Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1904-01-29

out her nose to be petted.
He had ridden her bareback as
often as with saddle, and ip a
moment he was on her making his
way by a wide detOur past the
sleeping men. AS soon as he was
beyond earshot he gave Kitty her
head and sped away.
His idea had been that all he
had to do was to tell Gonzalez of
LampsOn's plot. Now the words
of Lampson himself occurred to
him. Nobody is supposed to
know the money is there but the
agent at LOFdsburg and the super
intcndent." 1T was the company's
secret, and Joe dared not betray it
even 20 the freighter
At last a sparkle far ahead
showed him the embers of n dying
campfire, and soon he was near
enough to make out the big white
prairie schOOncrs. He had fOnnd
Gonzalez OUTFIT
The voice of timEdiiy whispered
that he might discharge his com
mission with safety To himself.
All he had to do was to deliver his
message TO he freightcr as it was
given him. turn round and gallop
back home and say nothing of what
he had overheard by the river.
The company would lose $25, 900,
but nobody would blame him.
But another vOice-thSe voice of
duty-spOke louder, insisting that
taking Nlre of himself WAS not all
he was there for.
The boss wants yOu TO hurry
up; he needs that Hour, said joe
ITO the head frcightcr whemhE had
reused him.
Gonzalez grumbled ut beTng
Weakened for such Il MESSAGE but
he WAS too sleepy to blame the
boy and finally told him he had
better spend the night witiitIRm-
LII sleep in the wagons if yon
don't mind" said Joe, TO whom "a
plan had occurred.
''Just as YOU like yawned HRe
frcighter. There's Il big bale OF
blankets back in the trailer"
So Joe trthPrcd Kitty to- the.
wheel of the trailcrand era wledin
on to' of the blankcts-a rongh
bale covered with burlap and
laced with ropes.
Before dawn ne got cup Ofreof
fee from the camp cook, borrowed
saddle. and with a bundle rolled
in his coat and tied on behind.
started on his long ride home.
while Gonzalez and his crew we're
yet yokiug the oxen to the wag
ems.
Five miles up the road J6e'met
LampSon and the two big mem
rolling along in the blackboard.
His heart stopped beating until
ne was past, but the discharged
bookkeeper merely waved Him IA
greeting.
Joe gaIIOped on. He felt safe
enough now to chucklc at the
scene that would be enacted baes,
there. when the robbers, after car
rying Off the heavy bale. wOahI
open il and find nothing.
Kitty was a very tired mare
when she brought Joc'in4O' town
that night.
The superintendent nailed the
boy as he rode mp TO the Office of
the copper company: did Won
find Gonzalez"
"Yes. sir shouted, Joe. He
said he'd hurry" Then Joe pulled
his coat from behind the sad
die. and handed over the bundle
of bank notes, apd blnuted ont his
adventures.
SIT wasn't much OF u trick 10
unite the bale, sir he said. "and |
tied it up again while Gonzalez
thought WAS sleeping; but" he
added, I'm afraid the company
loses the Blankets
IFS willing to lose Them" said
the superintendent.
The superintendent talked the
matter over with the manager,
and at first they thought one of
the biggest bank notes in the
package was the proper reward
for the messenger whose presence
&C mind h,,I s., - ~ N D..v