Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-12-22
r1Ysobody but me-ifahk Grimm. N

Nobody but fne-fahk Grimm. MOI
gran'paw, but the little one. You know"
But that was quite enough for the SON.
nolent gentleman from San Antonio. If the
sentence was finished he failed to hear its
conclusion. Sometime afterwards, however,
oughly that he heard and understood the
words that awoke him. They evidently
came from the Giving room" into which his
apartment opened, and were uttered at the
top of Little Hanks childish treble.
THAR now, Santa Claus. I've got you this
time, and either that Winchester comes or
downs your meat-house. No tin wagons
for me this Christmas"
There was a fierce curse grittingly NUT
tered; the sharp crack of pistol; and then
boom! boom;-two thunderous reports
almost as one, shaking the adobe walls Of
the ranch to their foundations. A dense
volume of smoke rolled into the sleeping
room, but Wells charged through 1t with
ready rifle, reaching the outer apartment
just as old Grimm entered from another
door light in hand.
Little Hank lay beneath the huge table,
grooming dismally and rubbing his shoulder.
Otherwise the room was unoccupied; but a
window near the door was open. and on tha
hard dirt floor lay freshly discharged pis-
toll and Mexican sombrero.
1T is robbers that have been here" ex-
claimed the ranchman. 1T is Mexican rob-
bers, and they have shot my boy!"
Wells dived beneath the table, brought
forth the injured lad and placed him ten.
derby In chair; but he at once struggled to
his feet Turn loose the dog, gran paw, or
he will git away. It's Santa Claus, and Pm
blamed If he didn't miss me with his pistol
right slap In my face. never knowed afore
that Santa Claus was an Arkansaw man"
Wells turned from the excited boy and
approached the open window. Below it, and
directly to the right, the whitewashed walls
were torn and disfgured with shot, and
there were great splotches and dark, trick
ling streams of something like red paint
shining in the light of the lamp.
lie turned to the old German; his fea-
lures pale but collected.
"You will not need the dog" said he.
"The man who tumbled through that win.
dow is lying where he fell-and think I
will recognize him when see him."
Wells was right in both his surmises. In
"layin' fer Santa Claus" Little Hank had
taken step that no midnight marauder
could have foreseen. In forcing an entry to
Grimm's ranch, the Mexican goat-herder,
who had trailed Wells all the way from Nc
Kavett, had gone directly to his death. He
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 pallor more ghastly
still in the lamplight, he screamed and stag
gered back, covering his eyes with trembling
hands.
II don't want to be soldier" he sobbed
II never want to kill another man as long al
I live"
But his sturdy old randdam-descended
no doubt, from a long line of warlike
Teutons-took him in her strong arms con.
solingly.
"But this man was q robber, my dear
Killing was his deserts, for he came to muir
der us all in our sleep. You saved our lives
and now would you turn coward and make
us ashamed?"
ut was not brave Decd" growled old
Grimm. "The boy thought to shoot Santa
Claus and killed lazy thief of Mexican In
stead. 1t was bull's-eye on the wrong tar
| get and no honor is won. STILL am glad
it has happened, for it may brighten hi.
babyish mind from this folly about soldier
| LIE and guns.
And 30 Kris Kringle did not visit tn,
ranch that night, and Little Hank had tt
wait for his rife-but not, as it CHANGED, &c
very long, after all. Arriving withou
farther incident at his destination, Well
| first care was to visit the different gunstore
of San Antonio upon an errand the nature o
which can be easily guessed. On New Year
Eve the McKavett stage halted at Grimm
ranch to deliver package, and few min
utes later the heart of the younger Hanl
was beating high with elation. Snugl!
packed in neat box lay two guns--a tin.
winchester and light breech-loading shot
gun. 1t was present fit for king and
costlier one than Jack Wells slim purs
could have stood unaided; but his employ
ers had been told how their thousands wer
saved and graciously donated two per cent
of the entire amount towards rewarding tn
principal actor in that Christmas Eve tras
edy at the "Two Boot ranch"
| PApNES