Newport daily independent., 1903-04-14

| l and when he drew back offered to teach him the game. At this he laughed uproariously and declared that he had "knowed" how to play "high low Jack" before he was old enough to wear brooches; only, and here he looked defantly embarrassed as he made the confession, he had promised Marigold when he went out to the wicked west that he would never play cards or drink whisky, and he wa'n't goin' to. They coaxed him and laughed at him and dared him, and though he looked embar- Rassed and stammered and apolo- gized, he held firmly to his promise. He want goin' to do anything like that while he was on his way home to be merried, he declared, stoutly
 And so it went on, and the train rushed on into another night and another day, and into another night and another day, and still they be- sieged and stormed the fort they found impregnable. And then at last one afternoon, as the shadows began to gather in the car, the train slowed up at a small, unpainted building which a brakeman intro duced to the passengers as Brush town"
 They helped him off with his bag gage and then piloted him to a car riage which they had telegraphed ahead to have in readiness. He lived six miles from the station, he had told them, and had frankly added that the way led through a wild and almost uninhabited forest. At this their eyes had frightened hopefully and they assured him that it would be unnecessary for him to order a car riage; theirs would be large enough for all three, including his baggage, and they were going directly his way to their old home. A negro boy was on the seat holding the reins, and him they ordered down; they would drive themselves, they said.
 The miner was hilariously exuber- ant. He laughed and sang and cracked jokes that he remembered to have been time-honored in the old neighborhood; and they sang and laughed with him, until they came to lonely place in the woods, and then the carriage was turned quietly into the bushes and he felt the cold mug zles of two revolvers pressing against his temples.
 'Now, turn over your money" one of the men ordered, calmly, land be quick about it!"
 "Ain't you my oP frien', Ike?" There was dazed wonder in the voice.
 'Not much. Out west we've got names that would make you shake in your boots to hear But that don't matter. What we've come all this way for is your money. Now pass it over quick and no fuss"
 q won't" obstinately. q got hit to buy the Hunter place an to git merried with"
 "Oh, well, just as you like" said the man, indifferently. "Wem kill you and then take the money It's all the same to us. You cant help yourself"
 The miner turned white and glanced appealingly from one to the other, They were calm, smiling, but implacable. wlyheunbuckled the belt from his waist and passed it to one of them. The man showed his teeth a little, but nevertheless opened it and counted the small wad of bills and gold pieces which it con- tained.
 "Six hundred and seyenty-fve dol lars" he said. Then he rolled the belt and money into a ball and con- temptuously threw it into the bush es. "Now we'll get right down to business" he went on, the words be- ginning to hiss IS they came through his closed teeth, Give us your money"
 q hev," walled the miner, almost historically, "every blamed cent"
 "Once more, give us your money" the man hissed. Ut is the last time we ask. Killing comes next. Open up your bundles"