The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-06-19

Nutting hesitated moment. This
man was veritable Robin Hood! Gould
he trust him?
The other spoke again.
"Such assistance from an official is
what | need, and I can pay for it. Il
you will get free pardon for me will
! give you five thousand'-
Il cannot do it.
Aliens face paled, and his hand crept
toward his hip; then restraining himself
with scofing laugh, he said:
''Be it so. Then we are enemies.
to you and the law; you to me. Re,
member my fifteen minutes, and beware
when next we meetp
He threw his cloak about him, buckled
his pistols at his waist and disappeared,
but as he left the room little piece OF
metal fell from his person and rolled IN
noticed upon the floor. A minute latel
the ring Of his horses hoofs sounded
through the night as he rode toward the
mountains.
The morning following, as Nutting
entered his Office, his aged servant bowed
low before him, extended his. brown and
wrinkled hand, and said, in an awe
stricken voice:
'Foun' dis on de floor, massa. S'pose
him your'n; bad ting, massa, bad, eff ye
low old niger to say So"
The marshal leaned forward in sur
prise. Lying in the outstretched palm
of the black was silver pistol bullet.
"Why, uncle" said he, taking it, this
is not mine!"
Not your'n, massa? Tank de Lord!
Use pleased, is, massa Foun' it yer,
dough. Dat ar's sweyside bullet,
massa," he continued, lowering his voice
to whisper, while his eyes rolled like
ships in the midst of white and seething
pillows. 81 know 'em. Ny ole massa
he had one cast an carried it many
years. Dey neber kill no one but de
fellers dey's made for. Massa John,
dough, he didn't get chance for to use
his'n," and the old man chucllled,
GA suicide bullet" said Nutting, with
a smile, as he examined the silver
sphere That's a new idea to me. Why
make a special bullet, uncle? l should
think one of those deadly enough"
And he pointed toward some of the
heavy cartridges belonging to his own
pistols which lay on the table near.
"Dey mought miss, massa. You know
de ,debiI cares for his own, an dis bullet
is made by his help, at night, in de
grade yard, an can't miss. knows 'em
massa. Pse seen 'em afore." Then,
drawing near, he whispered, Use made
'emp'
"And 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 madefor, shuah,
an We 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, land this afternoon
we'll try it at mark. If miss a half
dollar at a dozen PAGES I'll give up that |
your right. If hit, your suicide bullet |
is no better or worse than leaden one."
"All right, massa, but you won't HIT"
replied the old darky.
Just as Nutting completed the charg-
ing of the weapon visitor called, and it
was thrust hurriedly into 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 dueiing 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
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 a posse of seven fearless mount
alneers, he was to storm the very
stronghold of the mooushiners, and to-
morrow night would find a vacancy
either in the government Office or in the
ranks of the illicit distillers The expe-
lition had thus far, Nutting believed,
been kept a 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, a
etter or two to prepare for the mail,
md some memoranda to destroy. He
night never sit at that desk again.
AS his eyes wandered over the mass of
papers, documents and duplicate reports
lied neatly away before him, he sud
ienly noticed the butt end of his old
tuellng pistol, half hidden in one of the
and as the remembrance
If how it came there flashed over him he
vas about TO draw it from its hiding
'lace when a shuff1ing step at the door
.rreSted him, and an instant later an
lged and bent woman entered the door.
The hour was late, and Nutting re-
,arded the new conner with surprise, as
lie arose to offer her chair. She ac-
epted 1t with a whine of thanks and
ank nantincr into II Tia N, orSlnnl 70 !