The Red Cloud chief., 1905-04-14

get clear to shoot without hitting some
OF their own, and there vas n lot OF
gouging and kicking. One fellow near
ly got my left rye, and | tried to tear
him apart, and he screamed n good
deal. Once or twice | thought I might
get away. but somebody hammered me
ove the head and face again, and | got
dizzy, and then they all jumped away
from me suddenly. and Bob Skillet
stepped up and-an1 shot me. He
waited for Il furry OF lightning, and |
was slow tumbling down. Some II
else fired a shotgun, | think. | can't he
sure. about The same time from the
side. | tried to get up, but | couldn't,
and then they got together for Il con.
eultation. The man | had hurt didn't
recognize him-camc and looked ut me.
He was nursing himself all Over and
groancd. and | laughed. | think; AT any
rate my arm was lying stretched out
on the grass, and he stamped his heel
into my hand. and af,cr a little Of that
l quit feeling.
I'm not quite clear about what hap
pencd aftcrward. They went away
not far, | think. There's nm old shed. a
cattle shelter, near there. and | think
the storm drove them under il to wait
for Il slack. 1t seemed II long time.
Sometimes l was conscious. sometimes
l wasn't. | thought | might be
drowned, but ! suppose the rain was
good for me. Then | remember being in
motion, being dragged and carried u
long way. They carried nj up n steep,
short slope and set me down near the
top. ! knew hat was the railroad cm-
bankment, and | thought they meant to
lay me across the track. but il didn't
occur TO thcm-thcy are not familiar
with mclodrama-and Il long time after
that felt and heard Il great banging
and rafting under me and all about
me. and 1t came to me that they had
disposed of me by hosting me into an
empty freight car. The odd part of It
was that the car wasn't empty, for
there were W men already in 1t. and
l knew them by what they said to me.
"Thcy were the two shell men that
cheated Hartley Bowl1cr, and they
weren't vindictive. They even seemed
to be trying TO help me Il little. though
perhaps they were only stealing my
clothes, and maybe they thought for
them to do anything unpleasant would
be superiluous. ! could see that they
thought l was done for and that they
had been hiding i'm the car when | was
put there. | asked them to try to call
the trainmen for me-, but they wouldn't
listen or else l couldn't make myself un.
derstood. That's all. The rest is a blur.
l haven't known anything more until
those surgeons were here. Please tell
me how long g it happened. | shall
not die. ! think. There are a good many
things l want to know about" He
moved restlessly, and the nurse sOothcd
him.
Meredith rose and left the room with
q noiscless step. He went out to the
stars again and looked to them to check
the storm of rage and sorrow that buf.
feted his bosom. He understood lynch.
Ing, o the thing was home to him,
and his feeling was nO inspiration of Il
fear lest the law miscarry. IL was the
itch to get his own hand on the rope.
Horncr came out presently and wills.
percd a long, broad, profound curse
upon the men of the Crossroads. and
Meredith's gratitude TO him was keen.
Barrett went away soon after, and
Meredith had Il strange. unreasonable
desire tn kick Barrett, possibly for his
sergcant's sake. Warren Smith sat in
the ward with the nurse and Gay, and
the room IA very quiet. 1t was II long
vigil. They were only waiting.
At ) o'clock he was still alivc-just
that, Smith came out to say. Meredith
sent n telegram to Helen which would
give Tlattvillc the news that Harkless
was found and was not yet gone from
them. liOrncr left for the station ID
catch Il train. There were things fOi
him to do in Carlow. At noon Meredith
sent II second telegram TO Helen as bar
rem of detail rs the first. He was alive
was n little improved. But this telc
gram did not reach her, for she was OF
the way to Roucn, and half of the pop
ulation of C~arlow-at least so it seemed
to the unhappy conductor of the accom-
modatiOn-was with her.
They seemed to feel that they could
camp in the hospital halls and CORR
doris. and they were AN incalculabl'
worry TO the authorities. More cam,
on every train, and nearly all brough
flowers and jelly and chickens for pre-
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