Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-03-28

lNhuEDss
OF tho man engaged in preparing the sup
per. Another of tho party srrang toward
him, when he, too, felt the. keen edge Of
the ax in the hands of tine mailman, and
with another demoniacal howl tho murder
Gus maniac vanished into the gloom of the
night.
In an instant in and about the camp all
was horror and CONSERVATION Parties
from adjacent campfires crowded around
to find one man dead and another wound.
cd and liable to die and the pcrpetrator Of
the crimes, a man beroft of reason, gone
mono knew whittier, out into the murky
night, with the weapon Of destruction still
In his hands. Above and below them
could be seen the glow Of many campfires,
about which fitted the forms Of men,
women and even of little children, all Tn
suspecting Of danger. These must be
warned at whatever risk. Soon tho clint.
ter of swift running feet was heard rush.
Ing through the ravines and up the hill.
Sides and stentOrian tones voiced the warn
Ing on the still night air: "Look out for
tho man with the AK A man down in
Cedar ravine has COMO crazy and has
Drained two of his partners with an AK ard
has escaped. No one knows what direc-
tion he has taken. Look out for tho man
with tho Ak" At the warning men
sprang to their weapons. and pale faced
women, gathering their frightened chill.
dren about them, retired to the recesses of
tent wagon or shack, while husbands or
fathers stood vigil by tho campfire, for
none knew at what instant from out the
Plutonian blackness Of the night would
rush tho demented demon, leaving death
and destruction in his wake.
There was an hour or moro of suspense,
when man dashed breathless into tho
principal saloon withthc news that the man
with the ax had gone down the grade TO-
ward Reese river valley, and on his way
had killed Johnnie Boulay, the French
gambler, whom he met coming up the
grade. 1t appeared that Johnnie was COM
ing up the road from .Iacobsyilie, where
he had been paying professional visit, all
unconscious Of danger, and with one leg
thrown over the pommel Of his saddle was
lightly caroling o chanson Of Ia belie
France and thinking, if thinking at all,
OF the appetite provoking cocktail and the
subsequent supper awaiting in the town
whose lights he saw In the distance, when
out of the gloom of the night dashed a
grizzly figure With maniacal yell the
mailman crashed the AK into poor John
MES thigh and disappeared down the road
into the darkness. An artery was severed,
and tho Frenchman had just enough Of
life left to reach the first house on the out.
skirts OF the town. swell, thank God, We
know at least which way he has gonev'
said the brawny livery stable keeper.
Some OF us must go after him ard stop
his doing further mischief IL possible. E"
Soon half . dozen well armed men vera
mounted and Gathering down the trail,
and word was sent to the anxious watchers
around the campfires. In the gray Of the
morning the pursuers returned dust cover
ed and spent They were remarkably
taciturn when questioned % to the result
Of their night ride. The most that could
be got out Of them was that the mar with
the Ak would trouble them no more. After
ward 1t was whispered that a stock herder,
riding across the sage covered valley Of
Reese river, ran across . corpse with q
lariat around its neck and full Of bullet
holes. For many Q day thereafter tbs
mothers Of Austin had in the story Ct "the
man with an Ak" one to conjure with
when they wished to keep their children In.