Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1891-10-01

son Led the two through the break I'm
the woods the clear patch that sur.
rounded the few houses there. Itdid
not take them long to find the still
house. It's door was broken down
and the trio entered. The native
girl of Arkansaw peered through a
patch OF underbrush behind which
she was secreted and watched the
proceedings. As she looked at Jimp-
son she received her first lesson, and
perhaps her only one in mans perfldy.
She thought there could never be a
meaner wretch in all the world. He
had squeezed her hand the night be-
fore and said something about love.
1t seemed rather nice to littleHennie
to hear him talk SO to her, and now
to look at him! She cried few wo-
manly tears as she watched the oper-
ations of the three men, who seized
all the utensils and destroyed as much
Of the house as they could. She
dashed them away as the trio sad
died the horses and prepared to
mount.
"We1l work back now," said jump
son. 81 know of several plants-the
ones / told you Of"
"What about the Spencer's?" asked
Brown.
eff it were not for the little girl
there, don't you know" went on the
matter-of-fact st. Louisian, s'I would
take 'em this evening regardless of
anything but the law"
'I'Il get him for that" sobbed
Hennie, going for her horse. "I'll
get him, sure"
The three men rode ahead, the
Arkansaw girl following them at
safe distance. One after another
was demolished, only the Spencer
plant being untouched. The men
rode back toward the Spring River,
the girl coming closely after them.
The revenue officers reached the edge
Of cleared place and dismounted.
The Spencer plant was just across the
patch.
'They mean to 'rest the folks, "said
the girl, 'and I'll not let 'em.''
The trio broke into the cleared
piece Of land, and started across it.
The clearing was fourth Of mile
wide, probably, and the girl knew
that she could not do anything if she
permitted the men to precede her, as
it would not be possible for her to
come into the clearing behind them
until they were we'll out of sight in
the woods. In the meantime they
might seize the plant and shoot her
brothers. She urged her horse along,
hoping to skirt the clearing and meet
the officers as they left the path and
came into the woods again. The lat
ter were slow, however, and when
she got to the other side they were
just starting across. Then it was
that happy idea came across her
mind. She would break into the
clearing, and, if necessary, do some
shooting on her own account. Her
simple Ozark mind did not grasp the
dangers of such a move against three
armed men. She slipped from her
horse, and quicker than wink broke
out of the woods. The men saw her
and stopped. She turned to the
woods and waved her hand as if ex-
pecting help. 1t flashed across Simp-
sons mind in an instant that the
owners Of the house over near Croom's
mill had returned, found their plant
destroyed and at once set out to give
the alarm. He pictured the woods
full Of angry, armed moonshiners.
''Come on" he called to Bowman
and McHenry, and the three ran
backward to the trees behind them.
Then shot rang out, the ST. Louis
young man dropped his gun and yelled
with pain.
'I'm shotw he cried. Then an
other report rang out. Jimpson's
companions deserted him, and jump
ing astride their horses rode away.
Jimpson lay on the ground with
charge of shot in his leg. 1t was a
painful wound, but he managed to
drag himself into spot that the
warm evening sun did not penetrate.
AS he lay there, horse neighed. 1t
was his own. A second later another
whinny sounded in answer. 1t came
from the clearing. Simpson turned
around in time to see the Arkansaw
girl dismount, painting and crying.
81 done it, " she cried, ''to get even.
You're served right and you know it,
Mister Jimpson, but I'm going to
keer fer you, if you'll tell 'em at the
house that done it by-by-what do
you say-accident-yes, that what T
mean"
"But / am revenue officer" said
Jimpson, between groans. sWhat
will your people say to that?"
'They'n never KNOW" responded
the girl.
And that is how it came to pass
that Jimpson, the St. Louis man, be-
came the husband of an Ozark girl.
He ceased to be a revenue officer and
became one of the most skillful moon
sinners in Arkansas. He spent the
second year of his married life in the
penitentiary, but after that he was
never caught.-Kansas City Times.