The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1901-02-23


1--WE have the first shot," said I to
my father. Manuel will give the eau
tion, 'Ready?' and, after three seconds,
the order, 'Fire!'"
Without a tremor Lennon faced the
weapon leveled at him. Manuel had
pulled himself together, and spoke
steadily, and simultaneously with the
word "Fire!" came the crack Of the
weapon. Lennon stood untouched, and
it wasfn now his turn. Never again, I
pray, may I go through the mental tor
ture that I went through then, as I
listened for what easily might be my
fathers death-signal, and as I waited
the seconds seemed minutes.
I could not take my eyes from Lem
non. I heard the word "Fire!" T saw
his finger press the trigger. I saw his
hand fly up with a Jerk, and with thu
sound Of the explosion he fell to the
ground. The revolver had burst I'm his
hand and shattered it, n h blood
that fioowed over his face showed tina
he was wounded in the head.
We ran to him.
lift me up!" he said. ct have not
had my shot yet. Lend me a revolver
and prop me against the tree. Tie up"
my head with something"
And in a very few minutes we had
done as he asked, and there. with the
blood reddening the handkerchiefs with
which we had bound up his wounds,
and holding the weapon in his left
hand, he stood waiting for the signal.
But he vas never again to attempt
my fathers life, for even his iron nerve
was not proof against the shock he had
received, and he slipped, faintfng, upon
the grass, and the word 'Fire!" fell
upon deaf ears.
We made shift to carry him down
some distance. and then Manuel called
for help, and the shattered weapon
fitted in. with the story of an accident.
Misunderstanding Manuel came to see
me. f
""He can't last the night out" he said.
II know something of surgery and I
can't understand why his Wounds
should kill him. He wants to see you.
and I believe he has something to tell
you" Il
I lost no time in accompanying Man.
uel to the house where Lenr1n lay. He
was propped up on a couch of mats,
and death was written large on every
| feature.
"Mr. Tremayne," said he, IT would to
heaven that fate had made us friends
instead of foes. I am very near my
end, and it would have comforted. me
to have seen a priest before I died, for
I wish to clear my conscience of, per-
haps, the worst thing I have DONE"
I shall not try to repeat his Words.
sfor.ha-ha4ted at times to get breath. or
to take the stimulant that gave. him
strength to go on. This is the sub
stance of what he said:
Sweeney was the life and soul Of the
Ragged Thirteen, and the name. In
deed, had been of his coming. It was
| Sweeney who had attacked Mr.. Trav-
ers at Kendall, and this would never
have been confessed but that Manuel
had told the dying nan that Sweeney
had persisted in h wreck Of the Night
ingale, though he was careful not to
mention the manne of his death. And
when I heard that Lennon and Swee-
ney, were more than foster-brOthers-
that, indeed, they were sprung from
the same father-I understood the mar
vellous likeness Of their hands, though
the excitement had prevented me from
seeing it when I peat the mans fingers
from the raft.
1t was Sweeney who tackled on poll
tics to revenge, though the latter pas
sion was SO strong within him that he
had hunted the world over until he
found my father. He had followed me
to Kendal-for he was the active agent
in the murder Of DR.. James-and he
would have made the second attempt
upon Mr.. Travers' life much sooner
than he did, but that he had heard Of q
clue that promised to bring him the
knowledge of my fathers whereabouts.
Sweeney raj to have been left in
England, but he insisted on coming
with me, and It was owing to his adj
vice that the Ragged Thirteen met at
Southampton instead Of in Manches-
ter. Lennon trusted to the influence he
had over his half brother to settle the
matters as he had intended when we
should. all meet in Fiji. The meeting
at Courtney's was held to satisfy those
eof the party who were politically in
clined, and the assassinati0ns ar.
ranged and discussed would probably
never have gone beyond those stages.
with regard to his treatment Of Court
ney, Lennon explained that the money
he got from him had been spent in
searching for my father, but an It
would have eventually been his. and as
he had left what remained to Nora, his
mind We comparatively easy about It.
And then, came the most startling In
formation OF all. The girl who had been
accidentally shot when the quarrelsirs
rose was cousin to the man who lay
DIVING ont there in Fill. Lennon had