The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-06-14

! fles 10 a new, enlarged and ever varying
audience The conversation turned upon
the respective merits OF different western
states and when the praises OF Kansas
had oeen duly sung Bill took fresh cut
| at his black navy and said:
don't know about that Fact is,
| haven't been out of Page county. Iowa,
| but unless Kansas has changed a lot In
! the past twenty years I don't think I'd
Ike TO live there again. I did try il once,
ala my best to help 'upbuiid the common
wealth and ali that sort o thing. but ]
come as close to being lynched as q
white man can and live TO tell the story.
Il was past 90 when set sail from
Amity, Iowa, and took up claim III
Kansas I was as green and innocent, as
| nard-worxing and honest for fact, as II
| wasn't telling about it myself. I had
| Few hundred dollars, and I. struck in
| Tor farming on the square. I put up my
! FENCES, made a dug-out, got me some
| tools. a team and wagon and put in
| about eighteen hours a day working. II
1 was about twenty miles TO the nearest
town. and. as I'd never been away from
home before, 1 had a pretty lonesome time
| till l. got acquainted with Ed Heffernan
! and Tom Peabody, who lived over the
Hill and kept up a kind OF bachelor hall on
joint claim of theirs. / met EN- in the
read one rainy day and asked en- into
my place. It was. Sunday. and as I was
| tucked to death 10 have company. 1 killed
TWO chickens and laid EN- spread that
/ made US all happy.
They made pretty good-looking pair,
and l liked EN- from the start out. Iief-
fernan was q big, hroad-shouldered,
laughing Irishman. and Peabody, who
seemed weli-educated, self-respecting
kind of a chap. had all the poise and
confidence of an experienced man OF the
ord. I showed 'ern my farm and asked
their advice about crops and things, but.
though they seemed surprised at my pro-
gress and praised the showing / made.
they didn't seem especially well inform
ed about agricultural matters. But when
they left me they insisted that 1 drop
| in for dinner next Sunday. and was
glad enough 10 promise. That started il.
l went TO their shack one Sunday and
they came TO mine the next. and in this
way we managed to lead very neighbor-
" and satisfactory life for four or five
months.
L often wondered how they made out,
for they didn't seem 70 plow any, there
were no crops in evidence. and yet the
| two friendly ranchmen were dressed well,
! their larder was loaded with good things
and they were satisfied to keep within the
requirement Of the homestead law so far
as toll was concerned l envied them
lltc4A 4tiSutS anu GOOD lOtSeS. lDSl
had as many as ten head the first time
called, and during the FIVE months which
followed 1 remember counting as many
is twenty-five good animals in their cor
raj. They had two. cows, few chickens
and a couple of dogs, but so far as
could see they didn't farm in the old
fashioned sense.
we got round to Thanksgiving all
right, and 1 was beginning TO plan d
for r,-s~ l.
Herernan dropped in on me one evening
and said that he and Peabody had bought
two turkeys in Lawrence and meant to
have me as their guest OF honor at a
sUre-enough turkey dinner 1 don't
think he was any older than I, but he
bad such wide knowledge OF men and
places, such a knack of conversation and
storytelling, such an infectious laugh
that 1 always felt like a boy in his pres
ence. Peabody was more silent and Sc
date, but he was the better scholar,
think and / am sure had been all over
the world. ] was glad enough to accept
the invitation, and about I o'clock
Thanksgiving afternoon set out or
foot, because my one horse was tired
OF the weeks timber hauling, and was
soon in sight Of Peabody's shack.
L don't think l ever sat down to
better dinner or enjoyed my messmates
more Heffernan had made some egg-nog,
which was good and Peabody mixed
Sc TT of dry punch that made US as hum
cry as three wolves. They had a salad
as good as Martin could make, and ev-
erything, especially the coffee. was tip
top l don't know how many stories
Heffernan told, nor what extraordinarily
wise things Peabody said, but we were
sitting, quite jolly. ia a cloud Of blue
tobacco smoke, when Heffernan's pipe
dropped to the floor with The vigilantes,
by CT
7 saw Peabody draw his pistol and at
the same instant the glass Of the two
little windows crashed TO the floor and
saw the muzzles of half a dozen Win
chesters thrust into the dim room.
They've got US, I guess, growled
Peabody, letting his gun drop across his
knees WhatH we do. Hefernan?'
didn't hear what he said, for at that
moment there was a thunder OF blows
against the finsy door and in minute
the barrier came crashing in. scattering
our dishes and spilling our coffee all over
US. l hadn't the least idea what the
matter was till big fellow with a worn
out sealskin cap covered me with his pis-
tol and asked me to surrender
Were the vigilantes.' he explained.
after assuring himself that I meant no
resistance and you fellersn make the
second batch @ horse thieves we've hung
today This was not very encourag cling.
but tried 10 explain that / was a peace
able farmer who had never stolen any
thing. that I was simply a guest Of Mr.
Peabody and Mr.. Heffernan, who were
my friends.
Friends eh7' ne grunted well. youn
be hanged for havin' sech friends
The posse OF vieilantes about forfv
men. had by this time crowded into the
room. II was past sunset. The utmost
order prevailed Having disarmcG Hener-
nan and Peabody, and having searched
me ~ vain for weapon they put iariats
about Our necsZs and led us out I asked
my guard what they meant to do. ana he
answered, Hang YOU What dye sup
pcse- Yes was scared al right hut
nobody would talk 10 me and was stand
Ing IL line with Peabody and Hegeruan
Jnccr a row OF cottonwood trees before
was fully convinced that they at least,
meant 70 submit without a protest.
% Has either o You felicrs got ANYTHING
70 say asked the leader. whom ! knew
10 De the former sheriff Of the new coir-
~ Heffernan laughed ia his face and
asked for q chew tobacco PeabcFr
looked a. me and said -Tha5 there .yap
never stole any horses. What do you
ant 70 hang Sim for. C8p2 The 'CaH'
came over to where I was and asked
re what I had 10 say for myself t.cEai
- realize that I was a deaths door ard
made a plea. I thihk IL was eloquent.
q plea for MI life. I told him al bout
myself and ny lie IL kanzss. that ny
due-out was Just over the BID. and thar
my farm vosIld give evidence ~ having
been worked That's - Cap Interrupt
q Pea body. who seemed anritls d save
ue. -Griscom Is bana-fte farmer
Don't hang him tili you send a nan over
- his place
gTe Amt got no tiTas To- tom-foaEu.
sad the sheriff, what gou set 90 saw
z told him thai Id IKE 70 scud word