Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-06-02
PART I.
CHAPTER V.-CoNTINUED.

This appeal seemed to- produce some
effect, for two of the fellows began to
look here and there among the lumber,
but half heartedly, thought, and with
half an eye to their own danger all the
time, while the rest stood irresolute on
the road.
you have your hands on thousands,
you fools, and you hang leg! You'd
be as rich as kings if you could find it,
and you know it's here, and you stand
there malingering. There wasn't one
of you dared face Bill, and I did it-a
blind man! And I'm to lose my chance
for you'll I'm to be q poor, crawling
beggar, sponging for rum, when I
might be rolling in a coach! IF you had
the pluck of weevil in a biscuit, you
would catch them STILL"
Hang it, Pew. we've got the doub-
loons!" grumbled one.
'They might have hid the blessed
thing" said another. Take the
Georges, Pew, and don't stand here
squalling."
Signalling was the word for it. Pew's
anger rose so high at these objections,
till at last, his passion completely TAX
ing the upper hand, he struck at them
right and left in his blindness, and his
stick sounded heavily on more than
one.
These, in their turn, cursed back at
the blind miscreant, threatened him in
horrid terms, and tried in vain to catch
the stick and wrest it from his grasp.
This quarrel was the saving of us;
for while it was still raging, another
sound came from the top of the hill
on the side of the hamlet-the tramp
of horses galloping. Almost at the
same time a pistol shot, flash and re-
port, came from the hedge side. And
that was plainly the last signal of
danger; for the buccaneers turned at
once and ran, separating in every di-
rection, one seward along the cove,
one slant across the hill, and so on, so
that in half minute not sign of them
remained but Pew. Him they had de-
serted, whether in sheer panic or out
of revenge for his i'll words and blows,
I know not; but there he remained be-
hind, tapping up and down the road
in a frenzy, and cropping and calling
for his comrades. Finally he took the
wrong turn and ran few steps past
me. toward the hamlet, crying:
Johnny, Black Dog, Dirk" and other
names, you won't leave old Pew,
mates-not old Pew!"
Just. then the noise of horses topped
the rise, and four or five riders came
in sight in the moonlight and swept
at full gallop down the slope.
AT this Pew saw his error, turned
with scream and ran straight for the
ditch, into which he rolled. But he
was on his feet again in a second, and
made another dash, now utterly be-
wildered, right under the nearest of
the coming horses.
The rider tried to save him, but in
vain. Down went Pew with cry that
rang high into the night; and the four
hoofs trampled and spurned him and
passed by. He fell on his side. then
gently collapsed upon his face, and
moved no more.
L leaped to my feet and hailed the
riders. They were pulling up, at any
rate, Mortified at the accident; and /
soon saw what they were. One, tall
ing out behind the rest, was lad that
had gone from the hamlet to Dr. Live
ssey's; the rest were revenue officers,
whom he had met by the way, and with
whom he had had the intelligence to re-
turn at once. Some news of the lugger in
Kits Hole had found its way to Su-
pervisor Dance, and sent him forth that
night in our direction, and to that cir
-cumstance my mother and owe our
preservation from death.
Pew was dead, stone dead. AS for
my mother, when we had carried her
up to the hamlet, little cold water
and salts very soon brought her back
again, and she was none the worse for
her terror, though she still continued
to deplore the balance of the money.
In the meantime the supervisor rode
on, as fast as he could, to kits Hole;
but his men had to dismount and grope
down the dingle, leading, and some
times supporting, their horses, and in
continual fear OF ambushes; so it was
no great matter for surprise that when
we got down to the Hole the lugger
was already under way, though still
close in. He hailed her. A voice re-