Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-09-08
volvers started on tneir s-aloa.

volvers, started on tneir seaTozi. ~.
good could come of asking questions.
The populace of those days was always
in league with the deserter or absentee
without leave so long as he had money.
Then not infrequently would they turn
the poor fellow over to the marshal or
sheriff and set half the reward then
offered for the apprehension of soldier
renegades. To load them drunk into a
hack, turn them over at the guardhouse
and claim the entire reward of $50 per
man would have been bad generalship.
The hand of every soldier would have
been against the traitor from that time
on. They would have killed the goose
that laid the golden egg.
/ Maynard had an old sergeant with
him who knew the ms and outs of ev-
cry haunt of the bibulous among the
boys in blue, and he led on, silent re-
lentless, unerring. Five minutes brisk
tramp brought them to combination
concert hall and gambling house. One
or two loungers in front, at sight Of the
coming patrol, darted inside, and when
the sergeant reached the glazed doors
they were bolted Quick, he ordered
the corporal, take Schultz and Meyer
and get around to the rear door. Nab
every one of our fellows that comes
out. !" Then he banged on the front door
for admission.
But the fellows didn't come. It
was full minute before the sergeant's
summons was answered. Then head
was poked out of all upper window, a
head Oh a broad grin, and an oily, Mi
lesian voice demanded: "What the
devil is wanted? There's no game until
tonight
"The game we want is under this
roof, Maloney, and you know it, - was
the sergeant's sturdy reply. ''Now, we
don't mean to break in; neither can
they break out. It's only reasonable
fine and a few days fatigue duty they'll
be getting for going back quietly with
us now, but it'll be dollar an hour for
every hour we have to wait, and we can
camp right here until they're starved
out if need be. So tell the gang to be
wise and come at once
By this time little crowd had be-
gun to gather. Maynard, silently await
ing the result of the sergeant's appeal
and trusting to his larger experience in
such matters, was bordering over the
legal aspect of the case and wondering
whether Wyoming laws would be very
savage at his expense in case he forced
an entrance in search of his truant
troopers when he noticed that the glazed
doors of a somewhat similar establish
ment across the way were swinging
slowly open, and that knot of curious
and attentive spectators huddled close
behind them, yet keeping within shelter
and as much as possible out Of sight,
evidently DESTROYS of escaping observa-
ton. Closer at hand the rapidly arriv-
ing populace began to indulge in chaft
and facetious remarks, much to the an
noyance Of the sergeant and the comfort
of the Irishman aloft, who, recognizing
sympathetic souls in the crowd, stuck
his head still farther out and exchanged
jubilant greeting with cronies on the
sidewalk
"How much head will ye give ne,
} sergeant, for preservin their lives
Sure Hannitin's whisky across the way
there would burn the stomach out Of Q
brass monkey. It's rewarded heavily
l ought to be. But I'm wastin wurd,
wild ye sergeant. Let the liftenani
spake. Sure he looks like liberal, higt
minded gentleman, which ye DOM,
sergeant. Sure it's Mr. Maynard Iknow,
and ye mustn't be givin it away, boys
but it's him knows livery room on the
premises and wins his months pay
twice over at Scolly's table, don't ye,
now, liftenant?'
The street crowd shouted it's approba
tion of this sally and yelled with de-
light when Maloney was showed to one
side and another face on a feminine
head was thrust beside that of the frs
occupant 1t was fiery, or, rather, car
roty red, while the eyes were bleary anc
the nose purple. Maloney was the char
tered bouncer Of the establishment anG
this his brawny helpmate In the cos
mopolitan make up of the populace Of
Cheyenne of those days the Irish were
scarce. Even John Chinaman was sci
dom to be seen. The crowd was typical
ly frontier American and gifted with
all the American passion for persona
liberty and propensity for fun at any
expense. Here was squad of regulars
with trig young West Pointer in com
mand, seeking to compass the arrest Of
an equal nu4nber Of renegade comrades
and baked in the attempt by the very
fact that they represented the force an6
majesty of the federal government. HaG
) the offender or offenders been guilty OF
any crime against the person or proper
ty OF a fellow citizen of Cheyenne they
(the crowd) would have smashed il
those fragile glazed doors and nabbec
the culprits instanter, but as it was
simply Uncle Sam who was wrongeG
and defied only their disabilities were
appealed to. It was fun to contemplate
the impotence of the armed force sent
by the government to reclaim it's own,
provided it could be done without re-
course to invasion of private property
Maloney's masters gambling hell was
his castle, open to any citizen when its
master chose, but forbidden to the law
abiding nt ~ bor tir,oS or5 70 TI,o1,> S.,,>