Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-07-16

matter for some minutes; when sug- gested that as it was such q 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 Il find lantern here in the corner. Only, remember, don't turn my horses outside, because, if you do, there'll be trouble
 "This last remark did not sound par ticularly friendly, but did not think much about it at the time, but lit the lantern and made my way to the stable, near which I found my team where I had left it.
 II 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. l then moved my buggy to a more shel- tered place and returned to tho house.
 As l went ill Conyus was seated in chair at the opposite side of the table, looking rather sullen, thought. put out the lanteSn and took a chair across the table from him, making some re- mark about the weather ns I did so, but he made no reply.
 Presently he looked up and said:
 Stranger, mo and you ain very good friends, reckon. Here I ask you to come and stop with mo for the night in nice dry place, out of the storm, and then you refuse to rent me the place that have taken good care of for you. You needn't say you ain't, because 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 tain't enough, you go out to mans barn and turn things upside down just so's to get your own horses inside, when little rain d be good thing for them once ill awhile. was watching you all the time from the door here. Now, look 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 don like to leave them in the rain, so we'll let that go. But what 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, suro enough, on the table were pen, ink and paper, which had not be- fore noticed. n,
 And now, stranger, I mean busi- ness. Will you fix out the lease, or won't you?'
 'As he said this he drew from under the table a big, ugly looking revolver, which he leveled at me, continuing, as ho did so:
 Because if you don't I'll shoot you.
 1T always went armed myself out there ill those days, but he had the ad- vantage of me, and felt that it would be useless to try to reach my pistol
 Now think it over carefully and make it out legal, said my host.
 "Just then there was a bright flash of lightning, a terrific burst of thunder, and saw terrified face of woman at the window and heard wild scream.
 'Oh, Martin, dOn'tr
 "Conyus was almost startled into dropping his revolver. jumped up quickly, and in doing so turned over the table ill 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, Nle ball grazing my cheek and lodging II the wall.
 ''I was instantly at his side, wrap ping my coat around him to smother the flames. At the same time woman en- tered with a lantern and immediately took the shawl from her head and also endeavOred to eXtinguish the fire with that
 'We succeeded ill our efforts, but the lnan was terribly burned and had be- Vome unconscious. We carried him to the bedroom, where With great d1tf1cu1- ty removed his clothes, applied such restoratives as were available and dress ed his wounds as well 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 explained that was g physician she willingly obeyed my instructions and proved very efficient nurse. Through our combined efforts tho man was soon restored to conscious ness.
 II was naturally curious to know who this woman was, but had no time to ask questions. Conyus, however, had no sSoner opened his eyes than he recog- nized her and said i'll tones of some alarm:
 Why, Mrs. Brown, what brings you here on such a night, and where's your habies?"
 Oh, never mind the babies now l! replied Mrs. Brown, for it was she. I 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 the pain? Does it hurt so much now? It's a lucky thing that this man here's a doctor, or you might "a been dead before this He might a kilt you, anyhow, seeing what you was appointing at him. It's lucky thing I'm here, too, to help you out.
 But wouldn't "a shot him, any how, Mrs. Brown,' protested Conyus. You know that. Nobody that knows Martin Conyus would ever say that he would shoot man like that. I don t know why I did it. was just trying a little bluff to make him sign me a lease for the farm. learned that game when was ill Colorado. I've seen man sign away mine that way, and they held it was legal, too, because no one could be found to testify it wasn't. Iwanted the farm, Mrs. Brown, but I wouldn't "a really shot him. You know that, don t you, now?'
 "Mrs. Brown said that she did, and Conyus asked her again what trouble had brought her out alone in such @ storm.
 " 'Well,' said she, you see, we couldn't get no place to stay over in the next county, and had my team and wagon-that's s all had left-and made up my mind as how would try my luck over west of here, instead of east, and thought as how I might get work