The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-01-16

was u Dhy olIui hiN. "a SIlOl hlti
set his heart beating wildly, and he
turned sick at strife and carnage. His
pulse beats averaged 80 per minute
aud his heart turned cold every time Il
for arrest was placed In his
hands. lie experienced n sensation OF
ervo dread each time he swung
himself upon the back Of his high splr.
tied horse. Every sudden sound con
veying presage Of danger thrilled him
with fright. His disposition vas high
strung, sensitive and unalterablv timid.
And yet RED" Conrad was known as
the coolest and most courageous sheriff
IN this territory. He had attained this
reputation by a daily and hourly strug-
gle with his whole moral force against
his natural weakness. His fear of dan.
ger, great as it was, had been subordi.
mated to n greater fear lest his failing
be known. How to hide his cowardice
from the world was his one aim. With
q cold fear In his heart he sought dan.
ger with the cagerness of one who low
ed Its every phase. Quiet, persistent,
ploddlng in his way, without any OF
the western dash and audacity belong
Ing to most men in his occupation, he
continually sought the closest risks and
hazards, driven by an abnormal desire
to appear fearless. Men who had no
conception Of the meaning Of the word
Tear sometimes stood apart, aghast
at the mans daring, and admired him.
Apparently without the slightest ex.
element, almost sullen OF aspect, he
trailcd desperate criminals to their rem
HnuN'nIvS nt,uann1 in ,Nl.I 49,
mighty odds and wugcd such relentless
war upon dcspcradoeS and outlaws
that his fame as an upholdcr Of law
II order was spread far and wide.
Radcllff Conrad kept his secret we'll.
Not a man In Siskiwah county had
ever seen him finch from his duty, and
tales were tolC In saloons and camps OF
his intrepidity ana recklcssncss.
n sheritf's personal appearance
alded MIN. lie was strongly and finely
formed. He possessed n blond head Of
classic mold and a steel blue eye under
GOOD control. His inward struggles
kept him ut a tension that gave him q
reserved and somewhat prcoccupied
manner, and his every action seemed
the result of dclibcration instead of i'm
t wing AWAY " Impulse
was the thing he was trying TO avoid.
DE felt that some day his moral cour-
& would fall him and lie would stand
stripped to the gaze of his friends the
coward that he knew himself to be.
NO lnonkiSh aScctic ever Scourpcl his
heshly sins as Radcllff Conrad did his
one egregious failing. How well he
succeeded In triumphing over it his
famc In Lava Canyon and indeed i'm
the mouths OF men as far as the sage
brush grew to east and west attestcd.
Ihcre came one cruel day whcn the
sheriH was forced to apply the whip to
MS tortured spirit with double force.
Inc town OF Lava Canyon was built
on a stretch of plain sloDing down to n
river from the exit of n mountain
gulch. Within this gulch was a tangled
wildness Two miles back from the
'o"h 1t converged TO 4 assure half a
Iniie deep like n sword cut cleaving the
nils. The sides for It's whole extent
were inaccessible except to the rattle.
snakes that made their dens among the
powders. Within the edge of the gulcb
where the densely wooded sides began
TO Stralghten to sleeper angles stood
the white painted cottage Of Emmett
reed, the postmaster and leading deal
er IN hardware, cutlery, arms and am
nunltlon. Here beside the
stream n among the moss grown
rocks played the juvenile Reeds, little
more than PUSHES I'm size, watched over
more or less carefully by BoadIcea
aged 70, eldest daughter OF the house.
10 these cpnfinna Infa ~
came Arizona Dan, worst man I'm the
county, after breaking half q thousand
doilars' worth Of mirrors and glass
ware In the principal places Of enter.
talhmeht and introducing sundry slugs
or lead Into various citizens. to their
great bodily anguish. Dan was not too
drunk 70 entertain n wholesome fear
or Rad Conrad, and it was his inten.
ZION to conceal himself until darkness
should lend him cover to escape.
ON being apprised OF these events
the sherlH or the county, recognizing
MS duty, prepared to effect Dams can.
ture. "a brave man In his place who
properly estimated the value OF n good
citizens life In comparison with tbo vi
tai spark OF a degenerate like Arizona
"' 20 ithciunCc OF the survival
or the iittcst idea would have summon.
ed q posse and by moral force of nun.
Ders would have secured the surrender
or the offender without risk OF blood.
shed. Radclin Conrad was not the
man to do this. He Stunned all an.
pearancc Ct lack OF courage, as he de.
sired In his heart to shun the danger.
What arms did he havef" asked the
sheriT of some men who had seen Arr.
Zona Dams retreat to the gulch.
Nary a one" said a saloon keeper
VINO had suffered from the fugitive's
iconoclasm. "He left both his guns I'm
my place"
The sheriff unbuckled his revolver
ana showed 1t across the counter.
Keep that for me-" he said. "Ill 90
and get Dan"
He passed slowly down the street,
walking In the direction OF the gulch,
n the men gazed after him admir-.
ingly.
Never knew what beIn afraid was
Rad never!" said the mall carrier.
lie 'uz born that away" said the
county clerk. "a man as amt got no
skeer In him don't deserve no credit
FUR havin sand. He wouldn't take his
gun along cause Dan had left his'p.
with n crcctur like Dan 1t pears to me
q leetlc pcklcss Dan oyor