The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-04-06

hugh OyntOn, smoking his nlRii-prlccu
Havana after dinner that evening in the
luxurious ease OF his favorite ~louneine-
chair, had utterly forgotten all about the
few words and the silver coin which he
had thrown 10 the tramp whom he htd
overtaken as he rode home from bounds.
Jim, curled up under the lee OF n clover
rick, turned the half-crown over and over
In his hand and thought how for once in
his life he had been spoken kindly To by n
real gentleman.
Five dreary years passed over Jim's
luckless head-their monotony broken
by police-court, ~prison-cell, and va
grant-ward experiences. He had wan
dered up and down some dozen
counties, and seen the inside of most OF
| their jails, and now, as Christmas drew
near. had drifted toward York; not
| that he had any particular reason for get
ting there, but because II lay In his way
north, and he happened to be making in
that direction /; why, not even he himself
knew, for north, south. east. and west
were alike to him. He had had q run OF
bad luck lately. Once or twice he had
found a casual's welcome and slept under
cover; but he had "A rooted objection To its
concomitants, and chose rather the cold
scarcely tasted food for n week, and had
almost forgotten the feel OF a copper coin /;
for somehow la "A approach OF the
festival of peace and goodwill seemed To
have shut up mems pockets, and sharp
refusals and scornful silence were all he
got from those OF whom he asked help, -.
The afternoon was closing as he found
himself in the long, struggling village OF
Marston, footsorc and done up. The lights
at the grocer's shop threw "a broad band
Of brightness across Inc road, and Jim
could see a man in Il white apron busily
piling up "a pyramid Of loves which n boy
had Just brought in crisp and hot from The
In En-lntSn Tho siuht wns too Inlch for
the furnished fellow, and he pushed his
way into the shop. "No, then, what is il 2"
cried the shopman sharply, as he came
Jim's ALTERED appearance.
xviii yc give me van ov them little uns,
guv'nor? I'm nigh clemmed," and he
nodded toward the bread pile.
'No, certainly not; | never give to beg
CARS"
ave not tasted a bite MOI sup this
blessed day, God knows"
Cant help that! Come, get out of The
shop, do you hear ar III set the con-
stable onto you. The likes OF ought
not to be allowed TO go about the country.
Come, of with you"
Three times did Jim try his luck down
the length Of the village street, with no
better success, and then he gave il up and
bitterly left the houses OF his fellow
open country again. He dragged himself
along n few weary miles, then opening a
gate, crawled into a half-ruined cow-shed
and flung himself down o some
bracken m straw litter in the farthest
corner and dozed of. When he woke up
the moon had risen and IA shining in
through the chinks of the roof, and Jim
could see the countryside M white with
snow. He shivered and buried himself
completely i'm the bracken and tried to
sleep again and forget the cold m his
hunger. He had almost succeeded when
the sound OF voices came To him on the
still night AIR, and n minute later three
men entered the shed.
Course the coldn' groaned n as he
drew back just within the shadow.
Curse him, you mcan," aid another,
as he leaned a thick oak cudgel against
the wall and began to blow upon his
numbcd fingers.
srIl do more than curse him when
tn tim" comes" answered the first
SAY, he'd best not have taken us j.
hand. Says he, when with the rest of 4
beaks he sentenced Tim and jeff. The
poaching rascals shall be stopped, il l
have to do IL single-handed.'"
"Well, he'll be s~ingle-handcd tonight
anyways, for he's no groom wi him. So
he can try what he's good for wi three ov
us, ch, jack"
Hell find il tough iob, I'm thinking
AIS Z wire right, Bob"
"Surely! His mare steps high; but I've
lowed for il, and she'll catch beautifully.
It's past ~ now; he oughtn't To he long,
Hist, mate; there's wheels. Now fort
Come on
The three men went out quickly. and
Jim, following TO the door, saw them leap
into the road and hide i'm the hedge on the
opposite side; then he stole down to the
gate. out of mere curiosity. To watch what
their game a In "a few minutes the
ring of hoofs grew louder, and a high
wheeled dog-cart spinning round a corner
came rapidly down the lane. Ii was oc-
cupicd by one figure only, the red glow OF
whose cigar CLEANED in the frosty air
and just as the scent Of il reached dim he
saw the horse suddenly plunge and stag.
ger forward. The wire snare had donc
its work, the animal fell heavily. and the
driver, thrown of his balance by the
shock, shot out onto the snow. Before
he could rise the men were upon him,
but somehow hc managed Ia a them
clear and struggle 10 his feet. He faced
them boldly, and met their rush with a
right and ~left-handcr, which sent one Ia
the ground, but the other two closed in
! upon him.
Jim looked Oh with languid interest.
Evidently il was some magistrate waylaid
10y three men who had a score To settle
against him. II was no business of his
anyway and though three to one was
hardly fair he was not going to interfere,
The gentlemen fought well, whoevcr he
was, n again sent an assailant back
ward with a well-got-in blow. But the
odds were too heavy aud the cudgels told,
He began To stagger and give ground and
"a blow on the head beat him down,
"Give il 10 him, lads, il we swing fort
cried the tallest of the three Williams
jumping upon him, mad and blind with
A ray Of moonlight fell upon the up
| turned face of the fallen mans; ID was
that of the gentleman who five years age
had talked with Jim in the lane. In an
instant he Was over the gate and at the
men like a %tigercat, and So sudden was
his onset that they gave ground. then see
ing he was alone they rushed at him
with oaths and threats. Weak
from want of food and half dead
with cold, poor Jim had never a
chance. For "A few seconds he held
up doggcdly against the shower of blows
then, feeling he was done for. stopped
suddenly. flung his arms round the sense.
less squire. and with one last effort man
appl Ia roll into the deem ditch. kpppinu