The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1896-08-27

my arms and bride reins. Had the5
given me half a chance at my pistols
matters would hardly have been so one
sided"
every likely net," replied John
smiling.
"Doyou happen to know whether
there is a nan by the name of Preston
in town, my friendf" asked the stran-
Eger, Suddenly: Sc 'have a message fGz
fhim and would like to see him"
"My name is Preston" answered.
John, in surprise, "John Preston is 1t
he you seek?"
"Either John or Henry" said the
young man. "Here is the message
AS he spoke he handed John a small
sealed packet.
They had by this time reached Tile
brightly lighted main street, and a
noisy crowd of cowboys surrounded
them. They had rushed out of The
neighboring saloons, aroused by the
pistol shot.
AS John was about to explain their
encounter with the two rufians, arid
about his handwriting and leaving one
of them down the street, q voice frotn
the crowd suddenly shouted: "By
heavens, it is the bandit, Claude
Duvarl Seize him, boys!"
With shouts the boys crowded about
the famous highwayman, who only
smiled as he saw them close in on
him. But what happened the next
moment must have surprised the ram
gers, for it certainly did surprise John.
Claude Duval raised the broad SOM
brero THAT he wore, and with a grace
full bow and gentle "Good evening,
Mr.. Preston" suddenly plunged spurs
and leaped his splendid bay fairly
upon the crowd of men who blocked
his way, and the rapid clang of hoofs
sounded from out a vanishing cloud of
dust down the street. Duval was
gone.
"Shoct, boys!" shouted a tall ranger,
gathering himself up from among a
of five or six half stunned and
!prostfate men.
Fifty pistols lighted the scene in an
instant and a storm Of bullets followed
the vanishing form of Claude DuyaI.
A hooking laugh hoated back, follow
ed by the flash and crack OF a six
shooter. The tall man turned half
around and fell on his face, dead.
sobered by the tragedy the cowboys
gathered up the dead man and bore
him within the nearest saloon, while
Preston sought his uncle.
Reaching the hotel and finding his
uncle, john called him aside and, after
recounting the exciting scenes of the
evening, handed him the sealed enyel-
ope. With a nervous hand Preston |
tore it open and ran his eye ovef the
contents. They ran thus:
"HENRY PREsToN:--My plans are at
an end. Being badly wounded by
road agents a few days ago, 1 write
these few lines on my death bed. 81
had hoped to clear up the mystery sur
rounding the death of your daughter,
and have all but succeeded. But the
chase COW ends for me and I turn nav
plans v to you.
81 learned but yesterday that the
man who can clear up the mystery
surrounding the Nebraska tragedy re-
Gently joined the troops of General
Terry, and Is now with the soldiers
fighting the hostiles in northern W 70
ming.
clearing the story Claude Drvai
has volunteered his aid to clear the
matter up, and if you will leave Chey.
enne tomorrow and travel north for
two days you will meet him. You will
find him a gallant man even though he
be an outlaw.
81 rescued you from the Sioux by Z.
playing ghost aud throwing q dynamite /,
hand grenade across the Niobrara. As
| did not wish to be seen, l drugged
you and your comrades and getting a I
few tent poles and your horses that the 7
Sioux had left in their panic, / rugged :,
drags and conveyed you fifteen miles -
to the peak % the Minnekaduza. v
"When you reach the troops of Gen. p
eral Terry inquire for Harry Lane, g
Troop X til Cavalry. He Is under d
Reno. When you find him you :,
find the glden g." the key of the = :.
tragedy, and will then understand the v
details Of the sorry" tt
CHARLES GATES, in
Private Detective" m
P.S. "The two silver "33's" were "
given me by an id woman who put q.
ne on the track O the mystery. The =
[ delivered ito you ut North al