The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-08

and Mir. Sanders found himself looking Into the eyes of one of the most interest Ing characters that Georgia ever pro- duced Capt. Buck Sanford wos one ofthe
 last of the knights-crrant, the self-con- stituted champions of all women, old or young good or bad. No man in his hear ing ever used the name of a woman too
 freely without answering for 1t. Other
 wise he was the friendliest and simplest of men, as modest as a woman, and en- tirely unobstrusive. His duel with Colonel Conrad Asbury one of the most sensa- tional events in the annals of duelling, ! owing to the fact that the weapons were | shot guns at ten paces, was the result of 1 a remark the colonel had made about | lady whom Sanford had never seen. But so far as the general public knew, it grew out of the fact that the colonel had spilled some water on Sansord's panta- looms.
 Well, sir" said MT Sanders, I've heard tell of you many a time, and I'm
 right down glad to see you" You haven't heard much good of me,
 I reckon" Captain Sanford remarked.
 Yes; not so very long ago I heard
 fine old lady say that if there was more Buck sanfords, the women would be bet
 ter off.
 A Idl1I COlOT tdilt lnlO ltlt ldCc Ol lHe
 duelst 'Is that so?" he asked with
 some eagerness.
 Its jest like I tell you, an the lady
 was Lucy Lumsden, the grandmother of
 this chap that we're tryin to git out'r trouble"
 q wonder if Tomlin Perdue wouldn't
 let me into the row?" inquired Captain Sanford You see, it's this way: If the
 boy can't break away, 1t would be well for a serious accident to happen, and in
 that case you'll need a man that's per-
 fectly willing to bear the brunt of such an accident"
 well see about that" said MT. Sam ders.
 Suppose it's rainy day. Buck; what then?" asked the chief.
 And you grown man." exclaimed MT. Sanford, sarcastically. Did you ever
 hear of q false alarm?' and with that
 Captain Buck Sanford turned on his heels and went out.
 "I know Buck was pleased with your
 plan" the chief declared. He nodded at
 me time or two when you wasn't look
 ing If you can work him into the row.
 1t will tickle him nightly. He aint
 fighty; he never gets mad; and he al-
 ways knows just what to do, and when to shoot"
 l Thus, long before he became impatient enough to walk the streets, or seek con- solation on the court house steps, Mir.
 Sanders had made all the arrangements
 necessary to the success of his scheme. He had sent suit of clothes to a friend in Malvern, he had shipped three bales of cotton to the firm of Vardeman x Stark, who had been informed of the use | to which MT. Sanders desired to put It; | he had hired an OK cart, and made cov- l cred wagon of it; and the yoke of oxen he | proposed to use had been driven through | the country and were now at Malvern. l In short, no matter how deeply MT. | Sanders might ponder over the matter, ] there was nothing he could think of to l add to the details of the arrangement | that he had already made.
 | One morning while Nan, who was on | her way to borrow a book from Eugenia | Claiborne was leaning on the court house | fence talking to MT. Sanders, a solitary
 rider rode as fast as a tired horse could | fetch him. By the time this rider reached | inc public square MT. Sanders had mount | ed the Hacking Roan, and was awaiting
 him The rider was no other than Col
 onel Blasengame-
 | dressed to Major Perdue. "Consignment | will be shipped tomorrow night. Reach Malvern next morning. Invoice by mail" | This was signed by the firm of factors | with whom Meriwether Clopton had had | dealings for many years, and to MT. San | ders the message read: "The prisoners | will go to Atlanta tomorrow night, and | they will reach Malvern the next morn | ing. This information can be relied upon.' | Its joy to see you, colonel" cried | MT. Sanders. 'One more day of waitin'
 would a pulled the rivets out. You know | Miss Nan Darlington, don't you, Colonel
 Blasengame? I lay you used to dandle | her on your knee when she was a baby' | The colonel bowed lower to Nan than if
 she had been a queen. You were not | to the tavern remarked MT. Sanders.
 "Meriwether Clopton wants the messen- ger to go straight to his house. an he'll | be all the gladder bekaze it's you. Gus Tidwell will drive you home in his bug
 gy in the cool of the evenin' and you can
 leave your hoss at Clopton's for a day or
 two. Elf you see ,Tidwell. Nan. please
 tell him. that the colonel Is at Clopton's.