Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-11-24
CHAPTER IV.-CoNTNUED.

CHATTER lN.-CONTINUED.
Five minutes later he was back again
Tom had not returned, and Rider
gulped. down another draught of fiery
liquor and then skulked up the street
until he came to the darkest portion,
where a narrow alley afforded him Sc
cure hiding place. His right hand was
hidden in the pocket of his coat, and
grasped short implement made of
bone, which the sailors call Sid, and
which he had secured while on board
Few moments before.
Under ordinary circumstances the
liquor he had imbibed would have con-
fused his brain, but now he was only
conscious of an intense, overpowering
determination to secure the papers
which meant so much to the man who
could reach the gold region with them.
There had been a smart shower in the
early part of the evening, and the drip
ing from the low caves of the houses
still continued, but had dragging and
re1enting sound. A solitary street light
80 yards away cast a dismal CLEAN for
few square yards in either direction,
while an occasional burst of drunken
laughter from the next street told of
sOhlG party Oh T0Vel6TS IHdkIuS
noisy way home.
The mate noticed none of these
things. His eyes were fixed intently
in the direction from which he expect
ed his victim to come, and his square
jaws were set. Through his brain ran
but one thought:
"The papers!"
Half an hour passed and Tom came
striding along under the gaslight,
humming a tune and merrily rehears-
ing the play he had just witnessed.
Suddenly the watcher uttered an i'm
precation under his breath, for just as
he was gathering himself for a spring
he espied a dark figure stealing noise
lessly along behind the young man.
Closer and closer crept the fateful
shadow, and as Tom arrived opposite
the alley where the mate was crouch
Ing, the latter saw the second figure
take few rapid, noiseless strides.
Then an arm was raised over Toms
head and fell with crushing force, send
ing him stunned and senseless to the
muddy pavement, while his assailant
bent over his form to secure the valu-
ables he might have about him.
With shout of rage the mate rushed
from his place of concealment toward
the stranger, who sprang nimbly to his
feet and sped down the street at amaz-
ing speed, without waiting to dispute
the field with the newcomer.
To knee1 by the PROSTATE form and
tear open his clothing was the work
of an instant, and when Obed Rider
arose to his feet he held the belt con-
tanning the precious documents in his
hands.
Slipping it quickly into his pocket he
gave a hasty glance about him. All was
still and once more he knelt by Toms
side, painting.
as he dead? 1 must be surei"
In one hand he grasped his weapon
and the other he placed over the young
mans heart.
At first he detected no pulsation
then there was a feeble hutter and 6
moment later Tom groaned family.
Hes alivel"
The words were Kissed forth in 6
murderouS manner and as he spoke
Rider raised his weapon.
But the blow did not fall, for even as
he nerved himself for the stroke ths
mate had a new thought which arrested
no time to lose. IF he robbed Tom o.
both money and papers the victim
even if he recovered, was powerless tt
pursue his journey further. Wh>
would believe his story of the golt
mine?
All this flashed through his brain il
much less time than it takes to write it
and with feverish, trembling haste hi
began fumbling aboNtin Toms clothes
He was not long finding the money
which Tom carried in an inside pocket
of his vest and was rising to his fee
when door suddenly opened a few
yards away and man came out OF tn,
house.
Without waiting to see in which di
rection he was turning, Obed Rider hur
ried away toward the wharf and wa.
soon safe in his stateroom with his i'll
gotten booty. His eyes shone with dew
ilish triumph as he pcred over the pa
pers, and the sight of over 500 in casi
wrapped around the railroad ticket t.