The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1903-11-05
SPANISH PEGGY
A STORY OF YOUNG ILLINOIS
Copyright. 1899. by Herbert g. Stone & Co.

! and sprang upon the chest OF drawers.
| Standing close together with that short
rostrum under their feet, they faced
: about the ring of horsemen who drew
I'D around them. The perforated tin
! lanterns showered drops Of yellow light
on trampled grass. Behind the mems
: heads and shoulders were a void OF
trees and the starlit sky, and the ex-
: cited murmur of New Salem. Lincoln
lowered in the midst Of the circle.
He could dimly see the Spanish girl,
and he remembered for one instant
how Antywine lay exhausted within
: the cabin. She was looking for the
last time at what was to have been
her home, and wondering, with an ache
of grief worse than her terror OF the
ruffians, what had become Of the
gentle housemate who had never be-
fore failed to take her part
Now men, listen to me one minute"
exclaimed Dick Yates.
! We're not here to listen," ruled the
| leader.
"These boys ought to be put out"
one man insisted. 1--WE don't want
them"
LET my cousins property be re-
stored to her." spoke Pedro Lorimer,
without delay
"And who are yOu?" demanded
Yates, the beauty Of his rosy youth,
which had been felt rather than seen,
changing suddenly to the power of
man with irresistible magnetism. His
voice rolled out across the wall OF
rough faces. His eyes had scathing
lights. His unwilling listeners raised
their lanterns to look at him. II have
been gathering facts about you for
more than year You are New Or
leans gambler. You ply your trade
under cover Of some political scheme
about Cuba, place you never saw.
All you want of the poor young girl
sitting on the horse beside you, is the
handful of money her father contrived
! to hide from you. You think it is u
very large sum. 1t is about two
thousand dollars. If it hadn't been for
poor old Shickshack you would have
robbed her long ago. You paid Shck.
shack's half crazy, avaricious wife to
send you word where he could be
of you.
These men wouldn't send a child as
helpless as one Of their own sisters
with you, if they knew you. You play
the grandee before them. And In the
west we always have backed man up
in taking his own when his rights were
denied But the only right you have
in this community is to be dipped in
the SangamOn!"
Lincoln, who had seen knife thrown
at Antvwine's head for fewer words,
kept his eye guarding the indistinct
movements of the Spanard. An I'M
easy tremor ran around what had been
dead wall of antagonism. But I'M
fortunately Mahala Camerons father
now lifted his voice from the back
ground, and in the character of min
lister exhorted Redmond Clary to draw
his followers hOmeward and cease
abetting the ungodly. Redmond Clary
turned on him and told him to go homo
himself, or he might be neatly laid be-
side his daddy in the Concord burying-
ground.
One word had swiftly followed
another while Lincoln gagged the force
drawn around him. His hair was
rumpled over the arch of his head
His strong nose and clean-cut neck and
the outward curving of his lips showed
by fitful light above his shorter com
; panions Some radiation from his
personality made one of the men ex-
claim:
ABE, we know you're honest. But
: if you're too stubborn to hand Over
that money we've got barrel at the
mill all ready to roll you into the
river"
Wait" said Lincoln, stretching out
a long fore finger
Pedro Lorimer Kissed at him: 81
do not wait while boys practice
speeches! could myself in return call
my enemies names. This Is not wha!
was promised me-"
What Red Clary promised you,
stated Lincoln with intuition which
amounted to knowledge, was If you
would cancel his gambling debts he
would make me hand over the little
Spaniard's money"
: Redmond Clary flung himself of
his horse and ran at his accuser. The
: time for words was past If the figure
towering above them all had stood
with less assurance, the raging leader
might have led his mob to crue
murder But Lincon's humorous eye
= spread a contagion of smiles as he
caught the bull-bodied champion OF the
) Grove by the collar and flung that mus
cular bulk across the ring to cool.
There was to be a fight. The mer
drew deep inhalations Of enjoyment
D., For ever since Abraham Lincoln ap.
peared in New Salem they had wanted
to see him matched with Red Clary
Lincoln knew he was about to succeed
or fail with the only argument which
could move those to whom might wa
right. Eloquent and convincing words