Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1896-09-18

Doolan's, prepared 10 continue his va
cation that had been so suddenly inter.
rupted. Ho had hardly entered the
camp, however, when the man who had
given him the main facts in the murder
story called him aside.
"Say, stranger, do you want another
story Since you're in the biz you might
as well have oil that's goin, and there's
n cussed lot Of II round these digRin's
Jest at present. We're su~spicionin, Jack
and me, that thay's n gang o. counter
feiters back in the mountains some'ers.
You know that Teller you met on the
road yesterday Well, he's one O. 'cm,
err l miss my guess. lie didn't want you
mp here. Mistook you fer IA government
chap. Seeg"
Bob grew interested. He wasn't par
ticularly anxious for another scoop, but
neither was no in thu habit Of letting q
good story escape him. The result was
u quiet investigation, cliciting proof
that the miners suspicious were cor
rect. Several days later q scare head
topped a three column article from The
Meteor's correspondent at Jimtown.
Then followed u visit to Rocky Canyon
of q posse of government officials and q
raid OH the den. The Meteor had u
scoop daily, and The Telegram aud The
News felt themselves Obliged to send
correspondents to this interesting scene
Of action. But Bob had the advantage
of precedence, and the rival scribes
found themselves unable to get 1t the
facts which The Meteor published rcgu-
larly.
The close Of Bob's vacation found him
in the midst Of the government raid,
and n telegram from The Meteor's man
aging editor complimcutcd him OH his
good work and requested him to remain
at Jimtown until further orders.
One night n belated traveller was
sleeping peacefully, rolled up in a
blanket under "a tree, nine miles from
Jack Doolan's mining camp. His horse
was tethcred near By. Toward morning
the sleeper was gently aroused by the
sudden tightening Of a rope about his
waist, pinioning his arms to his sides.
He looked up to see four men, two Of
whom might have been recognized as
members of tho counterfeitcrs' gang,
who had somehow escaped the ends of
Justice, and for whose recapture q heavy
reward was now waiting. The others
were strangers to him in the main facts
in the murder case, and remained in the
background, though no one Of the four
seemed at all timid about being OBJ
served.
The prisoner saw at once that he was
known, but he waited silently for the
announcement Of his fate.
80 you're the chap who brought the
boobies down on we uns, air your be-
gan the recognized leader tnuntingly.
Come up here and spied into what wus
nope o. your id biz and reported it.
Do you know the fate o. the spy?"
The man remained silent.
well, they says their prayers; 80 if
you've got any messages to wire up'ard
you better be about it. cause this ere
station closes in about three minutes. "
The prisoner felt the rope slipping to-
ward his chin. Already tho other end
was over a limb of the tree under which
he lay. He set his teeth firmly, threw
out his arms in a final, desperate, al
most unconscious struggle-then it was
over.
y
The Meteor went to press early. The
Firefy and The Rocket held open late
for further particulars Of a mysterious
lynching that occurred in tho Rocky
Canyon district the previous night. The
Meteor knew nothing o. the event until
the rival papers announced in loaded
lines that another horrible crime had
been committed in the celebrated Rocky
Canyon. A gentleman, whose name had
not been ascertained, but who was
thought to be a government official,
had been found by members of Jack
DColan's mining camp hanging to q
tree several miles from Jimtown. Indi-
cations pointed to the escaped counter
feiters as the perpetrators of the deed.
For the first time The Meteor's cor
respondent at Jimtown was scooped.
The Meteor couldn't understand il.
Message after message, wired to Bot
Long, Jimtown, was reported undeliv,
cred. The Meteor's editor grew desper
ate. Then, as it neared time for another
edition and no story came Of the lynch
| ing, he determined TO satisfy himself
and his readers ON one point at least
He sent a brief message TO the operator
at Jimtown, "Who was that jay WHIT
was lynched up there the other night?'
Immediately the wires licked back
bob Long brooklyn Citizen.
The Beech.
There are some of our best nativ,