Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-08

fS1J eyelld. The Winchester seemed
10 have no terrors for him and the
tsolonePs fury passed all bounds. He
Jailed the ,trigger-not with the in
tention to slay but merely to brighten
and to arouse the town. There was
a sharp click, but no report. The
Colonel pumped" the lever and tried
again, but with like result. Then Din
gle found his tongue. "Don't excite
yourself, Keever," said he. "Capt.
Blue unloaded the magazine of that
gun last night"
"Gad!" yelled the Colonel. "Blue
is here, too, is he? And he came in on
me last night and tempered with my
rifle!" He lifted his voice to its
strongest. "Up Concordians! Hello!
Hey! The enemy, the enemy!"
AS he finished he hurled the Win
chester at Dingle and the resonant
call ended in the crash of glass. Keev-
er sprang to the door. The key had
been removed from the inside of the
lock and the door did not respond to
his furious pull. He hurled himself
upon it and struggled like demon.
So furious was the onslaught that the
knob came away and the great man
was precipitated to the floor. A laugh
foated in from the window. Gaining
his feet after an elephantine tussle,
he braced himself in a corner and
turned his cleaning eyes upon the
barred opening. Dingle had been
joined by others, whose heads were
crowded together in the narrow
space; and when the Colonel had rec
ognized Capt. Blue, Mr.. Boomer, Maj.
Harp, Vlandingham, Barney and few
more, his brain became dizzy and he
staggered to the cot. Dropping down
there he buried his face in his hands.
Had it come to this? Was he finally
bewitched by the spirits of Kentucky
bourbon? He had been hard drink
er all his life, but so had his father
been before him and he had died in
his ninetieth year, of palsy. The
Colonel brought an impulsive heel
down on the empty flask.
II don't know who you are, or
where am" he said, hoarsely, peer
ing at the grinning faces in the win
dow, "but if there's doctor among
you, send him to me. I'm going mad
I must be-"
EAT this and you'll feel BETTER"
said Barney. pushing through the bars
pasteboard box filled with eatables.
The. Colonel got up and walked I'M
steadily across the room.
"Liscomb," he returned, "step up
to the Office and tell Sampson I want
him"
"Step up!" exclaimed Barney. Its
quite step, Colonel-seven miles if
it's foot. You're in Harmony; don't
you know that?"
HARMONY" gasped the Colonel;
show can that be?"
SWELL" drawled Capt. Blue, 1--WE
moved the whole shebang over last
night, during the storm. AS you hap
pened to be inside, we brought you
along"
That took the wind completely out
of the Colonel's sails. Very humbly
he received the box Of luncheon out
of Barney's hands, went back to the
cot, turned his face from the crowd
and sat down. He ate the food and as
he ate he reflected.
Here was a masterpiece, indeed!
Beside this that affair of the weather.
vane paled into utter insignifcance.
The Colonel had known all along that
Harmony was meditating some coup.
1t was for the purpose of discovering
what this was that he had prevailed
upon Guy to come to Harmony and at
tend the town meeting. Although the
theft of the weathervane had cha
grined the Colonel, it had lulled his
suspicious, for he believed that that
had been the contemplated stroke.
What an awakening he now had! The
records were stolen, the courthouse
was stolen and he himself had been
carried along with the rest of the
plumber.
During that forenoon all Harmony
came to look into the Concord court
house and gloat over the prisoner.
Citizens, male and female, young and
old, felicitated themselves and cried
uncharitable things at the crushed
and melancholy man who had been the
head and front of all offending against
them. The Colonel kept his back to
the window, held his peace in the face
of great provocation and waited pa
tiently to Learn what was to be done
with him.
The afternoon was marked by a
dearth of curiosity seekers. No one
came to the window and it was pos
sible for the prisoner to rise and pace
the room, without running gauntlet
of SCOTS and gibes. While he was thus
wandering about the room, the key
scraped in the lock and the other half
of the knob--which had fallen outside
was thrust through the mechanism.
The catch was turned, the door opened
and Isaac Dingle stepped fearlessly
In. Keever rushed at him like whirl-
wind, but halted in trepidation at
sight of quickly displayed revolver.
BY chance, Col. Dingle's natural eye
and it's artificial counterpart were
both fixed on the prisoner.
"CaReful!" warned the rival editor.
II have not come here in anger, Col
Keeyer, but as messenger of peace.
I wish to ask you to let bygones be
| Wran