Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-10-17
Abe" Knocked Redmond clarr.

| And I'm not practicing polemics."
lou get the girls money and hand
! h over
! You let her out of that gang"
The gang growled.
| we have a crowd and you have lust
two hackers. New Salem people cam
| do anything. We don't want To hurt
you, Abe, unless we have to-
| String him up like a horseth ief,n
| cried a 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 upon 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 trampled 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. I'VE 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
1
| their lanterns to look at him. "I'haye
been gathering facts about you for
more than a year. You are a 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
slttlng on the horse beside you, is the
handful OF money her father contrived
TO hide from you. You think it is !
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.
shacks half crazy, avaric.oIs 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 a man ND
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 a knife thrown
at Antywine's head for fewer words
kept his eye guarding the indistinct
| movements Of the Spaniard. An nm
easy tremor ran around what had been
a dead wall of antaconism. But I'm
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
abettiag the uRgodly. Redmond Clary
turned on him and told him to go homo
| himself, or he might be neatly laid be-
| side his daddy In the Concord burying-
ground.
One word had swiftly followed
another while Lincoln gauged the force
drawn around him. His hair WAS
rumpled over the arch Of his head.
His strong nose and clean-cut neck and
the outward curving of his lips showed
by ntful light above his shorter COM
panions. 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"
'Wait!" said Lincoln, stretching out
a long fore finger.
Pedro Lorimer Kissed at him: az
do not wait while boys practice
speeches! l could myself in return call
my enemies names. This is not what
was promised me-"
What Red Clary promised you"
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"
Redmond Clary flung himself off
his horse and ran at his accuser. The
time for words was past II the figure
towering above them all had stood
with less assurance, the raging leader
might havs led his mob to a cruel
murder. But Lincoln's humorous eve
spread a cohtagion of smiles AS he !
raneEk fb, huH.hodiad