The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-09-10

wedding. leaving their daughter Mia
alone with the old scoundrel. The black
est pirate always has the greatest treas
ure, and Nita was as pretty as her IA
ther was ugly. as good as he was bad.
On a claim adjoining Scroggins' lived
Atkinson. who was a Woodworking
young fellow with a title to plenty Of
pay dirt. OF course there was a new
edition OF the old yarn OF the feryent
youth and the lovely maid. As soon as
Scroggins suspected the attachment he
began to concentrate his enmity. which
he had hitherto directed impartially
against all men. in Atkinson's direc-
ton. After he found other plans in
effective he began seeking n way to re-
duce Atkinson's earthly necessities TO
a pine board coffin.
Adjoining claims furnished a pretext
for a quarrel. One morning Scroggins
eased his revolver I'm it's holster, shout
dered his shovel and went out. Instead
of stopping on his own property, he de-
liberately walked some 20 feet over the
line and went to work in Atkinson's ter
ritory. Atkinson looked at him in
amazement, and Scroggins stopped
shoveling to return the gaze.
"Ef yer think. Bob Atkinson. that a
shadder Of a skeleton like yerself hez
a patent ter all the pay-dirt in these
diggin's. ye're way off yer level. Jest
take up this trail, eff yer lookin' fer
trouble All we want of you aroun'
hyar ez yer tracks. Sabe?"
Scroggins made a mistake. His tenn
per was quicker than his hand, and he
opened the battle before he brought up
his artillery; for as the sight of his re-
volver left the holster, he heard a lit
tie click and raised his eyes to look into
the mouth Of Atkinson's weapon
Edgerton. coming down the trail, heard
Bobspeak sharply: Git! Andifyou ever
set foot on my place again, you'll have
to be carried OFT" Scroggins looked
into his eyes, and then backed slowly
and sullenly away.
That afternoon Jerry and Johnson.
on their way up from the valley,
stopped to rest at Cayuse Bend. As
they stood. the silence was broken by
the clatter of hoofs. and around the
bend, side by side. came two horses
The riders were Bob and Nita.
"Good-by, boys" said the former, as
| he refined up. .'Nita and | are on our
wedding journey to happier times. we
hope. May we ask that you say moth
ing of having met us? Luck go with
you"
The mist crawled upward through
the manzanita and mesquite and hov-
cred over the trail. Bob and Mia
slackened their pace and went forward
cautiously. II was when the fog was
al its thickest that they heard the beat
ing OF reckless hoofs behind them. Boil
turned his horses head and grasped hi,
revolver. \ dozen gigantic forms
doomed indistinctly into view through
the fog. As he raised his arm, Nit;
seized it. crying: Don't shoot. Surely
my father"
Hands up" rang out the command
and half a dozen weapons were levele'
at Bob.
what kind Of an outrage is this?'
he demanded, recognizing familiar
faces.
We'll. YOU are a cool one.~ saiC
Edgerton. xiii a man and run away
with his darter, and then call it an out
rage when you are follered up. Reckon
YOU thought il was a personal matter
leavin' old man Scroggins up there il
Lis cabin dead."
Dead exclaimed Atkinson. ''Why
| hadn't even heard of il. Why. am
accused?'
You'll find out soon enough. Yor
come with us"
Atkinson's horses stood quietly. head
and head together. Mia had tainted
and for q momentBob glanced tenderly
down at the white lace on his shoulder
Then he looked al the circle OF unre
lenting faces and said. quietly: Il an
innocent. I'll go back and prove H."
OF course Col. Ike Stebbins. as thu
handspring OF the social machinery o
Lone Star. presided AT the trial. 1t wa
always he who stood at the head Of tn
new-made grave, with reverent face an'
upraised hand. while the clods fell dull.
on the pine coffin: he il was who sa
with ease and dignity in the chairman
place at public meetings; n bale with
out the colonel to lead was like the pla,
OF "Hamlet" with that gentleman repre-
scented only by his regrets: and it wa
admitted without discussion hat NJ
one but Col. Stebbins could properl,
impersonate the austerity Of Judq
Lynch.
From the beginning there seemed n
doubt Of Atkinson's guilt. Edgerto
testified to the quarrel of the morning
and Bill Simpson lo~quaciously relate
how he thought something was u
when Bob sold his claim to him at hal
its value. explaining that he was i
a hurry to leave. Then Jerry and join
son told Of the meeting on the hill
side. and each of the posse swore. wit
due appreciation of his own impor
lance, to Atkinson's guilty action
when they came upon him in the fos
Hezekiah Smith, OF the hilltop, clinche
the evidence by testifying that he sal
the prisoner standing before Scrof
gins door at noon.
The iurors had ceased whittlin