Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-06-24
Lerinn his way to ninale,s side.

arms.
1--WE must get him out of here,
Pedro" said Guy, breathlessly. "If
we don't, some of these hot-heads
will get US all into trouble Where
can we take him2"
I've got room upstairs that we
can lock him in," replied Pedro, and
the people, catching the last words,
voiced the fierce demand:
Lock him up! Put him under lock
and key until we decide what to do
with him!"
81 want to help you, Dingle." said
Guy, in the little mans ear. Don't
be foolish. go with us and Wen do
what we can for YOU"
Dingle was sullenly defiant, but he
yielded to Guy and Pedro and accom-
panied them into the hotel and up the
broad stairs leading to the second
floor, the crowd pushing and plung-
ing after them.
spread to the four quarters of the
town and citizens came ming from
every direction, adding t If numbers
and their excitement to he tumult-
uous gathering in the hot.
Give the man show!" cried Chris
topher Waffle. shrilly, springing upon
a 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 Waffle!" beloved
the crowd; lets take the law into
our own hands!"
The mob swarmed about Waffle's
chair, overturned 1t, 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, 'civlized citizens and not
barbarian horde!" He had used that
speech once in his callow youth for
| 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. 1--WE have locked Col. Dingle in
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
declama tion-"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."
sThat Is my WISH" shouted Col.
Keever from the foot Of the stairs.
"Come 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.
'Who shall guard the prisoner?"
asked Guy. Mr.. Pedro Smith,"
mo" Numbered Keever; ''let
Sampson. stand in the hall before the
door,"
Sampson pushed up the stairs with
alacrity, took the key from Guys
hand and proceeded at once to his
post. When all the others We're on
the Office floor debate as to the
punishment which should be meted
out to Col. Dingle was at once be-
gun.
A few suggested hanging in nc
cluivocal terms; a large number
were of the opinion that tarring and
feathering was as far as they should
go, while a conservative element be.
lieved that Col. Dingle would suffer
sufficient punishment if he were set
astride pole and ridden out of town
There was but one point on which
the agreement was anything like be-
ing unanimous, and that was that
Dingle, before he was dealt with in
any manner whatever, should go
down on his knees to Col. Keever
and implore his pardon.
Guy was against this and so was
Waffle, and, of course, Bill Comfort
Arguments pro and con came fas'
and furious and an hour pass d with
out bringing the dissenting ction
any closer together than they wer
at first. Misunderstanding began t.
crop out and more than one hars]
word was banded back and forth.
Just when it seemed that tn
wrangling citizens would come t.
blows a despairing cry for help float
ed down from upstairs. 1t was Samp
sons voice! What had happened
In flash every voice was hushet
and the crowd caught its breath
Then came the slammipg of door