Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1898-07-20

OF Il machine rs yourS?" he inquired,
pleasantly lyon can take your choice.
I'm not particular, but j can recoIIi-
mend this as sure thing, if you would
like To try it, 1t never misses at twenty
PAGES"
Twenty paccs?" repeated Don
Miguel. with n faint CLEAN OF hope.
'Of course we won't have any
twcnt! aces to night" added Free
man, 18th laugh. II thought it
might bc good plan TO start at, say,
fifteen, and advance firing. In that
way, one or other of us will be certain
to DO something sooner or later.
Would that arrangement DC agreeable
to Senior dc Mcndoxa?'
"Valga me bios! am content,"
said the latter, fetching Il deep breath,
and setting his teeth. az will keep my
weapon
'Muy bucn," returned the American.
$50 now lctus take our ground; that is,
If you are qnitc rcady?'
Accordingly they selected their sta
tions, facing respectively about north
and south, with the plant of love be-
tween them, as it were. "Oblige me
ny giving CuO worn, oCnOT, SsllO cTCC.
man. cooking his weapon.
But Don Miguel was staring with
| perturbcd visagc at something behind
his antagonist Santa Mariar' he
faltercd. "what is yoEdcr? 1t is
sprit!''
Freeman had his wits about him.
and perhaps entertained not too
high opinion Of Mexican fair play. So,
before turning round. he advanced
till no was alongside his companion.
| Then he looked, and saw something
cmigmatio.
Among the wild-mustard plants there
appeared IL moving luminosity, having
an irregular, dancing motion, as of
| wiil-o' -thc-wisp singularly agitated.
Sometimes it nplifted itself on high,
then plunged downwards. and again
| jcrlcd itself from side to side; OCCASION
ally it would quite vanish for an in
slant Accompanying this manifesta-
ton there was Il clawing and reaching
of shadowy arms; altogether, it was us
| If some titanic spectral grasshopper,
with heart of fire, were writhing and
| kicking in commissions Of phantom
agony. Such an app"rition, in TN hour
and place SO lonely, might staggcr u
scss smperstitious soul than that of Don
| Miguel dc Mendoza.
| Freeman gazcd at it for n moment in
| silence 1t mystiticd him, and then IT.
| ritatcd him. When one is bent heart
| and soul upon an important enterprise,
any interruption is an annoyance.
| Perhaps there was in the young Amer
leans nature just enough remains of
belief in witches and hobgoblins to
make him feel warranted in rcsorting
to extreme measures. AT any rate, he
lifted his revolver, and fired
| 1t was 4 long shot for revolt
| yer; nevertheless it took effect.
The luminous object disappeared with
faint explosive sound, followed by
shout Enthusiastically human. The
long stems Of the wild mustard s,vaycd
and parted, and ont sprnng figure,
which ran straight toward the two
mon. Hcrcupon, Don Miguel, kissing
out IN appeal to the Virgin and the
! saints, turned and fled.
Meanwhile. the mysterious figure
continued its onward career; and Free
man once more lcvcllcd his weapou,-
when Il voice, which gave him such a
start of surprise rs we'll nigh caused
him to pull the trigger for sheer lack
| OF self command, called out. "Why,
| you ahominablc young villain! What
the mischief do you mcan2 Do you
want to hc hanged?"
| 'Professor Mcsel,incsP' falt cred
| Freeman
II WAS indeed fiat wor..AAr ..erssa-
| age. and he was on" fire with wrath
| lie held in ono hand Il shattered lam
tern mounted on the end of a pole, and
In the other long handled net of
gaGze, such rs entomologists Use to
catch moths withal. Under his left
arm was slung n brown japanned case,
in which he presumably deposited tho
spells of his skill Frccman's shot had
not only smashed and extinguishcd the
lantern which served as bait for tho
game. but had also given the professor
a ,iisagrceablc reminder that the ten
ure of human life is as precarious rs
that Of the silly moth which allows
itself to be lurcd to destruction 10y
! shining promises of bliss.
''tIpon my soul, professor, anu very
sorry" said Freeman. you have no
idea how formidable you looked; and
you could hardly expect me to imagine
that you would be abroad at such ar
hour
And why not, I should like to
anow?" shouted the professor. tower
ing with Indignation. ''NVas doing
anything to be ashamed Of? And what
are You doing here, pray, with loaded
revolvers in your hands?-Hallol who's
this?" he exclaimed, as Don Miguel ad-
vanced doubtfully out of the gloom
"Senor de Mendoza, as Pm a sinner!
and armed too. Well, really! Are you
two out on a numbering expedition
Oho!' he went on, in a changed tone,
glancing keenly from one to another:
''methinks 1 see the bottom of this
mystery. You have ridden forth like
the champions of romance, to do
doughty deeds upon each other!-Is it
not so, Don Miguel?' he demanded,
turning his fierce spectacles suddenly
on that young man.
Don Miguel, ignoring a secret gesture
from Freeman, admitted that he had
been on the point of expunging the
latter from this mortal sphere.
The professor chuclxled sarcastically.
81 see! Blood! Wounded honor! The
code.-But, by the way, don't see