Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-06-10
CHAPTER V.

CHAPTER V.
The citizens of Concord were stupi.
Aed. That weathervane was symbol
of their defiance of the other town
and to have the hated Dingle come bra
Senly among them, insult their leader
in peculiarly irritating manner, es-
cape mysteriously while they were
wrangling over the method of his pun
ishment, and flee with the grotesque
galvanized figure waving over his head
was enough to paralyze the most rabid
partizan.
Christopher Waffle was Concord
man to the marrow of his bones; but
he had no love for Col. Keever-possi-
bly, because the Colonel had once over
charged him for threshing cad" Nor
had Waffle admired the Colonel's handi-
work as exemplified in the weather.
vane. The Judge had said that he was
coarse and brutally insolent and that
something would happen on account of
1t for which they would be sorry. In
the present crisis the Judge was first to
find his voice and he cried in tones vi
brant with a certain kind of triumph:
II told you sol"
That's what Waff said all along"
supplemented Bill Comfort.
The swarm turned upon 4he Judge
Faithfully and Col. Keever shouted:
'And do you, sir, do you mean to
champion the cause of this contempti-
BILE sneak from the other side of the
county?"
''No, never! But Dingle has done
this town service by making off with
that monstrosity."
"What?" gasped the crowd, glazing
at Waffle
Bill Comfort planted himself at the
judges side and defantly reiterated
the judges statement.
Col. Keever was red and wrathful, A
clash was impending and Guy pushed
his way between the impending fac
tions.
Enough of this" said he. eve have
a powerful enemy in Vlandingham
and we cannot hope to win unless we
present an undivided front. Instead of
contending amoung ourselves suppose
we inquire into the method of Col.
Dingle's escape? And Sampson-we
are forgetting about him. He may be
severely hurt"
This was sufficient to turn the atten-
ton of the crowd into another chan
mel and Guy led the backward move
ment along the hall to the spot where
the unfortunate printer was lying.
Sampson had not moved hairs
breath. He was fat on his back, his
arms and legs sprawled out and his
eyes closed. There were no visible
marks of injury upon his face and Guy
dropped down on one knee and lifted
his head
AS he did this Guy saw section of
glittering gold chain on the floor under
the printer and he dropped one hand
over 1t and concealed it in his palm. No
one else had glimpsed the bit of jewelry
and Guys heart was in his throat the
instant his eyes fell on it. At favor
able moment he transferred the chain
to his pocket and continued his exam
ination of Sampson.
"Stand back!" commanded the
Colonel. Give him air! Get some
water, somebody! Gentlemen, gentle
men, that boy has been the trial of my
life, but if he has been sacrificed by the
venomous Dingle, I'll call the murderer
ont, by CAD! I'll face him with six
shooter, and, my word for it, he'll be
carried off the field"
That awful threat silenced the by
ISLANDERS and forced them back, but
Guy saw Waffle nudge his engineera and
whisper something that made them
both grin sarcastically.
"You'll not have to call Dingle out.
Colonel" said Guy. "Sampson's pulse
is normal, and his heart strong, and L
can't find wound on him."
Pedro arrived just then with glass
of ice water. In his excitement he
dashed the whole of it in the printers
face. The effect was instantaneous
and Sampson sat up, rolling his eyes
and spluttering.
"Who did that?" were his first words.
Sampson" said the Colonel, tender
~, "Do you know me? Look, boy!"
"'Course know you! Who hit me
with that bucket of water, that's what
i want to find out! Nice way to treat
q man when he's down!''
Sampson got up energetically and
looked about him with indignant eyes.
"There, there, sainp," said the
Colonel, soothingly. "You were
knocked down by that brute of Dingle.
Don't you rem ember?"
"Oh, yes" returned Sampson, peer
ing at the open door of the closet and
rubbing his forehead in bewildered
nyay. did he escaps22.''- .--------