Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-07-16

For my part wasn't quite rs ready
to blk business as my host, so told
hini that | would rather have q little
tinb to think il over. and before max
ingla proposition to him would like to
walk until the next day, when could
looii around bit to see what condition
Things were in and could tell Just what
I W hnted done.
Nothing further was said about the
matter for some minutes, when l sug-
ges4ed that as il was such bad night
outside | would like u see that my
hor,Es were all right and sufficiently
proil lctcd from the storm.
81 All right; just rs you say. said
my host. You II find a lantern here III
the torner Only. remember, don't turn
my horses outside, because, If you do,
the1f be trouble.
"rhis last remark did not sound par
ticu larly friendly, but l did not think
mudh about il at the time, but Int the
lantirn and made my way 10 the stable,
mean which | found my team where !
had1left it.
:" went into the shed, where | NOV
ed things around q little, and in doing
so Made room for my horses. where they
won ID not interfere with those of my
hostl and brought them i'll. Tying them
sccutely, I left them out Of the storm.
/ thl IN moved my buggy to more shell
tered place and returned tn the house
Z" ks went in Conyus was seated In
n chlir mt the opposite side Of the table,
looking rather sullen, thought. put
out 4he lantern and took chair across
the liable from him, making some re-
mar1 about the weather rs did SO, but
hc II lade no reply.
presently he looked up and said:
lStranger. me and You ain very
goodifriends. ! reckon Here ask you
10 cokne and stop with mo for the night
in bice dry place. out Of the storm,
and thcn you refuse 10 rent me the
plac,l that have taken good care Of for
You. iYuu ncudn't s'Iy you amt, because
| car sec you don't want TO, or else you
wOuH have gone ahead and settled on
the tlrgain when we were talking about
il. knd then. rs IL that tain't enough,
YOU 40 ont 10 mans barn and turn
thinIs upside down Just SOS to get your
own horses inside, when little rain'd
bo "A tood thing for them once In awhile
l wal watching you al the time from
the dI,ur here. Now, lo1l; here, stranger,
we hive got To get this thing settled
right here Wowon't say anything about
the hl rSes, because l suppose maybe a
man That has heart don't like % leave
thcmlin the rain. 80 we'll let that go
But lhat / want is for you 10 let me
have Ihis place here. Now, I've got you
some link and paper and everything :
all Il Jed for you TO make out the lease.
"Ahd. sure enough, on the table were
pen. ink and paper, which had not be
fore loticcd
:" knd now, stranger, mean bust
ness. Will you fix out the lease, or
won you;'
Al he said this he drew from under
the t. bile big, ugly looking revolver.
which he loveled at me. continuing, as
he did So:
=" Because if you don't I'll shoot
you.
II always went armed myself ont
there in those days. but he had the ad-
yan,ale Of ne. and felt that 1t would
be u.s. less 20 try to reach my pistol
- Now think it over carefully and
makoLt ont legal. said my host.
"JIIst then there was bright HASH
of lightning, a terrific burst Of thunder,
and law "A terrified face Of "a woman at
the window and heard Wild scream.
" 'bh, Martin DON'T
"C,lnvus was almost startled into
dropping his revolver. | jumped up
quickly. and in doing so turned over
the table IN such way that the lamp
was ulsct. spilling its oil against my
host. khose clothing was thus set fire
from Ais head 20 his feet. As the table
went tver his revolver was discharged,
the hall grazing my cheek and lodging
II Mas Instantly ut his side, wrap
nina, ,Ly coat around him 10 smother the
flames At the same time woman Ell
tered with a lantern and Immediately
took he shawl from her head and also
endea,iorc,l to extinguish the fire with
that.
"wE succeeded in our efforts but thu
man Was terribly burned and had be
come Unconscious We carried him tC
the beti room, where with great difficult
" reboyed his clothes, applied such
res,oralives aswere available and dress
ed his wounds as well as could be done
with tlle material at hand
"Thi woman was for going for doc
tor. thdnearest. she said, being ten miles
away. but VI hen | explained that l was
a phvsiEian she willingly obeyed my
Instruct ions and proved very efficient
nurse Through our combined efforts
the nat was soon restored to conscious
ness.
Il las naturally curious 10 know
who this woman was, but had no time
to ask questions. Conyus, however, had
no sooilr opened his eyes than he recog-
nized Der and said i'll tones of some
alarm:
why, Mrs Brown, what brings
you hcl on such night, and where's
your haI Ibies:"
Z" oh, never mind the babies now J
repliediAIrs. Brown, for il was she. i
come h he to stop people from shooting
people Ind TO put them out when they
get ON tre, this last with Il little laugh,
and theh, seriously:
Bit how's the pain? Does 1t hurt
so much now: It's lucky thing that
this nah here's Doctor, or you might
"a beel dead before this He might
"a kilt you. anyhow, seeing what you
was a. pointing at him. It's a lucky
thing lin here, too, to help you out.
'Blt wouldn't "a shot him, any
how, NJ lrs. Brown, protested Conyus.
You h now that. Nobody that knows
Martin Conyus would ever say that he
would Iloot a man like that. don'l
know why / did it. was just trying 9
little bluff to make him sign me lease
for the farm. / learned that game wher
l was ili Colorado. I've seen man sign
away aimine that way, and they held II
was Legal, too, because no one could b'
| fonpd RI testify IL wasn't wanted thu