The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-04-19

/ TOOK the deck In my ieIt nanu 1T
was supremely intercsting-''liket this.
and 'Cards!' says l. 4 want one. says
Bat. l gave it to him. 'I'm takin
three. myself. says I, while he looked
! at his hand; and / took 'em. They
were good ones, and they came right
out O. the deck here. just like that.
Seer
spoke The two troopers faced about
and each looked into the unfriendly
muzzle Of his own revolver. which Mil
ligan had deftly extracted from it's
holster as he leaned over its possessor's
| shoulder.
"Get them up. nowl Quick" ne re-
peated.
Crackerbox laughed his exasperating
laugh. Yes / would if was in your
place. sergeant" ne remarked. tEv
erything has been real pleasant SO far
between us this mornin, and we
wouldn't like to have any misunder-
standin now we're, about partin from
| you. Oblige us. Did you notice how
that game came outf Funny how it
| goes. amt it7 Luck with you one min
ute and the next it's with the other
feller. didn't know you understood
the sign language 30 we'll. Milligan.
You tumbled handler than a tailed
steer. You must have belonged TO the
Invincibles before you left the ould
country. What was your number2"
| Bennett looked On stoically, while,
with some difficulty. Crackerbox re-
moved the handouts and replaced them
on the wrists Of bis late captors. In ac-
complishing this the gambler hit upon
what he regarded as neat arrange
ment. He stor j Kay and Hatherton
back to back an Sivided e pair Of the
cuffs between them on either side, Sc
curely linking them together. Bennett
did not p-opos5 20 risk his health in any
! attempt 10 uphold the dignity oe the
law. Why should he7 From an abstract
| point Of view it seems rather peculiar
fact that there should go seldom be ap-
/ parent any strong general antipathy to-
ward the man who has done nothing
worse than shoot another man openly
1t is only the wretch who lays unright-
| eOus hands upon a woman-the Bill
Sikeses Of this worldwide find all
doors Of hope. of human forgiveness
and forbearance ehut against them.
| "You've been real hospitable, Mr..
Bennet. and just hate to put you ont
any. but there are times, you under
stand, when a man has to burn all his
| crossed bridges, and this looks to me
like one Of the times. It's quite ways
to where we're going, and ! guess you
won't hold it against us if we rope you
up with the others.
| They bound Kay's and Hatherton's
| ankles. and Crackerbox walked Bennett
| to his bunk in the corner and tied him
| on it hand and foot. Then. as he stood
with his back to the Others he pulled
bill out Of the silk handkerchief about
his neck, winked and held it up so that
the host could see the $50" printed On
the corner and then pushed it into Ben
net e waistcoat pocket. Milligan then
went to the corral and turned out Ben
nets stock and brought the troop
horse. from the bluff.
s'Well, 80 long, sergeant" said Crack
erbox as he stood beside Kay saddle.
''We'd be glad to spend another half
hour in your company. but you under
stand we've no time to waste in social
entertainment We thank you for
real pleasant mawnin and for bringin
down these hosses for our use. by feet
was punt, piayin out, but I reckon
we'll get ON now. IF you look real hard,
boys. you'll find the keys Of them cuffs
in the grass not more'n 100 yards from
here. and, Bennett. your hosses won't
stray 80 far but what you'll be able to
pick 'em up tomorrer. Good day, SER
geant. IF you ever come down my way,
look me up Iwon't forget your consid-
GRAFTON. won't. honest.
He sprang into the saddle and clat-
tered off. but at 100 yards he stopped
and drawled over his shoulder:
"And, oh. say, sahgeant, remem-
beh me to the majah and tell him
said, with my compliments, he want
to fo'get &c mention you in o o'dehsl'
Then t1o outlaws spurred across the
prairie in the direction Of that line be-
yond which lay another government,
driving Bennet's loose horses before
them. and that was the last the two
troopers saw that day of Crackerbox
and Milligan.
In after years sat often OF an even
ing over Scotch with Kay, when he no
longer wore government clothes or
nursed an ambition to shine at poker.
but had married ''girr' and settled
down to raising cattle and family.
He spoke Of many things. but he never
told ne what his feelings were as he
lay through that hot August afternoon
on the floor at Bennet's. counting the
slow hours, until traveller came along
near dusk and released him, and new
er asked. There are eubjects which may
not be touched upon even between
friends. .-Bleasdell Cameron in Argon-
aut.
Where Women Arc slnvea. M
In no other country perhaps is won.