The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1894-05-30
WARNED AWAY.
But Tom Proved That He Was Grit to the
IRSt.

But Tom Proved That He Was Grit to the
Last.
He stood in front Of the postoffice in
the mountain hamlet holding q letter in
his hand, the first and only one he had ever
received. Ii was for him because the post
master said so. There was writing on the
envelope, but he could not read it. The
man carried the letter across the street TO
the village blacksmith and said:
Jim, make it out fur me-"
The blacksmith drew the heating iron
from the fire, wiped his hands on his
leather apron and slowly and he5itatingly
tore open the envelope There was a sheet
of writing paper inclosed. In the center of
it "a rude hand had sketched a skull and
crossbones, nothing more. The blacksmith
held it up to view, and for half n minute
nothing was said. Then he queried:
"Yo' know what it is, TomS"
"Reckon So"
tits the warnin to 60"
"Reckon it's"
"Theyu put the next ON the doah OF
yo'r cabin"
Il know.
Then they'll kill yo'."
eSartin to-"
The blacksmith handed him back the let
ter without another word and turned to
his forge. He did not even look up as Tom
passed out to mount his mule and ride
homeward. No words were necessary. Ii
Tom moved away, he would escape death.
If he remained, he would be killed. 1t had
been so in 20 other cases, and why shouldn
it be in his? An hour after he had reached
home, and when he and his wife were seat
ed on the doorstep, with pipes alight, Tom
broke a long interval of silence by saying:
"Got the warnin today"
"Hu?' she replied without raising her
eyes.
"First warnin."
"Hu?'
'tThe next will be nailed on the doah.
Reckon We'll find it Friday mawnin."
"And them"
81 hain't gwine ter 60
"Hu?'
II won't be driv."
tThey'n kill"
'sShore to, but so will l."
Not another word was said for five min
utes. Then she turned, with a look of pride
in her eyes, and whispered:
tom, yo' is grit"
Il low it, Judy"
They'll kill yo,, Tom, but yo' is grit,
and e~verybody'n say So"
Reckon they will"
That ended the conversation on that
subject. She did not ask how he had been
warned, and he did not show her the let
ter. Their doors had never been locked at
night. Why lock them now? They went
to bed to sleep as soundly and peacefully
as ever, and they arose In the morning to
eat their bacon and corn bread and go
about their routine labors as usual. Not
a word of the warning was said to travel
ers or neighbors. There was law at the
village hamlet, but 1t was not invoked!
Found it on the doah," said Tom Fri
day morning as he held a piece of paper
out to his wife.
"Hul Skull and bonesl',
"But they can't drive"
Reckon they'll come tonight"
Likely. Yo'dbest go over to Joe's."
"Of co'se."
Not a word was said during the day.
When the sun went down, she put on her
sunbonnet and said:
Reckon I'll go now"
Eyes"
She took the path through the woods,
and he reached down his double barreled
shotgun and went out and took cover be-
hind a great stump. He was there at 10
O'Clock, at midnight, at sunrise, when the
wife appeared and said:
Tom, yo' is grit, cl'ar grit"
When shutdown came again, 1t was the
same thing over. AT 10 O'Clock all was
quiet but the notes of the frogs and crick-
cts. At midnight Tom heard the tramp
ing of horses and the mutterings Of men.
Thirty horsemen .dismounted a few rods
away; 20 men in disguise approached the
cabin. There was a double report, and
two Of the marauders fell In their tracks,
There were a blaze Of fire; a volley, a hur-
rah, and the men had accomplished their
errand. At sunrise Toms wife came
again. She sawh im.lying there, saw that
he was cold IN death, but there was no
weeping and wailing. She simply stood
and gazed down upon his white face, and
she said: l.
Hui I'd best go and tell Joe. Tom
said they couldn't drive, and Tom was
grit - M QUAD.
L. Agreed co Dig Each Others Grnvea.