The Portland daily press., 1891-06-27

massa. Use seen 'em afore." Then,
drawing near, he whispered, "rse made
'emp
Sand did they do their work." said
Nutting, laughing lightly.
"Dey did, massa."
The officer now opened drawer in his
desk and took from it an old fashioned
dueling pistol, which he had picked up
somewhere, and fitted the bullet into its
rusty muzzle.
'Its just the thing, uncle. Bring me
my flask, and I'll load it with the suicide
bullet. It's best to have it handy by if I
get the blues" He laughed again.
The servant obeyed.
'No use to fix i'm massa. 'Twon't
only kill de one who it's made for, shuah,
an ye couldn't shoot yourself wild it, no
how"
"Well, uncle, I'll load the smoothbore,
anyway" said the marshal, suiting the
action to the word, 'fand this afternoon
we'll try it at a mark. If miss a half
dollar at dozen PAGES I'll give up that
your right. If I hit, your suicide bullet
is no better or worse than aleaden one."
"All right, massa, but you won't hit,"
replied the old darby.
Just as Nutting completed the charg-
ing of the weapon a visitor called, and it
was thrust hurriedly into q pigeonhole
in the desk. His visitors business de-
tanned him from the Office until night,
and the plan of the morning was forgot
ten. The dueling pistol with its silver
missile lay unnoticed for months in the
desk.
The days and weeks passed, summer
came and went, and fall ripened the
year. A dozen times had the marshal
organized expeditions and secured the
country, seeking the notorious Allen
but each time he had returned unsuc-
cessful. One final effort, however, was
to be made. Certain information which
he knew to be reliable had at last, he felt
sure, put the outlaw in his hand, and he
looked to his horses shoes and loaded his
pistols with unusual care.
At his orders mounted guards men
on whom he could depend-patrolled all
the roads. Upon the morrow at dawn,
with posse of seven fearless mount
aineers, he was to storm the very
stronghold of the moonshiners, and to-
morrow night would find vacancy
either in the government Office or in the
ranks of the illicit distillers. The expe-
dition had thus far, Nutting believed,
been kept secret. Because of this he
looked forward with strong hopes of
success.
The officer sat at his desk writing.
He had but few pages to complete,
letter or two to prepare for the mail,
and some memoranda to destroy. He
might never sit at that desk again.
AS his eyes wandered over the mass of
papers, DOCUMENTS and duplicate reports
filed neatly away before him, he sud-
denly noticed the butt end of his old
dueling pistol, half hidden in one of the
compartments, and as the remembrance
of how it came there flashed over him he
was about to draw it from its hiding
place when shutting step at the door
arrested him, and an instant later an
aged and bent woman entered the door,
The hour was late, and Nutting re-
garded the new conner with surprise, as
he arose to offer her chair. She ac-
cepted it with whine of thanks and
sank painting into it. The marshal re-
sumed his seat at the desk.
eye are the gov'ment man, reckon?"
said the woman, after pause, raising
brown and wrinkled face, half hidden
beneath an immense hood and pair of
green spectacles, toward Nutting.
"Yes, madam" replied that worthy.
GIVE come right smart piece to see
ye, for an old woman. I'm true grit, I
am, but a-getting wore out. These yer
mountains axe sight sleeper than they
was forty years ago." and she sighed.
"But see here, I'm on business, am. l
want to talk to ye. You don't know me,
reckon"
81 cannot say that 1 do" said Nut
ting slowly.
''Ireckon not, as yenever see me before.
I am Mrs. Allen-Bethsheby Allen-and
my boy, he's Ruloff Allen. Ye hev heard
of him, mebbe?" and she paused and
gazed cunningly into her listeners face.
"Yes, l know him." and the mans
brow darkened.
"Wall, now / tell We. 1t seems yer on
raid arter him tomorrer-ye see
know thing or two-an' ye've got the
boy badly cooped up this time, shore.
Not but what he'll fight, and some on ye
may catch suthin besides moonshiners.
My boy is smart, he is, tell ye, an he'll
tote ye round considerable afore We
gather him in; but he's cooped all the
same, and I'm afesred yell catch him or
kill him. An I'm his nanny, ye,know."
The old bag paused and wiped her
eyes. She was a woman even yet, and
Nutting's heart softened toward her.
What can do in this matter, Mrs.
Allen" began thesmarshal. "Your son
is a.
"Never mind. what he is, you can save
him. He's trapped, catched, cooped. But
he's my boy, an want ye to let him go.
Take his stillsan' his whisky-take every
thing, but let him. go, an I'll give ys my
word-it's good; Bethsheby Allen never
broke it yet-that in less than threedays
Wen be"-
''Mrs. Allen. that is impossible. I'll
try not to hurt your son, but capture him
must and shall"
"But if he should capture you, what
them"
At these words thesgreen glasses fell,
the hood was thrown back, the bent
form became straight, and before the
eyes of the dazed officer Ruloff Allen
himself stood, a look of deadly hatred on
his face, heavy revolver in his out
stretched hand.
Silence reigned moment as the young
man gazed into the deadly tube before
him.
81 came here to give syou one last
chance, and myself Thea samew half
Missed the moonshiner. "That chance
is lost to both of u.s. I go back to the
mountains and outlawry-you retire
from active service. Cam you, pray? If
so, do it now. In three minutes shall
kill you"
Slowly Nuttings eyes ran about the
room. Escape was impossible help
would. not come. A single tcry meant
instant death-he was lost! His heart
sank.
Suddenly the, butt of ther old dueling
pistol came within the circle of his
vision. Coola his wbuh-be murderer,
he turned to him and said, "Will you
let me smoke lonce moaH~
The fellowseyed him SHARPLY.
smoker Yes, one cigar" ne sald az
length. And loweringathe muzzle Of his
weapon, he thrust it into his pocket to