Middletown transcript., 1894-04-28

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from clear sky,
giving to the plain, with its tall, breeze
swept grass, the appearance Of a calm
summer sea.
"Jim," spoke one of the men, break.
ing long silence, "are you sure it's all
tight about that money?''
'All right how?' the other ques-
toned.
"Are you sure that the man has got
H?n
f''Sure as | ALI that We are here, Joe.
lie sold his claim yesterday an received
the cash in hand for it. There's no
mistake this time, sure"
"Well, that's all right, Jim. If he's
got three hundred dollars, that means
hundred an fifty for. each If US.
Pretty go"d pay fir one nights work,
provided there amt too much risk"
Just about as much risk as there
would be in robin a prairie -lark's nest.
Why, there's nobody but a man and a
child there, an the man don't look like
he had life enough to kill Il flea. Guess
he's about dead with consumption or
something"
"fIe won; be apt to make much
trouble them" Joe replied. "An' even
If he shows fight We Can soon quiet
him.
Z. Yes; but he won't show any light,
Joe. All we'll have to do will be to
ask for the money, an give the chap to
understand that we are in earnest, an
it will be ours. 1t is the softest snap I
ever struck, an it's almost like pickin'
that much money up out of the big
road.'
There was short silence brok ken only
by lhe horses feet on the hard, dry
ground as the horsemen galloped on.
Directly SUE spoke again:
.Jim," he said, "that three hundred
dullars is all the money an property
that feller owns, amt it2"
"Yes; about all. He's got an old
wagon, couple of old plug horses, an
an a few old traps in his cabin"
"An' you say he's 'most dead with
consumption or somethingv'
Yes
"rnen, d5u'L it seem like it's kind of
mean to rob him, JhL?"
Jim INDUCED in a long and boisterous
laugh.
joe y he cred, "what's oomln' over
vou ali at once? Who ever heard of a
highway robber talkin' such stuff as
that? | hope you ain't got no notion OF
oiyin, up our business OH the start an
turnin' parson."
"No. amt got no such notion as
that, jim; but it does seem KIND %
mean and unfeeln' to steal from a man
that's most dead. But then, wesin 7
responsible for his bad health, an III
this business everything goes. Ii tile
feller is going TO die soon he won neeo
that money very long anyhow, an the
chances are that it will do US more good
than it would him.,
"That's the talk" agreed i'm. =
pity the sick an distressed, but at the
same time if they happen to have any
loose cash ABOUT where it's handy &c
get ut ite that it's onr dHly 10 feieys
them of it,
Away acros the prairie, AT the foot ol
a lonely mound, dim speck Of iigh'
came into view.
"That's the place." Jim announced,
..That's a light in the cabin where Tue
settler lives, an he's still there. ! "a'
afraid he might have gone away, thouel
KNEW it wasn't his intention to go 10
fore tomorrow.
"An, tomorrow he won't have huc''
to go wiih," Joe added.
..Not much" Jim agreed.
They rode ON in silence, and 10"
minutes later halted in front OF i''i'
desola,e.looking cabin. There was
saddled horse standing tied 10 po0'
near the door. They waited a monnen,
listening breathlessly, but no SCUM
reached them from the cabin.
/ don't know what that morse l."n'
here.n Jim finally remarked IN os
tone. "It's queer that anybody w0u'e
lie here al this time o. nigh..'' !.
1T is,n Joe assented; '"more especi
ally as it ain,t neighbor.'
aHow do you know it ain't ns'sn'
bor?" Jim asked. ain,
know # Sy the horse; There hss. a,a, e,
a settler in this section that owns ON
like that" !. That,
'..That,s fact.n Jim sgreea. t,anr, nas
a fine animal, an, whoever ne .. De.0ts' -
to. Iguess it would be q good iosa ~