The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-08-23

"Ner me-"
"Ner me-"
Then a speculative silence fell on the
smoke enveloped group around the stove.
Like ez not" continued the old man be-
tween his puffs, ''we're harborin' run
away criminal from the east or a boss
thief"
"He don't look 'zactly like a criminal, -
spoke out prominent citizen, known as
Fizzletop. 1--WE didn't s'picion nothin'
when he drove up in that big wagon o. his'n
and asked If there was q cabin he could
rent"
That's jes' it," interrupted Dad, with
emphasis. "'Pearances is deceivin'. Would
man shut hisself up alone indoors all day
If he wasn't a sharp or sump'n? Would q
| man live three weeks in tn town without
minglin' with the boys or invitin' 'em up
to S>place, If he knew thar warn't nothin'
agin hiIn?"
These unanswerable arguments had
hardly been unburdened when there came
gentle knock at the door, and a moment
later the subject Of the conversation stood
| within the room
He was man of perhaps So, tall and
slight, with a skin of effeminate wilderness
| earneStness OF an unusually thoughtful
and sensitive mind. An intensely black,
dropping mustache seemed rather to as
sist In the prevailing tone of sadness in the
face.
With an easy self possession the new
! conner removed his hat, an act evidently
of natural and unconscious courtesy, and
with slight inclination of the head, which
seemed to include all in the room, he
greeted the loungers with a low spoken
Good evening"
There was a long, awkward pause. A
bright spot flashed into each of his pale
cheeks as his greeting passed unanswered,
but he still retained his thorough self pos
session. Replacing his hat with firm mo-
ton and keeping his eyes undinchingly on
the crowd, he proceeded to explain calmly
what he wanted. His horse had died the
day before in the shed at the cabin. If
some one could be gotten to remove the
body he would bewell paid for the trouble
1t required a strong prejudice to outbaI-
ance an offer of this kind, but popular feel
ing seemed to be decidedly against the
stranger, and in SaddIetown popular feel
Ing was very likely to prevail.
Finally one Of the men removed corn
cob pipe for sufficient length of time to
drawl out, with mock gravity:
Reckon you'll have ter git rid o. tbs
boss meat yerself, mister. None O. tho
boys seem to cotton TO the job"
The speech was hailed with round of
outlaws from the Saddletown citizens, and
before these had died away the stranger,
with n slight bow, bad disappeared as
quietly as ne came.
Perhaps it was the laugh that had so
modifying an effect on the assemblage.
Perhaps it was the ever increasing tobacco
fumes that suothed it into better mood.
Be that as it may, there certainly was a
reaction in favor of the stranger after his
departure.
The western miner of a dozen years ago
was a curious mixture of good and evil,
swayed by the slightest impulses, and, per-
haps, only this can account for the food of
good feeling which rolled into Dad Tangles
little shop as the evening progressed.
Fizzletop declared, with more good humor
than respect, that the old bone bag seemed
gamey,' and even Dad himself allowed that
"he mightn't be so bad, arter all" This
was the state affairs had reached when one
of the boys suggested, with a laugh, that
they should go over ard cart the old boss
away before morning"
The idea had been offered as a Joke, and
yet, fifteen minutes later, the crowd was
struggling through the moonlight toward
the strangers cabin.
1t was decided that FizZletop's team
should be used, as his shanty was nearest
that OF the strangers, and the boys bad
almost reached the old shed, when sud
denly there was a quick exclamation from
Fizzletop, a clatter of horses hoofs, the /
sharp crack, crack, of a derringer, and in
another moment some of the party were
chasing a riderless horse, while the others /
bent over a motionlesS figure in the road.
The figure was that Of the stranger. /
The horse was Fizzletop's.
The change from good humor to indig- !
nation was extreme. Even before the I'M
conscious man was pronounced still alive /
several were making toward the shed in /
search of a rope The report of FizEletop's /
pistol had quickly attracted a number of /
spectators, and 10 these Dad Tangle was |
expounding on the keenness of his percep- |
ton OF character, and his ability in partic- |
ular to detect a horse thief lat first /
squint"
Strange TO say, Fizzletop seemed to take |
the affair mors calmly than the others.
Give the man a chance" he said, as the |
rope was brought up, ready noosed- ''He
can't escape. Let's carry him over to his
cabin and give him a trial"
After a good deal of grumbling at put
tin the thing off, this was finally agreed
to- but Dad insisted on taking the rope
along so that it would be on hand when
wanted. 1t was only a few steps to the stran-
gers cabin. and when Fizzletops horse had
been returned to the shed there the still
man WAS borne.
After forcing open the door and deposit
lnE the limp figure in the already lighted
room the men proceeded TO examine care
fully the interior. and many were the ex-
preSSions of surprise ut the shelves OF
books, the great lamp and the general air
Of neatness. But the supreme sense OF
Justice was not to be shaken By
mere senumentality.
Dad Tansle had Just delivered himself
Of the opinion that as the stranger had
been seen making of with the horse no
trial was needed, when one OF the men sud
denly Interrupted him with:
"Helle! what thisy''
In a moment The crowd was clustered
snellbound around the sneaker
On peg hung little frock, while De
meath rested a pair OF tiny shoes.
The rough, hard faces were studies, in
their varied expressions
1t was Fizzletep who broke the spell.
a word he stepped quickly to the
bedside and pushed sside the curtain On
the pillow lay flushed little face, amid
tangle of golden curls
One or two of the miners turned away
with heads bent forward on their breasts
hand trembled strangely as he