Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-04-30
A PRICE ON HIs HEAD.
Dead River Dick Might Have Escaped.
 but He Had a Heart.


 There arc men coming down the noun tain trail on foot, every one armed with n winchester. ThCrc are men coming in over the rod prairie road on horscback-four- fve-scvcn of them, and every one is arm ed to the teeth. There arc men coming up from Deep Gulch, some on foot and some on horseback, and their weapons gleam in the sun as they move. The three trails converge at the hamlet of Redwood In the town men stand about with rifles in their hands or hurry about after horses.
 Two hours ago a traveller came in and reported that Dead River Dick had been seen in the scrub four miles to the west Word was tclcphoncd to Deep Gulch, to Rcd Prairie, to Mountain Top, and mcn arc coming down to join those in the town Then thcrc'll be a man hunt The county and tho territory have outlawcJl q man-set a price on his head. IL is thou sand dollars if he is brought in alive 10 be tried for his Crimcs-half as much if his dead body Is dumped down in front of tho courthouse for identification.
 And who Is the man and what are his crimes? Romance gave him his namc. He stopped his first stage on tho Dead river route, and some one had called him Dick He would not have been OutlawCd for one holdup. He had robbed q dozen stages. He had tcrrurizcd and terrified and wound cd where he had not killed. His victims said he had a heart which knew no pity Common import SIid he loved blOodshed so well that he had killed children and laugh ed at their dying agnnies. He might have escaped from the ncighborhood, but dan gor had fascination for him and held him until it was too late. The hand of every man turned against him, and he be- came an outlaw and n fugitive. Men hunt cd him about, and he dodgcd and skulkcd like a wolf Capturc meant dcath-sur- rendCr meant death. If he could pass Red wood and got into the mountains and over them, ho could defy pursuit He was skulking in the thickCtS when CSpird. And now n full hundred men, half of them mounted move out of town and spread themselves over the brush clad hills Some of the horScmCn ride far away to commanding points The scarchcrS spread out like n skirmish line, and every bush and rock and thiCkct will be examined aS they move, There are men riding to cut of escape to the north but thcrc arc no roads, and their prngrvss Is slow. That is the outlaw $ one chance. If he moves rap idly enough, he will escape through tho mouth of the bag and gut into the broken country
 In the early morning boy has gone out of tho village after berries which grow so plcntifully on the wStcrn side of the hills Brfurc nOOu he has filled his basket | and started tn pturn, but as he dcsccndS a rocky hillside he falls and goes rolling | down and brings up against gr,,lt howl | der with such fnN,r that his les, k broken | He iS Il i;.:S mile away from the r,Eld, | and travvl,rS cannot hear his shouts for | help. Then, arc no settlers on the hills ThrrC iS nn game tO attract hunters. First comes pain. then thirst The hoy craVvlS | a few feet, but the pain k Sn Grsat that he faintS away. When hC rVOvcrS con | sciousnrSS, he s,'iz,,S the bushes and pulls himself up, hoping tu hnhhlC along but at the first move he falls with shrirk Hc | Is lying whrrc he fell. meaning and grNan- | ing and his tongue burning for the waters of the spring quarter of n mile away, when some one comes running. He shouts | and the footsteps turn and apprhach him. | The lad looks up to sec a man with tangled | hair and matted whiskcrs and torn and ragged clothes gazing down upon him Tho man has such fierce, wolfish look that the boy shrinks away.
 | Hurt, chg" queries the man. Let me l sec. Got a broken leg? How long ago did 1 it happcns"
 Two or thrCr hours"
 That's bad. You ought to have help at once. Any water hcrC!"
 Not drop, and I'm dying for water. | Help me home. Help me to tho spring. ''
 lets sCr!" unused the man as he stood up and shaded his eyes and looked about him. "Thcrc arc men over thcrr, and over | thcrr and over there. It'll be a close shave. but I'll. try it, If I leave him hcrr, | they'll pass tn the left of him. and he won't be found. Boy, I cant carry you home, but I'll give you a lift to tho | spring"
 ! But you can't. You'll hurt me, '' | m he aS gentle as l can. Put your l arms around my neck. and let mo Gct an arm under ynur legs That's il. Now hang tight while I lift you up. That's the I way to do. and now I'll walk slow and pick my way. Hurt. dus'S il: I'm sorry. but it's rough rsld-
 | Cant you carry mo hOmc?' mOaned tho lad as he clunS 10 the mans neck. | sorry tn say can't, but if leave you at the spring some one will find you soon | Hero WIG arc on better Crnund and can get along faster
 II don't think know you
 "No? We'll. it's all the same. Hero we are at the spring, Now I'll put you down whcrc you can dip your hand into the Wa ter. If you hear any one moving, call out, Goodby. lad-glad have been of service to you"
 As ho started tO Gu thcre was a great shouting followed by tho discharge of a score of rifles. The men hcating the thick cts had topped the hill and caught sight of him, The Sran dashed forward-othcr rifles crackcd-hr stumbled and fell dead | among the bushes. And a hundred men 1 came up and surruundcd the corpse and looked down on il and then went over tO the spring [" question the boy And by and by one of them said:
 He might have gut away, but he stop ped to help the hay. He was n had man, but he had a heart after all, Thrr cheers F.'- INe;ld River Dick NJ. QUAD.