Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-12-06

y
ambushed under the dropping brim
of his broad sombrero; he was
plain-song assassin of the baser sort,
of type familiar enough in the
pioneer period, and seen at it's best
when found dangling from the cross
arm of telegraph-pole or the
branch of convenient tree.
When the bay was temporarily
subiugated, Wykamp ignored me and
turned to Connolly
where is Macpherson?" he de-
manded.
"Misther Macpherson, av we plaae,"
corrected the eX-trooper, mildly.
"Well, Mr.. Macpherson. them
with contemptuous FLIP to the pre-
fix which was not thrown away upon
the Irishman. "Where is hep"
ITS lukin' for the hide an horns
av the foine shteer yez killed an ate
that he is" Connolly retorted, let
ting fly the first Imaginative arrow
that came to hand.
Much to my surprise, and much
more to that of the ex-trooper, 1
fancy, the engineer frowned and
marked down the random shot.
ut was a mistake" he said; "I'll
pay for the steer. But that is an
other matter. My GRAND this morn
ing is with your employer, but you
can pass it along. You have a man
here named Kilgore who should go
to Jail. Say to Macpherson-Mr.
Macpherson-from me that If he dis
charges Kilgore and sends him out
of the valley it will save trouble"
| Connolly grinned. Its a foine,
characterized gintleman, yez are,
Misther Wykamp, for givin' the
blagyard chance to layvant," no re-
Joined, with honey on his tongue.
"Would yez be afther tellin' US fwhat
that profayne divil av q cow
drivers been up to?-so we o'u'd
tell the captain in avic?"
Hes been pulling my location
stakes. Don't misunderstand me;
I'd give him taste of the law if
there were court within reach"
Listen to that, now, would yell"
quoth Connolly. "Pullin' the shtakes
av him! An some av yez caught him
red-handed, av coorse?"
| mo; he had the nerve to bring q
bundle Of the stakes into camp and
leave them in my tent, with his COM
pliments."
"The impidint offal!' said Dan,
laughing decorously behind his hand.
But, Misther Wykamp, dear; he's
not the only wan
whats that you say?" ...s>s 4
I'm sayin' he's not the on'y wan.
Sure, it's meself as cooked mo, Bit
av breakfast wild fagot av thin
same shtakes wan day lasht week.
It's hnd-hearted man yez are,
Misther Wykamp, to be disthrlbutin'
fuel for the likes av us harrd-workt
| in min" :.
| What followed confirmed my df.
agnosis of the engineers character
touching his weakness on the pas
sionate side. He rode with the wrist
thonged riding-whip of the east, and
the stiff bit of rawhide cut a quick
half-circle above Connolly's head.
The Irishman caught the blow on his
arm and parried it with the skill Of
a practiced swordsman. Before /
realized what was toward, the ex-
| troopers pistol was out and leveled,
not at Wykamp, but at the Mexican.
"Ye would, would yez?-ye black
| jowled haythin! Down wild that
| gum"
A heavy revolver dropped in the
dust on the opposite side of the
NfeNican's horse.
/ "Now, thin Halcott, dear;
your watch, av We PLACE; thin,
We murtherin' Paythans, it's wan
| full minutes shtart av the As I'll
give the pair av yez. yamoose!"
| Notwithstanding his apparent UNI
balancing on the passionate side, Wy
kamp was no coward Unarmed as
he was. | think he would have tried
to ride the Trishman down; but the
Mexican set the discreet example and
the bay took 1T as challenge for
a race. AS long as they were dis.
tinguishable, could see Wykaml
struggling with the big horse; and
being a man of peace, was glad
when Connolly laughed and dropped
his weapon into it's holster.
"Score wan for the 'X-bar-Z,'" he
said. 'If the capt'in would but
shut wan eye an LUX away wid't
t'other, in tree days there wouldn't
be shtake in the Torolito or mar
to dhrive ut" He picked up the Mex.
| = -
butt foremost. "The arrmamint a,
the inimy, wild the complaints a,
Sargint Connolly. Hold ut at arms
lingth whin yez toy wild ut; thin for
run tools shpit betune the cylinder
an the barr1 whin they go off. Now
thin, sorr; if you've the letther Tn
at your service"
I explained, as well as coult
without going into details, that the
engineers visit had Cancelled the triI
4 to the fort; and Connolly rode afielt
to report to his employer. Macpher
son came in at noon, and we held 6
council of war over the cold snacl
served in the bunk-room by Andrew
the Mild.
| "Honors are easy, so far" sale
Macpherson. when we had discussed
the stake-pulling incident. "Whilt
| Wykamp was here fling his allega
ton against Kilgore, was at hil
camp, notifying his foreman that al
injunction would follow any en-
croachment on my placer claim"
cts a declaration of war on botl
sdes. You're in for it now"