The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-02-13

the freshman. Where is hep"
5. Its lukin' for the hide an horns
~ 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, I
fancy, the engineer frowned and
marked down the random shot.
1T was mistake he said: "I'll
pay for the steer. But that is an
other matter. My errand this morn
ing is with your employer, but you
can pass it along. You have a man
here named Kilgore who should 70
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. cts a foine,
clane-hearted gintleman, yez are,
Misther Wykamp, for givin' the
blagyard chance to layvant," he re-
Joined, with honey on his tongue.
''Would yez be afther tellin' us fwhat
that profayne divil av cow
drivers been up to?-so we c'u'd
tell the captain in avic?"
"He's been pulling my location
stakes. Don't misunderstood me;
I'd give him taste of the law if
there were a court within reach"
Listen to that, now, would yez!"
quoth Connolly. "Pullin' the shtakes
av him! An some av yez caught him
red-handed, av coorse?"
"No; he had the nerve to bring a
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 on'y wan.''
whats that you say?"
I'm sayin' he's not the on'y wan.
Sure, it's meself as cooked me bit
av a breakfast wild fagot av thin
same shtakes wan day lasht week.
It's kind-hearted man yez are,
Misther Wykamp, to be disthributin'
fuel for the likes av us harrd-work-
in min"
What followed confirmed my d.
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 parted it with the skill Of
practiced swordsman. Before I
realized what was toward, the ex-
troopers pistol was out and leveled,
not at Wykamp, but at the Mexican.
Eye would, would yez?-ye black
jowled haythin! Down wild that
gum"
A heavy revolver dropped in the
dust on the opposite side of tho
Mexican's horse.
"Now, thin,-Mr. Halcott, dear;
your watch, av We Place; thin,
ye murtherin' Paythans, it's wan
full minutes shtart av the As I'll
give the pair av yez. Vamoose!"
Notwithstanding his apparent I'M
balancing on the passionate side, Wy
kamp was no coward. Unarmed as
he was, think he would have tried
to ride the 1rishman down; but the
Mexican set the discreet example and
the bay took it as challenge for
a race. AS long as they were dis
tinguishable, could see Wykamp
struggling with the big horse; and,
being a man of peace, I was glad
when Connolly laughed and dropped
his weapon into its holster.
''Score wan for the .X-bar-Z,'" he
said. IF the captin would but
shut wan eye an LUX away wid't
t'other, in tree days there wouldn't
be shtake in the Torolito or a man
to dhrive ut" He picked up the Mex
leans revolver and passed it to me,
butt foremost. 1.-THE arrmamint av
the inimy, wild the complimints av
Sargint Connolly. Hold ut at arms
lingth whin yez toy wild ut; thin for
run tools shpit betune the cylinder
an the barr'l whin they go off. Now,
thin, sorr; if you've the letther I'm
at your service"
I explained, as we'll as could
without going into details, that the
engineers visit had Cancelled the trip
to the fort; and Connolly rode afield
to report to his employer. Macpher-
son came in at noon, and we held a
council of war over the cold snack
served in the bunk-room by Andrew
the Mild.
"Honors are easy, so far" said
Macpherson, when we had discussed
the stake-pulling incident. while
Wykamp was here filing his allega-
ton against Kilgore, I was at his
camp, notifying his foreman that an
injunction would follow any en-
croachment on my placer claim
cts declaration of war on both
sdes. You're in for it now.'
eyes, and I'll fight it out to the Bit
ter end. didn't mean to, at first.
had some talk with Lovatt and the
others, and they proposed to buy me
out at fair figure and do the