The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-09-26
PART IT.

his clerk sat down to supper the SOL
diers composing the escort had treated
Old Robertson gruffiy or ignored him
altogether. but his persistent efforts to
render himself agreeable induced the
| sergeant to remark:
| i haven't a doubt that you are as
pad as the reputation they give you.
| put tnats neither here nor there with
| US. II You can bring us a drop with
out the captain getting on to it We'll
take II that you are white"
| you shall have a bottle of my hest" "
was the reply. and II was the bottle he
dosed in the Kitchen which he carried
out to the men under the shed 4 few
minutes later.
The escort had had u hard day of IL.
First. a wheel had come off the ambi-
lance to detain them for an hour. Then
one OF the mules had gone lame with
u nan which had worked into his foot.
Then they had met with u tree which
had fallen across the road at narrow
spot and they had to make u circuit
over bad ground to clear it. Late as
it was when they reached Old Robert
sons Rancho they might have kept on
to Silver Springs but for the big thiind-
er-storm rising in the west
| Kit waited on the paymaster and his
clerk at supper. Both had heard of her.
but neither had seen her before. The
| captain did his hest to start 4 conver-
| satiOn with her. but the girl was
| brusque in her answers and soon dis
couraged him. She confined herself TO
monosylables until just as they We're
| ready to leave the table: then, having
| opened the door to the harroom and
| made sure that her father was not
there, she top-toed back of the captain
and whispered:
Don't let the soldiers get hold of any
| of dads whisky tonight"
"Why?" he asked. as he regarded her
| with surprise.
| Because"
Her fathers step was heard in the
barroom and she passed into the cook
| room without completing the sentence.
| A minute later the captain left the
| table and sauntered out doors. There
was a wild play of lightning among the
black clouds i'm the west, but the storm
was yet miles away. Strolling out to
| the shed he nodded to the sergeant.
who had just finished his supper. and
| as the latter came over to him. he
| said:
Sergeant, you know the reputation
| of this place"
Eyes, sir"
| "Robertson Is an old scoundrel and
he's all alone here he wouldn't hesitate
to play us a shabby trick. No whisky
| remember"
mot a drop, sir"
"You will post a sentinel here at the
shed and another in the barroom, and
let the other men be ready to spring
at the first alarm"
"Yes, sir May ask If you have seen
or heard anything to arouse your sus-
| picion?"
Nothing of account. but we know
what Robertson Is. No whisky, re-
member"
mot if we We're offered barrels. sir"
At that moment the sergeant had the
quart bottle in his pocket. and he not
| only meant to have his nip but to pass
it around. mo whisky" meant getting
drunk, as he interpreted it, and seven
| or eight old soldiers couldn't get diZ-
zy-headed on a quart of whisky which
old Robertson would be sure to dilute
at least one-third. He stationed the
sentinels, after giving each one drink
from the bottle. and half an hour later
the storm broke and wild night came
on. For few minutes after lighting
up the house old Robertson hung about
| the barroOm and acted nervous and un-
easy, and he looked at his guests in
strange way. Then he observed that
as no other callers could be expected
and he was not feeling we'll he'd go to
| bed. He disappeared into the living.
room, passed out of the rear door, and
had anyone been looking they might
have seen him by the flashes OF light
ming as he ran UP the trail. few
| minutes after his disappearance the
paymaster and his clerk went to their
rooms, leaving their doors open, while
-, l
wondered that he should have been
posted there. There was thirty minutes
of wind, deluge and reverberating
thunder, and then the storm settled
down to work. as it We're. there being
q steady dOwnpOur with now ana then
| a blaze of lightning. The outside door
had been shut to keep the storm out,
and by, and by the captain asked the
sentinel If it could not be opened. No
answer. He raised his voice ana re-
peated the question, and then got out
OF bed to find the soldier fast asleep
in his chair He shook MIN, but the
man did not awake.
whisky, eh?" whispered the pay
master as he bent over and got snifI
of the mans breath. 'lf lie got II some
of the others did also Queer whisky.
He was perfectly sober thirty minutes
ago.
At that moment the door of the lir-
ing-room opened and the girl Kit
stepped into the bar. She walked
straight up to the man. noticed ms
condition, and turned on the captain
with:
Didn't ! tell you to warn EN-?
"And so | did" lie replied.
"Theyve all got il and us been
drugged! Daddy fixed I" drug the col
fee but | beat him ut II. He's out now
TO meet gang and bring '-m In 10 get
the safe, and you'd better See how your
men are!"
The clerk came out at that moment.
and the two men started for the shed.
1t was pitch dark out doors and darker
still under the shed. but after ping
around for Il while they found Il sleep
ing man. a vigorous shake failed Ia
arouse him. and they groped and dis
covered q second, third and fourth.
Every man had partaken of III"
drugged whisky. and every man had
been druggcd to insensibility. The cap
tain was cursing and the clerk crop
ing for other bodies when they were
ioined by Kit.
Don't delay, here" she exclaimed.
Daddy meant to do for EN- and has
IKNW,,I7SE' Nm y ! n