The Van Buren press., 1903-02-07
The newspaper men Rad

hospitality. The newspaper men k.a
been guests of these same soldiers and
had asked them to name a night for
return visit Bob was told that dsv
to put half dozen bottles into hi.
saddle bags instead Of the regulation
brace. The next noon Bob appeared
with his six bottles of bad whisky
for it was bad, though good by sheer
force of the fact that it was the only
stuff to be obtained for love or money.
Jim. we're in for wet night OF
it." said Charlie Deane to Jim Halt,
day..
"You bet we are, Charlie" answered
| Jim. "Our own capacity is none too
small, and our guests have been drv
for a month. There won't be a dron
| left tomorrow morning with which
TO clear the cobwebs out of our brains
and enable us to do days work"
IN be dead for drink in the morn.
ing" said Billy Watson; 1--WE ought to
have sent for more stuff, for as a mat
ter of fact this will hardly go around.
hope nothing breaks loose to-mor-
row, for after nights siege with
bottle or two couldn't do justice with
my pen to the story Of massacre"
Bob, the courier, was standing near
while his employers were prophesying
woe and thirst for "the morning aft.
err" you gentlemen has been mighty
| good to me- said the boy, "and when
| takes your kilograms over this
afternoon III buy the stuff tonight
and leave Slowville before daybreak
and by the time you's awake I'll have
your Ticker"
Don't you do it, Bob" said Billy
! Watson. Jack Blue Cloud and hat
! hundred of his fellow devils are rad.
/ ing pretty near every morning as
you know across the trail that you
come by, and if you start before sun
rise you'll run plump into them
Don't you be scared" answered
Bob. "lll get by 'em all right, | in
teach Jack Blue Cloud thing or
two"
1t was wet night in the shack. lbe
last drop was gone, and the core.
spondents were something more than
weary when they crawled into their
| blankets along about two o'cloc(.
At six o'clock that morning, an hear
before sunrise it was now mid.
winter - Bob, the courier, put three
bottles of liquor into his saddle
bags, and in the awful cold headed his
pony toward Spruce Ridge. His mount
was game, and the cold acted as spur.
Boo covered ten miles by the time tho
! suns yellow FACE was showing over tie
! edge of the prairie. NO reds this
morning" thought Bob. 'l'ye passed
the worst of it," The thought was
scarcely formed before around sand
ridge, 200 yards to his left came body
| of mounted Indians. There were about
ten bucks in the bunch. They saw Bob
asquick as he saw them. The courier.
trail lay straight ahead. The Indians
/ turned their ponies heads and took
| the hypothenuse of a right angled tri-
angle, and endeavored TO head the hog
off II they had turned volley from
their rifles loose at him they probably
could have brought him down, but they
wanted the boy alive.
The reds turned into the trail about
| 100 yards to the rear Of the fyirg pony
! and its courier rider. Then il was i
| stralghtaway race Bob had the bet
ter mount, but the pony was !!ttls
tagged with its ten-mile clip duringtha
first hour q that mornings ride. Tho
Indians had just broken their sights
camp, and their mounts we're fresh.
On, on and on they went. For three
miles Bob gained Il little, expecting
every moment to hear the ping of the
| Dulltes about his ears. No shots came.
| -Four miles more II was an awful
ride, and his pony fairly staggered.
/ The reds were within 80 yards OF him.
| Pursuer and pursued were on the crest
! Of a ridge one mile from the goal. Al
! that instant xix diSmounted tr~opers
came from behind some scrub spruces.
| The Indians turned loose one wild vol
ley at the fleeing boy, and then
! spurrcd 10 the rear, They knew the
unmounted soldiers could not follow.
Bob'S hand went 10 his side, whore
an awful pain stung him. On he went
and fell from his pony at tie door Of
the correspondents shack. They had
heard the firing and were outside.
Billy Watson picked the fallen boy
up in his arms, what il it, Bob2
Speak, boy"
The courier opened his eyes. Il
brought your stun TO you, boss" he
said, and then his head fell back, The
courier boy would carry no more mes.
sages.
There were three solemn.faced men
standing at the door of the shack. ~
boys life for a bottle Of whisky" said
one Of them, Then lie went to tho
pony, and from the saddle bag, took
the three bottles and broke them on
the frozen ground "No more Of this
stun for me-" he said, forever" Aud
his comrades said Amen Chicago
Record Herald.