The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-23

1
thought maybe he had a remnant Of sense
left but would play out his part after
| all But he didn't He looked puzzled and
remarked:
But the man said you understood
| about II. He said that you would know
| what was in the one he gave me-
| Say, 1t began to get uncomfortable. II
! you've never had experience with a lot
of mad Rubes you don't know what they
! are. They re as meek as lambs normal
| ly and will march to the slaughter with
/ out a murmur But, once they get the
idea they're being swindled and made
| fools Of gee whiZi they VIII come at you
| like a cyclone, and you want TO look out
! | didn't know what minute this mob was
/ going to get on TO the racket, and
| thought / was gone for sure when my
/ capper hauled out the two pocketbooks aud
said
4 forget which one the moneys in;
they look so much alike
Il think the blow would have fallen in
moment if something hadn't happened to
distract the attention OF the crowd. From
the other end Of the grounds 1 heard the
sound of mems feet travelling quickly Then
| there We're shouts of XIII MIN! Lynch
/ the dog and I saw Ford, my side partner,
running for all ne was worth for the
woods, followed by about 200 men. The
people were firing sticks and stones after
revolvers were shooting recklessly al him.
Il was standing like man in stupor
when some one cracked me in the jaw and
remarked
Here's another of the cusses, boys
1.-The next minute crowd was al me.
dropped my pocketbooke and over 500 in
money, which / had in my hand, and ran
after Ford. ] met two other men who were
working for Bill, fleeing for their lives,
and joined them. Just as we entered the
woods we heard a great shouting behind
us, and, looking back, saw Bill himself,
fleeing before the wrath of the good citi-
zens of Cross Corners. His little legs were
going like pstons, but he had no chance
of escape. l saw two or three men grab
him, and then there was a general miX-up,
in which we lost sight of Bill.
Suddenly, however. there were three
pistol shots, and the boss came tearing gu
of the crowd, revolver in hand. Two
men were lying on the grass, but the rest
came after Bill. who was inconsistent
enough 10 flee in our direction. Well,
there's no doubt but what there'd have
been a big lynching bee right there if we
hadn't discovered a friendly swamp in the
woods. By jumping into the mire up to
our waists, we threw the countrymen off
the track. Bill came plunging in after
us, and we made our way over TO fiat
stone in the center of the swamp and
hauled ourselves up on it. You never
saw such wrecks in your life. Bill had
been shot in the arm and leg, and Ford
had a bullet in the feshy part of his leg.
We were all cut and bruised, covered with
! mud and slime, and badly used up.
bill was the first to speak. His lam
| guage was unintelligibe. He uttered ev-
cry cuss word known to mortal man, and
| some that he coined for the occasion.
| When he had sworn for five minutes we
At, hi ra11 tno ar ,learen
of that swamp was of a deeper, darker
| hue than it ever had been before. Finally
Ford thought the time had come for ex-
| plantations.
BILL he said I amt kickin' at the
bad turns of fortune. because l know
what to expect in this business. but I'd
| like to know where you got them guys
that was Gaping to-day
-" Ford said Bill, the question is a
proper one. l got them around the
grounds, same as I've been doing for
| years
/ We'll when we came to swap expert
ences l found that the fellows in the bed
ticking suits had acted about the same all
around None of them seemed vicious or
/ anxious to give US away but they didn't
remember their parts, and the first row
started over one of them asking for IN
/ structions right before everybody. They
! had made our game apparent to everybody,
! and as | said before, a mad RUDE thinks
! long and acts suddenly. When we came
| 10 figure up the pecuniary losses we found
| that in our fight we had thrown away or
dropped 500 between us, besides losing our
! entire stock of pocketbooks. Then there
were the fifteen men hired by Bill; they
| had received from s. 10 $40 apiece. OF
| course. we couldn't hope to secure any of
that We would be lucky if we got out of
the neighborhood with our lives.
AT dusk we plunged into the mud of the
swamp again, and made our way to a road
running through the woods. We had ira
versed it about 100 yards when we heard
;. the tramp of many feet ahead of us, and
| coming in our direction.
They've goI the soldiers out for usr
! moaned Bill. All hands look out for
! themselves.
eve plunged into the thicket just
| man with a peaked hat and a blue suit
covered with brass buttons came around
! a corner in the road. Behind him, march
! ing in pairs and close up to one another,
! came some fifty men. They wore blue
! and white striped suits, and in the ranks
were Bilrs fifteen cappers. half a, doz-
! en- men in blue uniforms came up behind.
! / didn't know what TO make of it, but
/ was soon enlightened. Bill jumped out of
| the woods into the middle of the road.
| STROBE up to the men in the blue uniforms,
! and said
You can finish the slugglng right
| here if you like. but by - l want to
! know who these men you've got in tow
are
! The men burst into roars of laughter
| and Bill hauled out his gun.
! Hold on, he said. I've had enough
monkey business to-day Out with it,
who are they? SO help me, I'll send at
! least one of you to blazes If you don't
find your tongues
Wen said one of the men, you and
your gang are the biggest lot of suckers
| that ever come TO Cross Corners. The
I next time you want assistants don't en-
! gage lunatics. This lot are harmless, and
! go where they like during the day, but
| they're unreliable
"Bills gun fell from his hand and his
! jaw dropped. 1Lunatics' he murmured
J 4 hired lunatIcs Me, Bill Johnson of
| Boston, hired insane men to cap for me.
| Well, by -
IT'S unnecessary to quote Bill further
| His peroraton in the swamp was mild
compared to this outburst. His oaths
were terrific, and he wound the whole
| thing up with the resolution never TO do