The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1895-12-05
back to the saloons and his Mariposa

aboard TO put wheel In his head. and.
after losing fling at the tables, he
started to find Emory.
Aftcr little Intellectual riding. be
ieaped from the back of his vicious-eyed
piebald ut the corner that bulged thick
| CT with saloons. aud stood close TO the
sfirrup with his hand on his hip. Some
| one who noticed him said his face had
the steely intensity of a razor edge. #
Then out of the crowd, unconscious.
with the music of love In his heart,
swung Ned Emory. His hat was pushed
back on his fair hair, and he was whist
ling the overflow out of his veins. ...
I'm one instant bullet rang through
the air, followed by another. Emory
fell in his own blood. and horseman
was riding Off wildly and safe through
the shower of bullets that rained around
him. Every man with cayuse tore in
pursuit, but they only brought back
eight half-dead horses. Stokes Ind
staked relay beasts at different points
along the road, and was then safe in the
chaparral canyons toward the north.
THE gambling dens choked up with
tho crowds; gold dust was heaped on
gold dust for the reward of the coward.
ly hounds capture. Murders weren't
rare then, but there was only one Ned
Emory, remember.
-Four of us wouldn't drop the search.
We let the blood-money men get out of
the way, and then we worked as we'd
toll for only our own.
There was scarcely no scent TO fol.
low, for Stokes had bribed the greasers
who furnished his horses; but we
forced our way along on nothing. Day
and night we rode with our eyes open,
sometimes bullying and sometimes beg
ging. 1t began TO seem hopeless. The
days were running into summer again,
'One afternoon, toward twilight, we
rested on the crest of a mountain where
the path took a sudden turn away from
two-hundred-foot precipice.
1--WE were torn with the swapping
branches of the grcasewood, and full
OF EXTREMIST dirt and disgust. Sudden
ly we heard the rustic of step on the
fallen leaves. Under a live oak, not
thirty yards away, on the very edge OF
the cliff, stood Shorty Stokes. He had
not heard us, and he stood looking AT
the moon which hung a sickle in the no
sky. The evening star was showing.
The four of us were like stones. H.
could have got to Guinea before mo
tion'd have come to us. Then, stimuli
taneously with our steps forward, he
turned and looked into our faces.
1T was q moment TO test the nerve
of any man. He stood it as we were
used 70 seeing him face all things.
~ suppose I'm the man you're after
he said.
He said it with the dignity of
parson.
I'm a second he had thrown down his
pistols. He unsheathed his knives and
dropped them TO the ground.
Take me- he said.
-Four of us looked into the unfiinch-
ing clearness of his eyes. AS we hest
tated, he spoke again.
"'Listen. 1t is not in excuse that !
speak, nor in weakening. 1t is to tell
you that those among you who are
men will follow my steps under like
circumstances.
Emory gave me his hand and his
oath, in the manner of his frankness,
TO stand by an arranged agreement.
1--WE were to meet at eight o'clock
on that Sunday night. "A beautifully
good woman was TO decide on our ar
gument which man she would marry. |
In ,-i1inuy 10 naanf I
happened on IN accident. Within half |
mile of the settlement, close onto |
time, my piebald went back on his |
launches and the groan of a man came |
up from the roadside. found an over. |
loaded miner, hurt in the leg, and the |
hope in my own heart aroused my sym |
pathy. / mounted the man onmy beast |
and headed him back toward camp. !
walk as never walk, reached |
the meeting place three minutes late. |
Ah--God--out I'M the darkness / saw |
Emory taking advantage of the delay.
"'None of you is so much eur as to |
let the life run in a man who, under his
honor, couldn't yield rival three min
utes' grace. -s.:.. l.. ..J.&@s. III. !. n
"'But, with the camp against me and
Emory the friend OF the sorriest, i
couldn't face the music when the JUS
tice was done. r5&&;@@ Il
!. .'It Is not mercy ! ask. It Is life
hereafter. Come.
"'With a common .mpulsewe started
forward, only to halt in afrozen horror
MS Stokes broncho threw UP his head