The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1899-12-27
ola Grimm entered from another door
light in hand.

old Grimm entered from another doc
light in hand.
Little Hank lay beneath the hug,
,apie, grooming dismally and rubbin!
his shoulder. Otherwise the room wa.
unoccupicd; but window near tho
door was open, and on the hard dir
MOOR lay freshly discharged pisto
and Mexican sombrero. at is rob,
Ders that have been here" exclaimed
the ranchman. "It Is Mexican robbers
and they have shot my boyr'
: Wells divcd beneath the table
brought forth the injured lad and
placed him tenderly in Il chair; but he
at once struggled to his feet. "Turn
loosc the dog, gran'paw, or he will git
away: It's Santa Claus, and I'm blam-
ed II he didn't miss me with his pistol
right slap in my face. Inevcr knowed
afore that Santa Claus was an Arkan-
saw man"
Wells turned from the excited bo,
and approached the open window. Be
low 1t, and directly to the right, the
whltewashcd walls were torn and dis
| figured with shot, and thrre were great
spl"tches and dark, trickling streams
OF something like red paint inning in
the light of the lamp.
He TUNED TO the old German; his
features pale but collected.
You will not need the dog" said
he. "'Fho man who tumbled through
That window is lying where he fell
and think l vii, recognize him when
| see him.
Wells was right IN both his surlniscs.
In "layin' for Santa Claus" Little Hank
had taken step that no midnight mar
auder could have forescen. In forcing |
an entry to Grimm's ranch, the Mex
lcan goat-herdc-, who had trailed
wells all the way from McKavett, had
gone directly to his death. lie lay
outside the window, as he had fallen
when the bulk of two loads of buckshot
had struck him, and when Little Hank
gazed into his dead face, its ralor more
ghastly still in the lamplight, he scream
ed and staggered back, covering his
eyes with trembling hands.
81 don't want to be soldicr,n he
sobbed. 81 never want to kill another
man as long as l live" But his sturdy
DID granddam-descended, no doubt,
from long line Of warlike Teuton.-
look him IN her strong arms consollngy.
"But this man was robber, my
lear. Killing was his deserls, for he
came to murder US all in our sleep.
ou saved our lives, and now would !
pou turn Gov ard and make us asham- ,
,d?n
"lt was not brave deed" growled ,
old Grimm. "The boy thought to !
shoot Santa Claus and killed a lazy ;
,hlct of Mexican instead 1t was
oulPs-eye on the wrong target and no .
lonor is won. Still, gm alad it has >
happened, for it may frighten his !,
'oyish mind from this folly about ,
'oldier-life and guns" )s
And so Kris Kringle did not visit the
'anch that night, and Little Hank had y
o wait for bis ritc-but not, as 1t O
'hanced, so very long, after all. Ar 3
wing without farther inciden mt at his I
destination, Wells first care was TO q
'islt the different gunstores of San r
Antonio upon an errand the nature Of i
which can be easily guessed. On New s
ears Eve the McKavett stage halted y
1t Grimm's ranch to deliver a package,
md a few minutes later the heart of +
he younger Hank was beating high l.
With elaton, Snugly packed in a nea: Il
'ox lay two guns-a tiny winchester a
md a light breech-loading shotgun. c
It was present fit for king, and a \
one than Jack Wells slim c
'urse could have stood unaldcd; but 9
lis employers had been told how their !
thousands were saved and graciously d
donated two per cent. of the entire @
'mount towards rewardiug the princ- e
'al actor in that Christmas Eve trag.
,dy at the "Two Boot ranch" q