The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-10-25

40 SOAOo1 d HAL ~ was YOU DouSnO
them Of"
81 dells you true" he said. dot
man vas a young fel1ar, short un tick,
NIT black hair und eyes, and a crooked
nose"
"Corsenr' the men exclaimed.
Further questioning only served to
strengthen the compression that the thief
was Corsen. To find and arrest him
was the next thing to be done.
1t wasfound that he generally stayed
with a young nan of his acquaintance
at a cabin thirty miles down the river
from the city. An old woman, an aunt
of Carson'scrony lighthouse for them
The cabin stood at the foot of one of
thehigh, rock crested Mississippi bluffs,
and within a stones throw of the river
bank.
Anticipating trouble in making the
arrest, Blackman called out a few
more men on his way down the river.
There was another all-night ride,
wearying alike to men and horses.
At the end of it Blackman's party, in
creased to a dozen men, dismounted
and tied their horses a short distance
from the cabin.
1t was morning, but the sun had not
yet risen. A gray mist hung over the
valley, shutting out distant objects.
The cabin itself was seen indistinctly,
and showed no signs of any stir within.
The men surroun led it and Black
manadvanced to the door and knocked.
There was no response; but sounds of
moving about were heard within.
"Open the door," Blackman de
manded.
Still there was no reply. Just as
Blackman called for an ak that stood
near, thinking to break in the door, it
was opened By the old woman.
Blackman asked first for Corsen's
crony.
Hes gone down the river. Ee
went away a week ago." said The old
woman.
Wnere Is Jim COrsen9"
Hes gone, too"
Blackman entered the cabin. The
woman, frightened, went out. Black
man noticed this movement.
1t seemed absurd to think that any
man would try to hide in so small a
room. Two beds occupied nearly all
the space.
Blackman stepped into the center of
the room, motioning to his followers
to keep outside. In the ceiling of
boards above his head, so low as to be
within easy reach, was a square hole
But this aperture was closed, and the
cover, when Blackman tried to push
it aside, resisted his best efforts.
Again he called for the ak, and again
he found its use unnecessary, for the
board was showed swiftly to one side,
and Blackman suddenly found himself
looking into the muzzle of a cooked
revolver held within two feet of his
face.
1t was Corsen who held the revolver.
He glared down at Blackman.
"Move a hand and you're a dead
manT he cried.
every well, sir, I'm here" said
Blackman. He gazed unfinchingly,
at the revolver and into the eyes of
the desperate mantbehind it.
"What you here forg" said Corsen.
"To arrest you"
"What for?"
"For stealing Dexter's cattle"
"Corsen uttered an oath. 81 amt a
thief and I won't be arrested" he said.
"You might as well understand, ;
said Blackman, speaking slowly,
"that you will be taken; if not alive,
then dead. You need not expect my
men to come here, one at a time, for
you to shoot down at your leisure.
Instead of that they will set fire to the
house, and you will be roasted out,
only to be shot down like a dog"
"But what about you7" cried Corsen,
with a triumphant CLEAN in his eyes.
I'm shoot you dead if you undertake
that"
You will do as you please about
that" replied Blackman. To see him
one would have thought it was a mat
ter of small consequence. But the
men will capture you just the same,
and in that case they might not
treat you well 1 can't say what they
would do"
Corson could easily guess what would
be done. In imagination he saw him
self dangling from the limb of the
nearest tree. The vision caused him