The Red Cloud chief., 1905-03-24

IEySS,NJ stroke of Scholiclds' Henry,
~ no uncertain touch, was on
the rope. a loud, wild, hurried clamor
pealing out TO wake the countryside,
rapid clang! clang! clang! that struck
clear in to the spine. The courthouse
bell had tollcd for the death of Nor
ton, of Garfield, of Hendricks; had
rung JOY pcals of peace after the war
and after political campaigns, but 1t
had rung as it was ringing now only
three timcs-oncc when Illbbard's mill
burned, once when Webb LaSdis killed
Sep Bardlock and intrenchN himself
In the lumber yard and would not be
taken until he was shot through and
through, and once when the Roucn ac-
commodation, crowded with children
and women and men, was wrecked
within twenty yards of the station.
Why was the bell ringing now? Men
and women, startled into wide wake
%fulncss, CROPPED to windows. No red
mist hung over town or country. What
was it? The bell rang on. Its loud
alarm beat increasingly into mems
hearts and quickcned their throbbing
to the rapid measure of its own. Vague
forms loomcd in the cleaning. A horse,
madly ridden, splashcd through the
town. There were shouts; voices called
boarscly; lamps began to CLEAN in the
windows; half clad people emerged
from their houses. men slapping their
braces on their shoulders as they ran
out of doors; questions were shouted
into the dimncss.
Then the news went over the town.
1t was cried from yard to yard, from
group TO group, from gate to gate, and
reached the furthcrmost confines. Run
ners shouted ii ms they sped by, and
boys painted it. brcathless: women with
lOosened hair stumbled into darkling
chambers and faltered 1t out to new
Weakened sleepers, and pale girls, clutch
Ing wraps ut their throats, whispered
1t across fences. The sick, tossing on
their hard beds, heard it. The bell
clamOred it far and near; ii spread over
the countryside, and it flew over the
wires TO distant cities. The White Caps
had got Mr.. Harkless!
Lige Willetts had lost track of him
out near BriscOe's, it was said, and had
come into town at midnight seeking
him. lie had found Parker. the Herald
setter, and Bud Tipworthy, the devil,
at work in the printing office, but no
sign of IIarkless there or in the cot
tagc. Together these had sought for
HIM and had reused others who had in
Quired at every house where he might
have gone for shelter, and they had
heard nothing. They had watched for
his coming during the s%lackening Of
the storm. He had not come, and there
was no place he could have gone. He
was missing. Only one thing could
have happened.
They had reused up Warren Smith,
the prosecutor, and Horner, the sher-
iff, and Jared Wiley, the deputy. Will
liam Todd had rung the alarm. 1t was
agreed that the first thing to do was
to find him. After that there would
be trouble, If not before. 1t looked as
II there would be trouble before. The
men tramping up to the muddy square
In their shirt sleeves were bulgy about
the right hips, and when Homer Tibbs
Joined Columbus Lands at the hotel
corner and lands saw that Homer
was carrying a shotgun Lands went
back for his. a hastily sworn posse
galloped out Main street. Women and
children ran into ~neighbors' yards and
began to cry. Day was coming, and
as the light grew men swore and saw
agcly kicked ut the palings Of fences
as they ran by them.
In the foreglow Of dawn they gather
ed in the square and listened to War
rem Smith, who made a speech from
the courthouse fence and warned
them to 60 slow. They answered him
with angry shouts and hootings. But
he made his big bass voice heard and
babe them do nothing rash. No facts
we're known, he said. II was far from
certain that harm had been done, and
no II knew that the Six Crossroads
people had done it, even If something
had happened to Mr.. HAIRLESS. lie de-
clared that he spoke In Harkless' name.
Nothing could distress him so much as
Aoi thciu " UGLY the INV, W tdhc IL
out of the proper hands. Justice would
be done.
"Yes, 1t will" shouted a man below
him, brandishing the butt of a rawhide
whip above his head. "And while you
Jaw on about it here he may be tied up
like a dog in the woods, shot full of
holes by the men you never lifted a
finger to bender, because you want