The National tribune., 1892-08-18
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was master OF the situation, ana no ono hne"
il 40 well as did Jere himself, who was never
slow about gratifying opportunities.
Tim, Routwell commuued with himself, and
the result was much perspiration and an un-
| comfortable conscience
"Well. no use shedding any tears" he said,
sloud: but. by Jovel i wish ! could Keep
INV word with the little woman. what little
duck she is, and how Burton ought to con-
graduate himself! Hum-hum-hum. Poor
thingI How rocky she'll feel when she finds
played such dirty trick on hef. 1ees' anu
what'll say to mysef?
Teddy O'Hara whose family had been Kept
from starving during the strike . few months
before by the charity of the little duck ana
| her husband. and who had awakened from ms
| MONDAY zap under the office window ABOUT ~
| minutes previously, chuckled softly to hlmseii
and sneaked away, remarking as no feacneo
| the street.
/! "O.ho! Thots 1t. is ut! Aha! Teddy, me
bye. Oh tink yees had betther tex bit OF a thrip
over Z Apache the day. Yees don't feel ioike
worrkiu,. do wees, now?" And he hid his
dinner. nail and started down the trail for the
COuntyseat whistling glosfully.
OF Mrs. Burton's second interview with the
smooth Mr.. Boutwell, it is unnecessary to speak
of length II was uncomfortable for him, but
ne kept his wits about him and did not lower
his flag. and Mrs. Burton went away with a
white, drawn face-snd with the set lips OF q
brave little woman who has made up her MIND
to something.
The day for the convention dawned: The
visitors from the outside precincts, including
those from Chloride, were all on hand to see the
fun. 1t was almost time to call tine convention
to order but two or three delegations had
not arrived The Chloride delegation was one
| of these. The visitors from that camp reported
that the delegation had only stopped to hoIa
brief pow-wow in Chairman BoutwelPs once,
and would be along soon. Jere Hobart, as luck
would have il, had gotten glorious Jag on
the night before, and was in bed at his quarters
in Chloride as the result of fall into the cellar
of the Nugget Saloon. He might have pulled
himself together and gone over to Apache
but everything was fixed" and there was no
need, he concluded. So he grunted and turned
slowly over toward the cocktail on the table,
with that action consigning his fate to Brad
Boutwell, and q supposedly packed" con-
veption.
The Chairman of the County Central Com.
mittee called the convention to order, and read
the call The convention effected temporary
organization and the usual committees were
appointed. during whose deliberations q recess
was taken. go
Tom Owens came to Mrs. Burton. who. with
a number of other women whose husbands or
brothers were interested, directly or otherwise,
in the proceedings, was sitting in the gallery.
Owens spoke quickly and earnestly:
"The Chloride crowd isn't here yet. Hobarts
too sick to come. If Boutwell, could only be
kept away, it'd be o. K. for Sile. He's the
ouly man that can put Hobart in nomination,
and there's whole mess of his fellows ready
to backslide. If only they wouldn't come
p
But here he was sent for in great haste by an
nd I'D When
10 minutes later he looked up at the gallery,
Mrs Burton was missing.
The six men composing the Chloride delega-
tion were in hurry, and in Boutweli's three
seated spring wagon, behind his big grays,
were making good time for Apache.
There is deep ravinc nearly always dry, on
the trail between Apache and Chloride, that
has to be crossed carefully. 1t is an abrupt de-
scent aud yet more abrupt ascent, and the trail
on the Apache side of the gully is 1anked by
big rocks, which sheltered many highwayman
| in the old days. The delegation from Chloride
had Just reached this spot and Boutwell, was
urging the horses up the steep incline. when
short, and sharp, and firm, in a woman's voice,
| came the command:
Halt"
The six men in the wagon could hardly be-
iieve their senses Sitting beside the big rock
on the left, very pale, but with compressed lips,
and eyes that flashed fire and daterm nation,
sat small woman, with big Winchester, and
| the weapon was cooked and aimed at Brad
| Boutwell,
The six men in the wagon raved and stormed
they pleaded, begged, and threatened; but the
| little woman On the rock spoke only once, and
/ then said:
Bradford Boutwell,, you gave your sacred
word that you would not oppose my husbands
denomination. If he is defeated to-day it will
| probably kill him, and that is what you ln-
tended-to defeat him after your promise to
me. Now, sir, if you SO much as attempt to
move from here, you or any OF the others,
will kill you'll"
That was all; but Brad Boutwell,. looking a.
| the set face, knew that she would keep hel
word, and his seat-mate's suggestion that such
was the case, was met by an emphatic You
bet she would J"
The committee reported the temporary or.
gsnization was made permanent, and the
| Apache County Convention was i'm full swing.
Nominations for County Auditor are now
| in order" announced the Chairman, and,
moment later, Mr. Randall has the floor"
Hollis Randall. the brilliant young District
Attorney rose and made one of the best speeches
of his life, setting forth clearly, convincingly,
| the merits the claims, the worth Of the present
| incumbent. and when be told of the unfor-
tunate man, lying so i'll IS a result of wound
incurred lnktnc discharge oi uuIcWdTucu Outl6t
not his own-fghting in defense of tho law
there was a rousing, prolonged cheer.
Randall finished amid uproarious applause,
and sat down, mopping his forehead with his
handkerchief. There was moments "vocif
erous silence" during which there were some
rapid changes of sentiment on the part oil
| Hobart delegates. Then "Pop" Gordon rose
"Mr. Chairman, ] move that the nomination
of Mr.. Burton be made by reclamation, thai
| seemin' L be no more nominations"
| Second the motion Second the motion y
came from a dozen throats.
| "Mr. Chairman !" screamed Hobart faith
| full" Il call the gentleman to-
Here Bill Dover, Chairman OF the dissenters
delegation, grabbed him by the coat-tails an6
| pulled him down. Bill was an sstute politi
| clan, and he knew the day was lGst. But thu
| enthusiast would not down." When the aye.
and noes were called for. he and a haif.scor,
of others came out strongly in the negative
and when further nominations were declared
in order, he rose and nominated Jcre Hobart.
The ballot stood SO to ~ in Burton's favor
and Tom Owens forgetting that in q few
minutes the nominations for Sheriff would b,
made dashed over to Sile's house with tn,
news. and was surprised to learn that anxiou
| little Mrs. Burton was not there.
But the Chloride visitors who left to conve,
the news of Hobart's defeat home were NOR
surprised than Owens, when they suddenl,
found, on the way home, where the missinl
delegation was, and why it was missing. an,
il almost took their breath, and the delegation
away, TO sec that fire eating Amazon on tn
rock collapse into very weak tears whel