The midland journal., 1894-07-27
4 CHANGE OF PURPOSE.
What Saved Two Men from Com
nitting Crime.

but the moon shone round and full
from clear sky, giving to the plain,
with its tall, breeze-swept grass, the ap-
pearance of calm summer sea.
"Jim," spoke one of the men, break
ing long silence, ''are you sure it's
all right about that money!"
"All right how?" the other ques-
toned.
Are you sure the man has got it?"
"Sure as am that we are here, Joe.
He sold his claim yesterday an re-
ceived 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
a hundred an fifty for each of US.
Pretty good pay for one nights work,
provided there amt too much risk"
"Just about as much risk as there
would be in robbin' a prairie-larlS's
nest. Why, there's nobody but man
an child there, an the man don't
look like he had life enough to kill
flea. Guess he's about dead with con.
sumption or something"
"He won't be apt to give us much
trouble, them" Joe replied. "An'
even if he shows fight we can soon
quiet him."
Eyes, but he won't show any f, hit,
Joe. All we'll have to do will be . ;
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 l ever struck, an it's almost like
pickin that much money up out of the
road"
There was short silence, broken
only by the Gathering of the horses
feet on the hard, dry ground as the
horsemen galloped on. Directly Joe
spoke again;
"Jim," he said, that three hundred
dollars is all the money an property
that feller owns, amt it?"
"Yes; about all. He's got an old
wagon, couple of old plug horses, an
few old traps in his cabin"
"An' you say he's most dead with
consumption or something?"
"Yes."
"Then, don't it seem like it's kind Of
mean to rob him, JimY"
Jim indulged in long and boisterous
laugh.
Joe" he cried, "what's comm over
you all at once? Who ever heard of a
highway robber tall1in' such stuff as
that? hope you amt got no notion of
givin' up our business on the start an
turnin' parson."
mo, amt got no such notion as
that, Jim; but it does seem kind of
mean and unfeelin' to steal from man
that's most dead. But then, we amt
responsible for his bad health, an in
this business everything goes. If the
feller is goin' to die on he won't need
that money very long anyhow, an the
chances are that it will do us more good
than 1t would him
THAT'S the talk" agreed Jim. 81
pity the sick an distressed, but at the
same time if they happen to have any
loose cash about where it's handy to
get at feel that it's our duty to relieve
them of it."
Away across the prairie, at the foot
of lonely mound, dim speck of light
came into view.
That's the place." Jim announced.
"Thats light in the cabin where the
settler lives, an he's still there. was
a little afraid he might have gone
away, though knew it wasn't his in
tention to go before tomorrow.
"An' tomorrow he won't have much
to go away with" Joe added.
mot much" Jim agreed.
They rode on in silence, and few
minutes later halted in front of little
desolate-looking cabin. There was
saddled horse standing tied to post
near the door. They waited moment,
listening brea thlessly, but no sound
reached them from the cabin.
II don't know what that horse means
here" Jim finally remarked in a low
tone. Its queer that anybody would
be here at this time O. night"
ut is" Joe assented; more especial
ly as it amt neighbor."
"How do you know 1t amt a neigh
bor?" Jim asked.
know it by the horse. There amt
a settler in this section that owns a
horse like that"
That's fact" Jim agreed. "That's
a fine animal, an, whoever he belongs
to, guess it would be good idea for
him to change owners. Don't it strike
you SO, JoeY"
II reckon" Joe replied. 'But the
first thing to be attended to is that
three hundred dollars" "
ayes, of course. But say, not know.
in who that chap may be in there, it
might be just as well for US to use a
little caution. He may be feller that
knows how to handle pistol, an he
may show fight"
That's so; an such bein' the case, l
move that we steal up to the window
an see if we can't get a view of the lay
of the land If the chap looks danger
GUS, we'll get the drop on him."
Jim nodded his assent to this pro-
posal, and the two robbers stole cau-
tiously forward to the one window of
the cabin. There was a pane broken
out, and they found that they could
not only see all that was being done
within, but could hear all that was
being said.
In one corner of the room, on small
bed, lay a child with thin, sharp fea-
lures and great hollow eyes. On chair
near by sat a great, rugged, burly
man, with black hair and beard, who
had buckled about his waist pair of
huge, Misunderstanding pistols
Are you dead shore your pap took
that money with him?" the man was
heard to say.
Eyes, SIR" the child replied, in a
weak, piping voice.
"Wal, it would "a been an accomno-
dation to me If he'd left it here, but