Mower County transcript., 1903-11-25

yourselves!
1--WE didn't come out for speech,
Abe" Knocked Redmond Clary.
"And I'm not practicing polemics."
"You get the girls money and hand
It over ). ..: (" +
"You let her out of that gang" I
The gang growled.
1--WE have a crowd and you have just
two hackers. New Salem people can't
do anything. We don't want to- hurt
you, Abe, unless we have to-"
"String him up like horsethief!"
cried man at the rear.
Are you going to hand over the
Spaniard's money!"
mo, I'm not" replied Lincoln.
ride him down." cried another, and
the horses were spurred forward.
Some women and children shrieked in
fright as the three young fellows were
driven in retreat to Antywine's cabin
and sprang aupon the chest of drawers.
Standing close together with that short
rostrum under their feet, they faced
about the ring of horsemen who drew
up around them. The perforated tin
lanterns showered drops of yellow light
on tramp]ed grass. Behind the mems
heads and shoulders were void of
trees and the starlit sky, and the ex-
cited murmur of New Salem. Lincoln
lowered in the midst of the circle.
He could dimly see the Spanish girl,
and he remembered for one instant
how Antywine lay exhausted within
the cabin. She was looking for the
last time at what was to have been
her home, and wondering, with an ache
of grief worse than her terror of the
ruffians, what had become of the
gentle housemate who had never be-
fore failed to take her part.
Nov men, listen to me one minute .
exclaimed Dick Yates.
We're not here to listen," ruled the
leader.
"These boys ought to be put out"
one man insisted. "We don't want
them"
Let my cousins property be re-
stored to her." spoke Pedro Lorimer.
without delay
"And who are you?" demanded
Yates, the beauty Of his rosy youth,
which had been felt rather than seen.
changing suddenly to the power of a
man with irresistible magnetism. His
voice rolled out across the wall of
rough faces. His eyes had scathing
lights. His unwilling listeners raised
their lanterns to look at him. 'I have
Aeen gathering facts about you fox
more than year. You are New Or
leans gambler. You ply your trade
under cover of some political scheme
about Cuba, a place you never saw.
All you want of the poor young girl
sitting on the horse beside you, is the
handful of money her father contrived
to hide from you. You think it is a
very large sum. 1t is about two
thousand dollars. If it hadn't been for
poor old Shickshack you would have
robbed her long ago. You paid Shick-
ehack's half crazy, avaricious wife to,
send you word where he could be
found, every time he moved to get rid
of you.
'"These men wouldn't send a child as,
helpless as one of their own sisters
with you, if they knew you. You play
the grandee before them. And in the
west we always have backed man upj
in taking his own when his rights were
denied. But the only right you have
in this community is to be dipped in
the Sangamon!"
Lincoln, who had seen knife thrown
at Antywine's head for fewer words,
kept his eye guarding the indistinct
movements of the Spaniard. An I'M
easy tremor ran around what had been
dead wall of antagonism. But un-
fortunately Mahala Cameron's father
now lifted his Voice from the back
ground, and in the character of min
lister exhorted Redmond Clary to draw
his followers homeward and cease
abetting the ilngodly. Redmond Clary
turned on him and told him to go home
himself, or he might be neatly laid be-
side his daddy in the Concord burying-
ground. :.
One word had swiftly followed
another while Lincoln gagged the force
drawn around him. His hair was
I'LL piou o'el Cue dfCn OF MIS- mead,
His strong nose and clean-cut neck and
the outward curving of his lips showed
by f1tful light above his shorter com:
pan1ons.. Some radiation from his
personality made one of the men ex--..
claim. ~
"Abe, we know you're honest. But
II you're too stubborn to hand over
that money we've got a barrel at the
mill all ready to roll you into the
river. "a &''>a
"Wait!" said Lincoln, stretching out
long fore finger :@}*: -.
Pedro Lorimer hissed at him: 9Tf
do not wait while boys practices
speeches! could myself in return call
my enemies names: This is not what
was promised me-
What Red Clary promised you,,'s
stated Lincoln with intuition which,
amounted to knowledge; "was If you
would cancel his gambling debts he
would make me hand over the. little
Spaniard's money" ,ly
Redmond Clary flung himself off
his horse and ran at his q ono1,oor> EEr1, :,