The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-02-01

man we ran out of town once, because
ne knew too much about things of this
sort. He's come back to us again and
mes to stay. He'll give us an object
lesson on the shell game"
It's pretty simple" remarked Watts
The best way is to pick up the ball
with your second finger and the back
part of your thumb as you pretend to
lay the shell down over it; this way"
He illustrated, and showed several
methods of manipulation, with profess
sional sang-froid; and as he made
plain the easy swindle by which many
mad been duped that morning, there
arose an angry and threatening muir
muir.
You all see," said Harkless. raising
his voice little, what a simple cheaf
it Island old as Pharaoh. Yet a lot
of you stood around and lost your own
money, and stared like idiots. and let
Hartley Bowlder lose eighty-odd dol
lars on shell racket, and not one
of you lifted a hand. How hard did
you work for what these two cheap
crooks took from you? Ali" he criad
1t is because you were greedy that
they robbed you so easily. You know
it's tr2e. It's when you want to get
something for nothing that the conf
dence men steal the money you sweat
for and make the farmer a laughing
stock. And you, Jim Bardloek, town
marshal!-you, who confess that YOU
went in the game sixty cents worth,
yourself" His eyes were lit with
wrath as he raised his accusing hand
and leVelled it at the unhappy munich
pal.
The town marshal smiled uneasilv
and deprecatingly about him, and.
meeting only angry glances, hearing
only words of condemnation, he passed
his hand unsteadily over his fat mus
tache, shifted from one leg to the other
and back again, looked up, looked
down, and then, an amiable and pleas
ure-loving man, beholding nothing but
accusation and anger in heaven and
earth, and wishing nothing more than
to sink into the waters under the earth.
but having no way of reaching them.
finding his troubles quite unbearable.
and unable to meet the manifold eve
of man, he sought relief after the un-
sagacious fashion of larger bird than
he. His burly form underwent a series
of convulsions not unlike sobs, and he
shut his eyes tightly and held them
so, presenting a picture of misery I'M
equalled in the memory of any specta-
tor. Harkless' outstretched hand be-
gan to shake. "You!" he tried to con-
tinue-"you, a man elected to
There came from the crowd the
sound of a sad, high-keyed voice,
drawing: That's a nice vest Jims
got on, but it amt hardly the feathers
fifteen for an ostrich, is it?"
The editors gravity gave way; he
broke into a ringing laugh and turned
again to theN shell-men. Give up the
boys money. Hurry
Step down here and git it," said the
one who had spoken.
There was a turbulent motion in the
crowd, and cry arose, Run 'em out!
Ride EN- on rail! Tar and feathers!
Run 'em out O. town."
II wouldn't dilly-dally long If were
you," said HAIRLESS, and his advice
seemed good to the shell-men. A roll
of bills, which he counted and turned
over to the elder Bowlder was sullen-
ly placed in his hand. The fellow who
had not yet spoken clutched the jour-
nalist's sleeve with his dirty hand.
1--WE hain't done wit youse," he said,
hoarsely. Don't belief it, not fer a
minute, see?"
The town marshal opened his eyes
briskly, and placing a hand on each of
the gamblers, said: 81 hereby do ar
rest your said persons, and declare you
nlys prisoners" The cry rose again.
louder; Run 'em out! String EN-
up! Hang them! Hang them!" and q
forward rush was made.
This way, Jim. Be quick" said
jerking one of the gamblers halfway
up the steps. Get through the hall
to the other side and then run them
to the lookup. No one will stop you
that way. Watts and Il will hold the
door" Bareback hustled his prisoners
through the doorway, and the crowd
pushed UP the steps, while HAIRLESS
struggled to keep the vestibule clear
until Watts got the double doors
closed. Stand back, here!" he cried;
its all over. Don't be foolish The
law is good enough for us. Stand back,
will you'll
He was laughing a little, showing
them back with open hand and elbow
when small, compact group of men
suddenly dashed up the steps together,
and heavy stick swung out over their
heads A straw hat with a gay ribbon
ribbon sailed through the air. The
journalists long arms went out swift
ly from his body in several directions,
the hands not open, but clenched and
hard. The next instant he and Mr..
Watts stood alone on the steps, and
man with a bleeding, disappearing
mouth dropped his stick and tried to
lose himself in the crowd. Mr.. Watts
was returning something he had not
used to his hip-pocket.
Prophets of Israeli" exclaimed Will
liam Todd, ruefully, "it wasn't Eph
Watts pistol. Did you see Mr.. Hark-
less? 1 was up on them steps when
he begun. 1 don't believe he needs as
much takin' care of as we think"
Wasn't it one of them Cross Roads
devils that knocked his hat off?' ask
ed Judd Bennett. II thought see Bob
Skillet run up with club
Harkless threw open the doors behind
him; the hall was empty. You may
come in now" he said. This isn't my
court house"
Continued in Next Sundays News.)