The record-union., 1897-03-21

at the bottom of the sheet: You have
no business in politics if you don't want
to stand the consequences" then signed
| it and remailed it to the original sender
An hour later he was sorry he had done
/ so, and tried to get the letter out of
the Postofiice, but failed
| Thus it was that the next evening. as
he rode along the lonely trail leading
to the ''enemy's country where he was
to address a big meeting of cattlemen
and make an effort to redeem himself
by practically recanting all that he had
said derogatory to the opposing candi-
date without losing too much of his al
ready shattered self respect, he was so
absorbed mentally in thinking over
what he should say that he did not
hear a sudden command to halt, and
| realized that he was in trouble only
when sinuous, swishing thing hustled
though the air, pinioned his arms to
his sides and jerked him from his sad
die to the rough ground.
Good shot, OF mani" said some one
in cowboy costume, who came up and
sat on the victims chest Eye got him
right round tn elbows, fust throw o
tn rope"
Let me up, you ID scoundrel!"
fumed Van Vert. you can take my
money without taking my wind at the
same time, can't you?"
Easy, M son. chuckled the giant
who was sitting astride of him, as he
held the candidates wrists so that the
other men, who now came up, could the
more easily tie them. I'VE don't want
! y'r stuff. Do we, pardner?"
"Nopey. Van," said the second man.
in voice that Van Vert tried in vain
| to recognize. 1--WE jest want t put We
where We won't make no mo- fool
| r'marks bout tn lady this ag'in' ye-
not this evenin', anyways"
See here, boys" said Van Vert,
more calmly, this isn't a square deal
You know I've got to be at that meet
ing at Meeker at s o'clock? Well. it's
! almost that now, so let me 60"
''Oh, no, Jimmie." laughed one of his
| captors, heartlessly mot might.
| it squar' deal FIR you t. git up an
| make tn talk we did bout tn little
schoOlma am las night? Not any. So
stan up, Jimmie, an let tn gent tackle
ye to tn tree. Well let We go fore We
sit cold. Easy, lad. Eff we git gay,
we won't do a thing but hawg-tie We
an leave We lay till mawnin'.''
The next hour was as long a one as
Jimmie Van Vert ever spent. The
night was a chilly one, and the ropes
with which he was bound prevented
the free circulation of blood, so that in
a very short time his extremities were
aching with cold. To add to his dis
comfort, an owl took it's station in the
brush near by and hooted derisively
whenever the prisoner shouted, and the
cries Of the owl were responded to by
several wolves, whose voices sounded
as though they We're very close at hand.
Several times Van Vert heard people
go by on horseback and in wagons, and
| shouted to them at the top of his lungs;
but the trail was some distance from
the clump of brush, and they did not
hear him. AT last, however, when he
had about given up all hope Of escap-
ing until his captors should come and
release him, he heard the sound of
horses coming along the trail, their
riders laughing and chatting, and he
lifted up his voice in a mighty effort to
| make himself heard. The riders evil
IDENTIFY heard him and stopped. He
shouted again, and presently heard
them coming toward him.
Where are you?" cried a feminine
| voice, in response to another bleat from
Van Vert, and in a moment there was
a crashing of underbrush and the face
and form of a young woman were out
lined in the moonlight, followed a Sec
ond later by the wondering countenance
of lad of about II years.
How did it happen?" queried the
young woman, after she and the boy
had released the candidate from his
uncomfortable predicament and he was
| untying his horse from neighboring
| tree.
Van Vert explained, in an injured
tone, adding with as much dignity as
he could command: II am the candi-
date for Superintendent of Schools and
l suppose this is a sample Of the
| methods Miss Smith and her cowboy
friends have adopted to defeat me.
They knew I was to speak at Meeker
tonight, and thought that by prevent
ing me from doing so they could gain
| few votes. I'll show 'em, when I get
there"
The young woman laughed merrily.
Politics is a funny business, isn't it ?"
she said. 1.-THE idea of resorting to
such measures! But" she added, So
berly you should not blame Miss
Smith for what her overzealous friends
have done. Miss Smith is a friend
of mine, and I know she would not
sanction such thing. lit would be
most unfair to accuse her of it, don't
you think, without being certain of
your ground?"
Van Vert admitted that it would.
"Then, as a favor to me- said his
fair rescuer, do not, please, say any
thing about it, at least by way Of con-
| Meeting her with the affair. I'm sure
no one would regret it more than she,
if she knew about it,"
After some hesitation Van Vert
promised, and presently his rescuer and
her escort left him, branching off on
trail that led toward a farmhouse that
he could see in the distance.
The candidate noted with a grim
smile, On his return, the CONSERVATION
his appearance created in a certain
part of the room, and concluded that
two or three men whom he knew to lie
friends of his looked rather sheepish;
but he kept his own counsel, and made
no reference to his adventure. In the
course of the excellent speech he pres
emily made he took back" what he
had said about his opponent in man.
ner SO graceful as to win for him
rounds of applause, and when he sat
down it was with the consciousness
that he had in part redeemed himself.
AS he started, along with some of the
ut her candidates tO 1Qavo tho hall he