The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-08-26
His Friend.
The Enemy
BY WILLIAM WALLACE COOK
Author of Rogers of Butte" THE Spur of
Necessity Mr.. Fit, Astroloeer," etc.
Copyright, 1901, by the S. S. Mcclure Coz
CHAPTER Iv.-CoNT1NUED.

Rumors of the excitement had
spread to the four quarters of the
town and citizens came running from
every direction, adding their numbers
and their excitement to the tumult-
uous gathering in the hotel.
''Give the man show!" cried Chris
topher Waffle, shrilly, springing upon
chair in the office. Don't act like
lot of hyenas! There's law in this
town and Waffle knows how to deal
it out!''
"Down with old Wafae!" beloved
the crowd; "let's take the law into
our own hands!"
The mob swarmed about Waffle's
chair, overturned it, and the judge
went down and was lost in the hui
man wave that rolled over him.
Meantime Guy and Pedro had been
doing yeoman servict in behalf of the
headstrong Dingle. The little man
had been crowded into a fve-by-
seven linen closet off the upper hall
and the door locked on him. Guy,
the key in his hand, turned away and
confronted the clamoring multitude
that struggled up the stairs.
'You are men, not brutes," he
shouted "civilized citizens and not
barbarian horde!" He had used that
speech once in his callow youth for
a school defamation, and he poured
forth that much of it with all his
power. 1t sounded well, caught the
ears of the unruly townspeople, and
proved the entering wedge for lit
tie reason. "Look!" Guy waved the
key. eve have locked Col. Dingle in
a closet, and if you will appoint some
one to guard him, some one whom
you can all trust, we will proceed to
debate this question and decide, as
'dispassionately as we can, what shall
be done with our prisoner. Don't be
like ravening wolves"-more of the
declamation-"but prove that you are
reasonable beings. Let us go down
into the Office and reason together"
Herbert has got the right end of
the stick" seconded Judge Waffle
lifting up his voice from the top OF
the Office counter. "Do as he says
and let's have concensus of opin-
ion.''
THAT is my WISH" shouted Col
Keever from the foot of the stairs
3Come down, fellow citizens, come
down and we will talk the matter
over"
To have their leader add his per.
sonal request settled the matter, and
the riotous citizens on the stairs be.
gan to descend.
"Ivho shall guard the prisoner?'
asked Guy. "Mr. Pedro Smith?"
NO." Numbered Keever; ''le1
Sampson stand in the hall before the
door,"
Sampson pushed up the stairs will
nlacrity, took the key from Guy:
hand and proceeded at once to hi!
post. When all the others were OF
the Office floor debate as to the
punishment which should be meteC
out to Col. Dingle was at once be-
gun.
A few suggested hanging in ne
equivocal terms; large number
were of the opinion that tarring ant
feathering was as far as they should
go, while a conservative element be
lieved that Col. Dingle would SUITE,
sufficient punishment if he were Sc
astride pole and ridden out of town
There was but one point on wh1cl
the agreement was anything like be
ing unanimous, and that was tina
Dingle, before he was dealt with il
any manner whatever, should g,
down on his knees to Col. Reeve
and implore his pardon.
Guy was against this and SO wa
Waffle, and, of course, Bill Comfort
Arguments pro and con came fas
and furious and an hour passed with
out bringing the dissenting factions
any closer together than they wer,
at first. Misunderstanding began tt
crop out and more than one harsl
word was banded back and forth.
Just when it seemed that The
wrangling citizens would come tt
blows a despairing cry for help float
ed uown from upstairs. 1t was Samp
sons voice! What had happened
in fash every voice was huihec