Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1892-01-01


"we'll sec" said the other, threatening
IS, as he took his departure.
Several days passed. Things at the
quarry went along satisfactorily. the men,
although morose and sullen, performing
their work fairly we'll
Atwood boarded at his employers house,
which was about mile or SO from the
quarry In travelling this distance he had
found "a short route, but it led him through
lonely piece Of wood, and at one portion
Of the forest the path wound around the
top Of a high and rocky precpice.
For some tinse after his encounter with
Appleton he had kept constantly on the
lookout for an attack from him, but as
time passed and the rulian did not modest
him he began to get careless, aud finally
thought no more about il.
One night he was detained at the quarry
until late hour. When he set out for
hons darkness had fallen, and there was
only feeble light from the moon, which
was then in It's first quarter. In due time
he came 70 the forest. and was soon max
ing his way along the top Of the precipice
Suddenly he heard a noise behind him.
and the next moment received a vigorous
blow in the back. He threw out his arms
as be fell forward, and managed TO catch
top Of the cliff There he hung unable to
move, and q moment later two men, whom
he easily recognized as Aaron Appleton
and Joe Bangs, stepped from the shadow
Of tree behind which they had been con-
cealed.
"We've got you now, you cursed little
jackanapes, and you'll never leave the
place alive" was Appleton's fiendish salu-
tation. "Come on, Joe; let's throw him
over
They approached the bush and tried 10
loosen the foreman's hold. Atwood felt
his grasp relaxing, and suddenly letting 20
with one hand, he clasped Bangs tenacious
~ by bis long beard This act was so sud
( den and unexpected that the rutlian only
saved himself from going over the precipice
by Selling the bush with both hands, The
struggle caused Atwood TO lose hold on
the shrubbery with bis other hand, and,
quick as lightning. he plunged il into
Bangs whiskers, from which he now
( swung like a huge pendulum.
Appleton cried TO disengage him, but
this caused Bangs such agony that he
roared Ike an angry bovine.
"Holpp he yelled; "helpl For heavens
sake pun him up / can't hold on much
longer, aud we'll both fall over the elinw
"Wait a minute I'll fix him." cried
Aaron with iiendish oath, rs he quickly
sprang up and seized q heavy stick
\ Atwood saw his intention and groaned
in despair Then an idea flashed into his
mind, and Tightening his hold on Bangs
beard, with his left hand he reached around
and drew his revolver with his right. As
Appleton advanced with the club upliftad
Atwood raised the revolver and fired, and
with a groan the outlaw sank down on the
! edge Of the cliff.
! NOW, you Internal fend - cried Atwood
20 Bangs, help me to climb up, or III
/ send a ball through your head, and wen
so over the cliff together"
But there was no need to urge him The
ruflian was nearly wild with terror, and,
despite the awful strain on his whisllers,
he worked with an energy almost super
human.
When the danger was past and both men
stood safe on the top OF the precipice, the
reaction was so great that Bangs sank
down insensible. Atwood was conscious
OF a sickening giddiness stealing over him,
| but knowing it would be dangerous %
faint now, he recovered himself by a
mighty effort and sat down on stone TO
rest
With revolver IN hand he waited for
Bangs TO return to consciousness. When
at last the ruflian sat up all his bravado
had vanished and he proved himself what
he really was, an ahject and arrant COW.
ard.
HFor Gods sake, Mr. Atwood" he said,
don't put the law on me- IL was all APP
pleton's fault, curse him, and hope you've
killed him. He planned this attack and
persuaded me TO help him; but / guess
you've fixed him, and Pm glad Of It, II
you'll only promise not to put the law on
me I'll do anything you say. You won't
have me arrested, will your"
"Tl make no promises said Atwood
rising. "IIelp ME drug this fellow HON,
now, and no treachery mind, or I'll blow
your worthless head off
/ Between them they got the wounded ruf
/ fan home, aud q doctor was summoned
I An examination proved the wound to be
a dangerous, though not fatal one, ant
the physician declared that the man woul
& probably recover. He did get well ia IN
E course of time, but be soon left that local
y ty and was never again heard Of.
{ Bangs begged the foreman to take hin
e back into the Quarry, and as he promise
to behave himself and do all he could &
induce the others to obey orders Atwoo
m Z
!, work il was noticed that he had shaved o
Il his beard, and though he remained at Oh
(. quarry for years 9fterward he was uevt
known to wear whskers again.
L After this the quarrymen behaved wei
Like all bullies, they were towards
/, heart and, having had ample proof Oh,
h the 'little boss was able to take care
/. matters, made no further attempt TO evat
!. his authority.-E. f. Youmans in Eveniu
a World.