River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1897-08-26

Clark, of the Oregon house. paused
again and seemed 10 gather his
thoughts.
But the old man was crazy enough
this mornin'. he continued. AS said.
hes had one of his girls Twin with him
and last night be tried to give her a
whaling, aud she ran away and came
down to where the boys were workin
at the Point. The old man came down
this morniu' lookin' for the girl and
aim and the boys had fight. The girl
skipped out while they was scrappin',
and then the old man chased her two or
three miles with an aN. tryin TO ketch
her. But he didn't ketch her, and when
he came back he was just ravin'
maniac. lie passed by the shop, going
down river, and he was the widest
lOokin' mortal you ever see. He had the
AK in his hand yet, and ne was swingin'
il and talkin' and yellin' 10 the sky,
and reckon he'd nave killed any body
that got in his way. / know I'd "a shot
i. IN If he'd "a came al me; and George.
my boy, he was about scared plumb t.
death. | tell you, that's why he pulled
cut so early, reckon. | shouldn't be
surprised if some OF his half-breed boys
lays him cold one of these days; for X
they don't he'll surely kill some OF
them. He"
The narrative was cut short by the
sudden appearance os a man. He
scrambled up from the trail that led
from the river, and rau out to the mid
die of the platform n front OF the shop.
The horses. peacefully engaged in pick
ing up the few remaining straws of
their morning feed" scented him, and
then saw him, and snorted No won
der, for the man was strengthening
being.
y tall man, broad-shouldered and well
made. On his head, woman's ragged
straw hat, beneath which long black
hair hung down to his sh lulders. 4
rough shirt, villainously dirty, partly
covered the upper portion of his body
partly, ] say, because il was torn open
II his throat, showing his hairy breast,
and had no sleeves, which left his long,
sun-burned. muscular arms bare. From
his waist down he was covered by a
pair of old pants which came cnlv to
his ankles, and his feet were shoeless.
In his r.gh: hand he held an ak, ana on
his gauct. grizzlcd, haggard face, in
which burned two fierce hollow eyes
were the shadow of insanity.
For moment he stood still, his great
chest rising and falling with the tides
of excitement that surged within him.
Then his fierce eyes, wandering and
ever restless, caught sight of the two
men under the shed of the old shop, and
were at once fixed upon them with an
intensity not pleasant For yet an
other moment he stood thus, and then,
with quick, catlike steps, he started
towards them.
The man at the plum box turned
pale and attempted to rise, but was
pulled down 10 huddled heap. Then
Clark's hand went to his back pocket
and pulled out an old Colts revolver.
lie had drawn his knees up close to his
chin. and now he laid the barrel of his
pistol upon his knees, the muzzle of
il pointing dcwnhill owards the slow
ly-1dvancing lunatic.
With his finger resting lightly upon
the trigger; with his thin lips parted
so they showed the tobacco-stained
teeth, between which his pipestem was
held so tightly that il was crushed
fiat; with his gray eyes filed with that
cold. steely light that tells of an un-
swerving, Implying determination.
Clark waited.
Behind the man upon which the gun
was trained the great canyon of Yuba
lay-a strange. impressive background
for the tragedy the man at the plum
box felt was about to take place.
But there was no tragedy. When the
man came within a few yards of him
Clark called out:
"Dor't come any nearer. Potts, or
I'll shoot"
Potts stopped. looked at Clark
steadily for a moment. then whirled
anl went down the trail on the other
side of the platform-the trail that led
towards the Chinamen's camp up the
river. As he disappeared down the steep
bank Clark let down the hammer of his
gun and said:
How'd you like Mr. Potts?"
Then he became aware Of the fact that
ne nau Euintu MS plpeSteIl, ana WIN
half serious. half humorous smile on
his face he remarked:
"Weli hang Of Potts. If I'd knowed
I was goin' to bust my pipe I'd "a shot
aim anyway"
I'm glad you didn't know it. then"
replied the man at the plum box, with
faint smile. which died away as a wild,
hoarse cry came up from the river.
They went out 70 look. and saw Potts
standing on rocky point, waving his
arms and gesticulating to the calm.
blue sky.
"H'ph!" said Clark. "It was him,
then. that was yellin' down the river
guess that was when the spell came
on him. Well. Fu going to fix my pipe
up and finish my smoke before | pull
out of here. leavin' Mr. Admiral Potts
TO review his ships as much as he wants
to-"
Then Clark. of the Oregon house.went
clamhering up the hillside, looking for
a pipeste Monthly.