Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-08-29
SERVANTS
tOriginal.1

moving, sharp eyed man, who spoke in
a tone of authority. The postman
glanced through a package Of letters
he took from his bag, while the other
looked over his shoulder.
"There it isv' suddenly exclaimed
the stranger, and, making a dash,
knocked the batch out of the postman's
hand, scattering it on the ground.
Then, apologizing profusely, he helped
the postman to pick up the letters.
The postman continued his route and
later came upon young woman stand
ing in the road, waiting for him.
"Nothin' today, Mag" he said pleas
antly.
"Nothin' TO- Bob, shore?''
Alex McCurdy, the postman, looked
over his letters. but found none for
Bob Campbell.
"Cur'us," he muttered. Seems to
me I remember startin' with one. l
wonder if that Teller below He
paused.
"What feller?'
"Oh, l met a man that was terrible
anxious for his letter and he knocked
the lot on the ground. He was mighty
willin' to help me pick 'em up"
"Short, thick man, black, stubby
beard?''
well, yes"
lord save US, it's him!'
"Who?'
"Stivers, a revenue man. They'll
ketch Tom with the goods on him.
They've been watchin' him TO- weeks,
and this Teller who's got the letter has
been dom everything he could to find
out whar the still is. Tom wrote Bob
that he'd deliver fou' bar'ls O. whisky
in the woods jist above SCOTS mill to-
night at 10 o'clock. Bob was to let
Tom know he'd got the word and the
letter d be here by you on this trip"
The girl seemed crushed, and the
postman saw how he had been tricked.
That be was In the United States serv-
ice did not for moment outweigh his
mountainecr citizenship and his SYM
pathy with the moonshiners. Besides,
Mag Campbell, the sister of the men in
danger, was his sweetheart-at least he
wanted her to be his sweetheart.
Here, take keer of this, Mag" he
said, handing her his letter bag. I'm
goin' to try to head him off,"
EFF you do ZIP
McCurdy heard the words and knew
what they meant, but didn't stop to
listen to their finishing. 1t was o'clock
and he had miles to go to reach the
rendezvous before the delivery of the
goods, which, for the lack Of a revenue
stamp, would land the Campbell broth
ers in Jail. He knew every road, by
path-trail in that region-and by tax
ing the shortest cuts was able to reach
point not far from the rendezvous a
few minutes before 10 o'clock. AS he
was hurrying on he heard a horses
hoofs and the rattle Of wagon behind
him. Darling behind tree beside the
road he waited for the conner to pass.
A man was driving, and as he came up,
full moon shining in his face, Nc
CEdy recognized him as the person
who had taken the letter. In an in
slant he was standing in the road con-
fronting the man with a cooked re-
volveH.
1--WE no money" said Stivers.
1T isn't money want. Give me the
letter you Took
Hold on! I'll explain that. I'm a
revenue officer, and you're a postman.
We're both in the United States serv-
ice. I'm going now to join my posse,
and in FIVE minutes we'll nab two Of
the slickest moonshiners in Tennessee -
you'll nab no moonshiners tonight.
And I'll trouble you for the letter."
Sdvers was astonished. He could
not understand why man in another
branch Of the service would prevent
him from accomplishing his object.
This will cost you your position"
he said.
IF it does it will be for lettin' you
take the letter.
Stfvers was a resolute man and not
to be baked without an effort. Think
ing that McCurdy would not resist
the force Of arms, he drew his revolver.
A ball whistled by his head. He fired,
1uu AAS SLhOl WAS ICIuEueU. bOLu ulcu
were wounded. Stivers fell from his
seat into the road. McCurdy crawled
up to him, put his hand into his pocket
and took out the letter. After examin-
ing the address in the moonlight and
seeing that it was what he wanted he
tainted
All this occurred within sound Of
the rendezvous and at the moment the
Campbell brothers met to pass the
whisky. Hearing the shots, they went
to the spot where they were fired and
found Sttvers and McCurdy, the lat
ter unconscious.
An hour later the brothers deposited
the wounded Stfvers where he lodged
end in the morning drove up to their
own cabin with McCurdy. When Mag
saw them coming with the man who
had saved them lying at length in the
wagon, she climbed "A and folded him
In her arms.
A year later large bundle of pa
pers relating to the case were pigeon
holed in the interior department at
Washington and a similar bundle in
the n0st office denartment An order