Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-04-12
DAILY SHORT STORY
A SnaiI's Pace for Life.
IOriEtnal

headquarters eXcitedly.
When? How WhereT'
My English was not correct, but the
mayor understood me.
Yesterday noon he rode up to Ben
tons bank at Squirrelton. shot the pay
ing teller. grabbed a package of bills
and was away before any one realized
what had happened"
Well"
Then he met q mounted policeman.
got a bead on him and forced him to
give him his uniform. This. was near
Redmond. five miles to the south of US.
l want you to go out. hunt for him
and bring him in, dead or alive. You
know the reward-$J,OOO."
'-AlOneE"
Yes. You can work better by your
self than with a lot of bunglers.'
Right You are, and III go in uni
form. It'll be shooting affair any
way. and l always feel better f;lcing
gun when I've got my toys on
l tracked Irwin by asking people If
they had seen a mounted policeman
and came up with him while he was
lIObllHE dloll6 a NbtAAiAi AbtAh- 1hNoN
ed TO him TO stop, as | had something
TO say to him. He east quick glance
at me. hcsitated. then impatiently rein
ed in his horse. l didn't wish to Kill
him If | could get him into trap and
disarm him l rode up to him leisurely
and said:
i see you're on the force. Where do
you nail frOm!'
I'm from Squirrelton; looking for
Irwin"
Get any trace of him?"
One clew points to Sparksburg, an
other down there in the river bottom.
If you're looking for him you might so
one way while | go the other"
'.AlI right" l said TO inspire conf
dencc. When we get to where the
road forks I'll go to the river bottom"
Presently l drew rein and dismOunt-
cd under pretense of tightening my
saddle girth From behind my horse
| drew my revolver and, bringing it to
bear on him before he could see what
| was about, called on him TO surren-
der.
He had to choose between two forms
of dcath-my bullet or the gallows.
With the former there was 4 slender
chance, with the latter none whatever.
Bending low behind his horses neck,
he gave him cut ana dashed off, fol
lowed by my shots. Meanwhile
mouated and went after him. Now
and again he turned and fred at me.
but | got down fiat on my horse, and
there was not much for him TO shoot
at. Finally | fired Il shot that made
him tottcr; then he fell from the sad
die | was beginning to draw rein
when my horse. on crossing rotten
covering to culvert. broke through,
and l went flying through the air, land
ing about fifty feet from Irwin. My
revolver flew to point at the side of
the road between us. though 4 tribe
nearer to him than to me. I started
up. when l got a twinge that laid me
out again. My leg was broken.
AS soon rs l could think of anything
except the pain ! raised my head and
saw Irwin crawling on his stomach to-
ward my weapon. He had moved only
few feet. and his progress was so
slow that it would take him some time
to reach it. Evidently he had either
parted with his own weapon or had
discharged all the cartridges. ! saw
ut once that il was n question of life
or death with me to secure the revolv-
er myself and began Il crawling which
was no more rapid than that of my
enemy.
Every now and again l would hear
a groan from Irwin. which was usually
echoed by one from me. Irwin made
ten feet while | was making six. then
he stopped. took out handkerchief
and. binding il around his leg, twisted
IT with his knife rs tOurniquet. While
lac was doing this he was watching me,
who made ten feet while he was at
work with his surgical apparatus.
Starting again, he was handicapped by
having to hold the tourniquet, which he
had no means of fixing permanently.
Nevertheless desperation gave him
strength, and he made better Roadway
than l. IL was singular. this tortoise
race between two fellow beings with
life for the prize, death for the forfeit.
Several times l thought l should faint,
but knew If l did l would probably
never return TO consciousness. / there
fore nerved myself TO keep my senses
and continue on my way. But in five
minutes I did not make five feet. nor
did Irwin do much better.
Presently Irwin stopped and calculat-
ed his own and my distance.
What do you say TO a rest, pard:"
he asked.
There's no rest for the wicked"
replied without ceasing my efforts.
Very well. You'll get one pretty
soon. Since l stopped the flow of blood
I've ceased To lose strength. l can see
you're giving out pretty fast. l only
proposed the truce because / didn't
like 10 see you suffer-
There was now about ten feet for
both Of us. and felt sure that despite
his plucky words Irwin was bleeding
from an artery. and. though l was ex-
pectinC TO lose consciousness every mo
ment, l pushed on. reached the