Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-08
His Friend, The Enemy
BY WILLIAM WALLACE COOK,
Author of "Rosers Butte,'' 1.-THE Spur of Necess
'sr1r. Fit, Astro1oser,'' etc.
Copyright, 1901, by the S. 5. Mcclure Co.,

must also have aided in the escape of
Dingle. VIII you deny this?"
Guy did not answer.
"Third; you attempted to commune
cate with the enemy yesterday after
noon, your telegram being stopped in
transmission by myself"
"By you'll" cried Guy, half starting
!; from his chair. "What business had
! the telegraph operator holding that
message on anybody's order but my
own?"
II told him you desired it held"
Guy had fiery temper and 1t was
hard for him to kept in bounds. En-
bo.dened by his silence the Colonel
| proceeded.
Fourth; you met the enemy yester-
! day Afternoon and knocked the sheriff
| senseless and bound him fast in order
| that you might carry on your conver-
sation, with no loyal Concordian at
hand to overhear. These are the
charges, Mr.. Herbert. Have you still
nothing to say?"
II have this to say" answered Guy.
"From this moment, Col. Keever, you
may consider yourself discharged
from the service of the Townsite COM
pany."
"You are not the whole town, young
man." said the Colonel. "You are
ready to dispense with my services,
but are these other gentlemen"-he
turned to his ompanions-"whose in
terests are quite as completely
wrapped up in this town as are
yours?"
eve want you to manage affairs for
us, Colonel" spoke up Glimmer. "Mr.
Herbert may think it policy to try to
get along without you. but we are
of another opinion"
The register of deeds, the liveryman
and the druggist conceded with Mr.
Glimmer.
$50 you see, Mr.. Herbert" resumed
the Colonel, blandly, II am still at the
helm. Harmony has organized a
military company for the avowed pur-
pose, as we think. of marching over
here and taking the county seat rec
ords by force. How far your treason
able conduct has helped this plot
along we naturally have no means of
knowing, but we are taking steps to
prevent any catastrophe. Our court
| house is rooted over and inclosed, and
Mr.. Biggs will take the records"-the
| Colonel struck with his cane the tin
box carried by the register of deeds
''to the building. / will lock myself
in with the documents and guard them
| all night-at the expense of my life,
!; if need be. AS for you, Mr.. Herbert,
/ you may either leave town at once or
walk with us to the jail
4'Ill not leave town until get ready
to CO." replied Guy, defiantly, land
if you put me under lock and key I'll
break out at the first opportunity"
This was the young mans final
| word. He did not resist when piloted
across the street by the committee
and quietly permitted himself to be
conducted to the room over the drug
store and locked within it. Fresh
| bedding for the cot was carried over
from the hotel and Guy passed a COM
Portable night in spite of the fact that
he was a prisoner.
A storm of wind, rain, thunder and
lightning ragged during the night, but
Guy slept through it all, to be finally
awakened by unwonted noises in the
/ street and by the ringing of Mr.. Glim-
/! mer's bell.
/ Springing from the cot he began
| hastily to dress. It was broad day
| light and the sun was an hour high.
Snatches of loud and excited conversa-
ton foated up from the street, and
through the one barred window Guy
could catch glimpses of men darting
here and there, afoot and on horse
back, while the bell continued its
alarming clamor. What was up, any
way?
just as he finished dressing key
grated in the lock, the door was
thrown open and Christopher Waffle
ran in. The judge wore whimsical
look, although it was plain that he
was considerably agitated.
whats the matter, judge?" asked
/ Guy.
! "The Old Boy himself! Harmony
made a raid on us last night"
did they get away with the rec
ords?"
IBID they?" Waffle laughed jerkily.
''They didn't stop at the records, but
took the Colonel and the courthouse
along with EN-"
"What?"
81 say that that brand new court.
house is gone, slick and clean. AS the
| Colonel was inside of it, guarding the
records, and is nowhere in evidence
this morning, the surmise is that he
was stolen along with the courthouse
AID the papers. Gee-whittaker! Did
you ever hear anything to beat it?"
CHAPTER XIV.
| "Aren't you joking, Waff1e?" asked
| Guy. whose credulity was sorely taxed
by the judges statement.
This is altogether too serious q
| rpaffar 10 inlya oh M =,