin' fer dead
men, jim returned, in the same accent. (
less voice. Hunting u.s. Wall, mount
ain fever'll do the work il"
"Bill," he said, suddenly, interrupting
himself, "didn't you low you seed a fel-
Ter sneaEzin' round the storehouse as we
come byi"
"Bili'' replied promptly that he had
"lowed" so, and several eager voices
chimed in with the information that it
was dangerous to allow the ''feller" in
question to continue TO asneak"
~ reckon that thar's the detective"
Big Jim hazardcd.
There was unanimous expression of
belief that such was the case. Then, led