Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-02-26

tnroat-and it turned me SICK. Inc oo8-H
nastiff-was fighting now to pull loose, and
the pair swayed this way and that in the
dusk, painting and murderous.
1 was almost shouting aloud-feeling IS
though it were my own throat thus gripped-
when the end came The man had his legs
planted well apart. 1 saw his shoulders
beave up and bend as he frightened the press
ure of his fingers: then came moments dead
silence, then hideous gurgle, and the mastlh
/ dropped back, his hind legs trailing limp.
! The bully held him so for a full minute,
peering close to make sure he was dead, and
/ then. without loosening his hold, dragged
/ him across the grass under my window By
the sycamore he halted, but only to shift his
hands a little. and SO. swaying on his hlI'e,
send the carcass with a heave over the wall.
| heard it drop with thud on the far side
! During this fierce wrestle-whlch must
| have lasted about two minutes-the clatter
and shouting of the company above had gone
on without a break; and all this while the
man with the white hair had rested quietly
on one side, watching. But now he steps up
TO where the bully stood hopping his face
| for all the GOODNESS of the evening", and, with
l q llIlSeE DSINGcL TIC AOtaf CO VA AA0 OOS--' 49,
very politely.
you handled that dog, sir, choicely well"
/ saws he, in a thin voice that seemed to have
/ chuckle hidden in it somewhere.
| The other ceased hopping to get good
/ look at him.
"But sure" he went on, "'twas hard on
| the Door cur, that had never heard Of Capt.
Lucius Higgs"-
thought the bully would have had him by
the windpipe and pitched him after the mas
tiff, so fiercely he turned at the sound Of this
name But the old gentleman skipped back
quite nimbly and held up finger.
I'm a man of peace. If another title
\ suits you bettern-
"Where the devil got you that names"
growled the bully, and had half a mind to
| come on again, but the other put in briskly:
I'm on plain errand of business. No need,
as you hint, to mention names; and there
fore let me present myself as Mr.. q. The
residue of the alphabet is at your service to
pick and choose from"
"My name is Luke Settle" said tie big
man hoarsely Out whether - lis was his nat
ural voice or no, could not tell.
let us say Mr.. X prefer it:n
! The old gentleman as he said this popped
right hand across the book, and seemed to be
/ considering.
"Why did you throttle that dog minute
agoF' he asked, sharply.
"Why, to save my skim answers the fell
low, bit puzzled.
"Would YOU have done it for fifty poundsG"
cay, or half that"
"And how if it had been a puppy, Mr.. Xln
III Is. Il 4
very clearly, for they stood right under me in
the dusk But as the old gentleman paused
to let his question sink in, and the bully to
catch the drift of it before answering, one of
the dicers above struck up to sing a catch:
with a hey, troily loIlyl q leg to the devil,
And answer him civil, and of with your cap;
Sing-Hcy, troly holly! Good morrow, Sir Evil,
We've finished the tap,
And, saving your worship, we care not rap!"
While this din continued, the stranger held
up one forefinger again, as if beseeching ST.
lence, the other remaining still between the
pages of his book.
"Pretty boys!" he said, as the noise died
away; pretty boysI IT'S easily seen they
have bird to pluck"
Hes none of my plucking."
"And if he were, why notl Sure you've
picked a feather or two before now in the
low countries-heyT"
"TI tell you what" interrupts the big
man, next time you crack one of your
deaths head jokes, over the wall you go after
the dog. What's to prevent it!'
"Why, this, answers the old fellow, cheer
fully. There's money to be made by doing
no such thing. And I don't carry it all about
with me. So, as tits late, we'd best talk bust
ness at once"
They moved away towards the seat under
the sycamore, and now their words reached
me no longer-only the low murmur of their
voices or Ito be correc0 Of the elder mans;
! for the other only spoke now and then, to
put a question, as it seemed. Presently l
heard an oath raped out, and saw the bully
start up. Flush, mani" cried the other, and
shark We now;n so he sat down again. Their
very forms were lost within the shadow.
myself was cold enough by this time, and
had a cramp in one leg, but lay still, never
theless. And after while they stood up to-
gether. and came pacing across the bowling
green side by side, the older man trailing his
foot painfully to keep step. You may be
sure strained my ears.
Besides the pay" the stranger was say
| ing, there's all you can win of this young
fool, Anthony, and all you find on the pair,
which III wager
They passed out of hearing, but turned
soon and came back again. The big mar
was speaking this time.
'In be shot if I know what game you're
| playing in this
The elder chuckled softly "Tll be shot if
1 mean you to-" said he.
And this was the last 1 heard. For now
there came a Gathering at the door behind
me, and Mr.. Robert Drury reeled in, hic-
coughing a maudlin ballad about "Tib and
young Colin one fine day, beneath the hay
cock shaded, etc, ETC., and cursing to find
his fire gone out and all in darkness. Liquor
was ever his master, and today the kings
health had been a fair excuse He did rot
| spy me, but the roar of his ballad had startled
/ the two men outside, and 50, while he was
stumbling over chairs and cropping for tin
| der box, I slipped out in the darkness and
down stairs into the streets.
CHAPTER II.