Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-07-17

broke forth Ill all Its fury, as only
thunderstorm can on a wild western
prairie. Tho rain came down with a
rush and roar, while tho sky was at
times livid with lightning. But not
withstanding this my host was for talk
ing business. We had settled ourselves
in our chairs and had lighted our pipes
for a comfortable smoke when he
broached the subject.
1 suppose, said he, you are look
ing for some one to put il yourwheat
this fall Well, am ju: { fixed for it.
You see, have got coed team, sod
cutter and drill and have little mon
ey i'll tho bank, so l can hire help If l
have to, and besides, you see, am all
settled here. Now as though his en-
gagement was already ag.col upon, do
you want to Lave it put il by the acre
or on shares?
''For my part wasn't quite as ready
to talk business as my host, SO 1 told
him that would rather have little
time to think it over, and before max
ing q proposition to him would like to
wait until tho next day, when I could
look around bit to see what condition
things were i'll and could tell just what
wanted done.
Nothing further was said about the
matter for some minutes, when l sug-
gested that as it was such a bad night
outside would like to see that my
horses were all right and sufficiently
protected from the storm.
All right; just as you say, said
my host You'll find a lantern here in
the corner. Only, remember, don't turn
my horses outside, because, if you do,
there IL be trouble.
"This last remark did not sound par
ticularly friendly, but I did not think
much about it at the time, but lit the
lantern and made my way to the stable,
near which 1 found my team where
had left it.
81 went into the shed, where NOV
ed things around little, and in doing
so made room for my horses, where they
would not interfere with those of my
host, and brought them in. Tying them
securely, left them out Of the storm
then moved my buggy to q more shell
tered place and returned to the house.
Gas I went in Conyus was seated in
chair at the opposite side Of the table,
looking rather sullen, thought. put
out the lantern and took q chair across
the table from him, making some re-
mark about the weather as I did so, but
he made no reply.
Presently he looked up and said:
Stranger, me and you amt very
good friends, I reckon. Here ask you
to come and stop with me for the night
in nice dry place, out of the storm,
and then you refuse to rent me the
place that have taken goCtl care of for
you. You needn't say you ein't, because
I can see you don't want to, or else you
would have gone ahead and settled on
the bargain when we were talking about
it. And then, as if that ta-n't enough,
you go out to mans barn and turn
things upside down just SOS to get your
own horses inside, when little rain'd
be a good thing for them once i'll awhile.
was watching you all the time from
the door here. Now, lock here, stranger,
we have got to get this thing settled
right here. We won't say anything about
the horses, because l suppose maybe a
man that has heart dom like to leave
them in the rain, so We'll let that go.
But what I want is for you to let me
have this place here. Now, I've got you
some ink and paper and everything's
all fixed for you to make out the lease.
"And, sure enough, on the table were
pen, ink and paper, which had not be-
fore noticed.
90 And now, stranger, l mean bust
ness. Will you fix out the lease, or
won't you?'
GAS he said this he drew from under
the table a big, ugly looking revolver,
which he leveled at me, continuing, as
he did SO:
Because if you don't I'll shoot
you
81 always went armed myself out
there in those days, but he had the ad
vantage Of me, and I felt that it would
be useless to try to reach my pistol.
Now think it over carefully and
make it GUS legal, said my host.
"Just then there was a bright flash
of lightning, a terrific burst of thunder,
and I saw terrified face of woman at
the window and heard wild scream.
'Oh, Martin, don't!'
"Conyus was almost startled into
dropping his revolver. I jumped up
quickly, and i'll doing so turned over
the table i'll such way that the lamp
was upset, spilling its oil against my
host, whose clothing was thus set fire
from his head to his feet. AS the table
went over his revolver was discharged,
the ball grazing my cheek and lodging
in the wall.
"I was instantly at his side, wrap
ping my coat around him to smother the
flames At the same time a woman en-
tered with lantern and Immediately
took the shawl from her head and also
endeavored to extinguish the fire with
that.
"We succeeded in our efforts, but the
man was terribly burned and had be-
come unconscious. We carried him tc
the bedroom, where with great difficult
ty I removed his clothes, applied such
restoratives as were available and dress
ed his wounds as we'll as could be done
with the material at hand.
"The woman was for going for doc
tor, the nearest, she said, being ten miles
away, but when I explained that was
physician she willingly obeyed my
instructions and proved a very efficient
nurse. Through our combined efforts
the man was soon restored to conscious
ness
81 was naturally curious to know
who this woman was, but had no time
to ask questions. Conyus, however, had
no sooner opened his eyes than he recog-
nized her and said in tones of some
alarm:
Why. Mrs Brown, what brings
you here on such night, and where's
your habies?"
'Oh, never mind the babies nowP
replied Mrs. Brown, for it was she. 4
come here to stop people from shooting
| people and to put them out when they
! get on fire, this last with little laugh,
and then, seriously:
! :" But how's t,le pain? Does it hurt
so much now? It's lucky thing that
this man here's a doctor, or you might
"a been dead before this. He might
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