The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-09-16

had not yet been gathered, towards the
small "shackn or shanty alnlostfn the middle
OF the claim,
: ''He won't know Pm a alouch, :" he added,
half bitterly. "I am not very widely noted
No dogs, 50 common on the average claim,
rushed to meet him, with suspicious growls
ana wagless tails No little army of white
headed children ran bashfully to hide at the
approach of the stranger.
Deserted, looks like" the ''slouch" told
himself "Well, so much the better for me.
Loneliness and will get along right well
together, and "souch" without company is
Just as good as anybody elsbl"
The swift falling twilight had filled with
darkness the little room tlat the half open
door revealed. The "slouch" knocked, for
manners sake and gave great start as a
low moan replied. The moan was repeated,
and, after calling qusstioningly several
times, he entered
A match, hurriedly lighted, revealed the
only occupant Of the shack, gaunt, feebly
tossing man, who, stretched on the rude bed,
seemed hardly conscious bf the intruder's
presence.
whats thefmatter, pardherl'' the tslouchn
asked, kindly.
The other, who seemed to be conscious only
in glimmering fashion, strove feebly to
answer, and as the "slouchH bent close to him
there came the one word;
"Waterln
cooling draught from the well near at
hand seemed to revive the sick man, and as
the "slouch" bent above him again he whis-
pered hoarsely:
"Thank ye, pardner. Glib Smallpox
Out into the darkness thb "slouchn fed as
if pursued by demon. When he paused he
was almost to the wire fence that surrounded
the claim He took of his battered hat and
looked up at the stars, twinkling into sight,
one after another.
Tho deadly danger of the plague was only
one more link to his chain Of misfortunes.
Perhaps il he fed he could escape it. The
man in the cabin, II left albne, would die Of
neglect, if not of the pldgue. A "slouch"
could help him to battle With death just as
well as the most fortunate and influential
citizen of Coyote City. The sufferer in the
shanty had no claim on him, but
Then he replaced the battered hat, and,
turning about in the darkness, strode toward
the open door, from which came long,
cleaning shaft Of light from the candle ho
had lit Presently the door was shut, and
the "slouchn and the sufferer were alone with
the plague.
1t was just such another day as the one
upon which, two weeks before the ''slouchn
left Coyote City, that a saunt pale man,
weary with his long trampf from the isolated
claim near tho lone mount, stepped just be-
yond the end of the one street of Coyote and
shouted hoarsely to a lad:
"Tell the big gun in the town TO come
yarn
The lad very properly sought Col Bender
son ss the individual most worthy Of the
title of big gun" ThaE gentleman rose
| from table In the Jumbo saloon, and
Pierce Fanshaw and Arthur Lemon followed
him.
HALT, tharin cried tho stranger, when
they had gotten within hundred yards of
him
News flies fast in bordnr settlement, and
| quite squad of curious ones strolled up and
| Joined the colonel and his friends.
Tho colonel did not heed the command, but
| continued to advance. NV
"Ilalt, thar" repeated the stranger.
"Smallpoxl Youth halt row, reckonr he
added, grimly.
Not only did Col Bender halt, but he
turned so quickly that he nearly fell on his
face, and started to hurry away.
Halt, tharl" was the command
A huge revolver CLEANED in tho hand Of
tie stranger, and the colouel stopped
"What does this mem, sIrF' he demanded,
| w no arc your
Names Ike Masters" tile stranger shouted
in reply "Know William Hatfield7'
Never heered Nv him' Col Henderson
answered positively.
"TIatfied was the 'slouch's nane,n said
Pierce Fanshaw.
"Neyer knowed it. Waln-to the stranger
-'what NV himF'
"Nnth'n," answered Ilrb Masters. "He's,
dead, that's all Don't reckon any nv you'll
keer none, bein's you run him out; but Jest
want to say that the man you called the
slouch' died herol"
Tho group about the cplonei listened In
awed silence as tho stranger shouted the
story of the "slouch's" heroism and death.
"He sent you some word,n Ike Masters
added, as he closed tho recital "Said fer mo
to say to you that the last effort NV the
'slouch' want failure, but that fer once he
'complished what he set out to do. What he
set out to do was to save the life Nv Ike Mas
ters, which Ike Masters Is ne.n
The colonel, usually rehdy tongued, was
silent
AN jest want to say furder," shouted
the gaunt stranger, "that | h'ain't overly
strong yit, but II the cuss or any two Nv the
cusses, what bossed the rinnin' out NV the
slouch' will step out from tho crowd, me and
ole Betsy yar"-tGpping his huge revolver-
Wi. give 'em all dissatisfaction they want,
case they feel insulted when | say that ever
man connected with the runnin' ont nv Will
lam Hatfield is liar ar a hoss thiefp
These epithets may not have been appro-
! pr1hte to tho occasion, buh they were OF the
kind that on the border arc regarded az thu
deadliest insults.
IAN | Jest want to add N went on Ike Mas
ters, "that my claim is on tho southwest
quarter Nv Section Three, an kin allurs be
found thar or tharabouts, case anybody
wants to take this var matter upln
And turning he strobe across the prairie
The crowd that soon gathered in the Jumbo
saloon was less noisy than usual; they wanted
| TO hear what Col. Henderson would say, but
that gentleman did not seem inclined 10
talk.
'Mebby I made mistalfe,n was all he
said.
Few OF US would do al the 'slonch' did,
said Pierce Fanshaw 81, for ono, would not
die for anybody but myselfn
"There Ia verse in scripture began