Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-09-04
DAILY SHORT STORY
A HUNTING PARTY.


hard for mother, with no man i'll the
house, and 1 was only girl OF six
teen. We did all the homework our
| selves, which wasn't much, and as
much of the farm work as we were
| able to do.
Mother never kept any money in
| bank. In the first place, there was no
bank nearer than ten miles, and. in the
] second, she wouldn't have known how
to keep a bank account.
One day, one of our horses having
| died, mother went to town to buy an
| other. At the time one farm hand was
| at work for us, man we had engaged
| few days before. Mother had been
| gone but about half an hour when he
| came into the house and told me she
| had asked him to keep a sharp look
| out for me, as was only girl. alone,
| and without protection. He was so
kindly spoken that at first 1 believed
| him. This emboldened him to say that
there were tramps lurking about and
| T would do well TO put any money
| there might be in the house in a safe
| place. Then l began to suspect that
| be said this to find out whether there
was any money in the house. so / told
| him that all the money had been paid
out except what mother had taken
with her TO pay for the horse she in
| tended to buy. Then he threw off all
pretense and ransacked the house. Not
finding what he was after, he came
| into the kitchen. where 1 was washing
| dishes, and, taking up knife. threat
ened to kill me IL l didn't tell where
| the money was kept.
Our sex are always dreading such
| trials as 1 was passing through. but
when they come we surprise ourselves
| by standing up under them with uneN-
pected GOODNESS. | couldn't see how it
| was his interest to Kill me, since the Sc
| cret (for HIM would die with me. /
! kept my mind bent on the problem of
how to outwit him, but to outwit
man in u farmhouse, with no telegraph
or telephone or any one within calling
| distance. is not an easy matter, and l
made no Roadway.
The only thing 1 could do was to tell
him that there wasn't any money in
the, house or, If there was, that L
didn't know where it was Kept. l rec
| commended him to look IN different
! places, the cellar, the cupboard and the
! upstairs closets. He ransacked every
/, place suggested, but found nothing.
| He was not likely to find the place
where the money was hidden. Our
house was very old and had been built
with an old fashioned big fireplace
in the kitchen. Up the chimney, (which
/ was large enough to admit a human
body, mother had taken out brick
| and broken off half of it. This left
room for any money she had behind
the brick. When it was put back i'll its
place 1t looked like the other bricks.
| Well at last the man grew so fierce
that / was afraid he might murder
me, and l told him where the money
| was. He at once stood in the chimney
and began to hunt. l told him the
money was higher. and he pulled the
kitchen table on to the hearth. In his
search be supported himself by brac-
ing his knees and back. / showed the
table farther IN, so that it covered the
mouth of the chimney. Then for the
first time it occurred to me that had
him in trap. There was a heavy
cupboard in the kitchen. and 1 moved
it against the table. Just then / beard
an exclamation of delight and knew
he had found the money.
His next move was to order me to
take away the table. but / had another
matter to attend TO. Knowing that
when he found he couldn't come down
he would go up, / ran to mothers bed
/ room. where since fathers death she
had kept his rife, loaded, standing at
the head of her bed. and, Selling 1t,
ran outside and was just in time to
take aim at the mans head, which was
above the top of the chimney
/ shall never forget the expression OF
his face when he saw me, a mere chit
OF girl, pointing Il rife at him, cooked
and ready to fire. He knew enough of
country girls to understand that most
OF them could shoot pretty straight
and that if l chose could put a bullet
through his head.
"See here. little girl. you've caught
me fair Now if you'll let me out Of
this I'll go about my business"
1 didn't like the probability of having
to watch him all day, and IL / could
have trusted him / would have let
him 60 As it was, told him to get
below the top of the chimney or l
would shoot him. He offered to throw
down the money if l would let him
off, but l refused to do SO. i made
him believe that | would carry out my
threat. and he disappeared down the
chimney. He called to me that he
would burn the money, but even this
: didn't move me-
Well, all this happened in the early
/. morning, and till 10 o'clock I felt
obliged to keep on strain lest he out
wit me and get the upper hand again.
Then when all was quiet l heard the
sound Of horses hoofs and a gentleman
in red coat came riding up to the
g. house.
Did you see Il hunting party go by
here:" he asked.
Haven't had time to notice I've got
a hunting party OF my own"