The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-04-23
BY BoorH TARKTNcT0N

They can themselves Iat." reptile,
Rriscoe. Usually White Caps are
vigilance committee in region wher
the law isn't enforced. These fellow
aren't that kind. They got together I,
wipe out grudges, and sometimes didn'
need any grudge- Just made their raid
for pure devilment. There's feud be
tween us and them that goes back int
pioneer days. and only few OF us OLD
folks know much about It."
And he was the first to try to stor
themY'
"well, you see. our folks are pretty
long suffering" said Briscoe apologet.
scally. WED sort of got used to the
meannesS of the Crossroads. 1t took
a stranger to stir things up. and he
did. He sent eight of them to the peni-
tentiary, some for twenty years."
As they passed the saloon man
stepped into the doorway and looked
at them. He was coatless and clad in
garments worn TO the color of dust.
His bare head was curlously malform-
ed, higher on one side than on the 9th
er. and though the buckboard passed
rapidly and at a distance this singular
lopSidedness was plainly visible to the
occupants, lending an ugly significance
TO his meager. yellow face. He was
tall, lean, hard, powerfully built. He
eyed the strangers with affected Ian
guor and then, when they had gone by.
broke into sudden loud laughter
THAT was Bob Skillet. the worst Of
the lot" said the Judge. "Harkless
sent his son and one brother to prison.
and it nearly broke his heart that he
couldn't swear to Bob"
When they were beyond the village
and in the open road again Miss Sher-
wood took deep breath. 81 think |
breathe more freely. That was hid
eous laugh he sent after US"
The judge glanced at his guests face
and chuckled. Il guess we won't
frighten You much,' he said. Young
lady, don't believe you'd be afraid Of
many things. would you? You don't
look like it, Besides. the Crossroads
isn't Plattville, and the White Caps
have been too scared to do anything
much except try to get even with the
Herald for the last two years-eFer
since It went for them. They're lay
ing for Harkless partly for revenge and
partly because they daren't do any
thing until he's out Of the way"
The girl gave low cry. with a sharp
intake of breath. "Ah, one grows tired
Of this everlasting American patience!
Why don't the Plattville people do
something before they
ITS just as l say" Briscoe answer.
ed. "0ur folks are sort Of used to
them. / expect we do about all we
can. The boys look after him nights,
but the main trouble is that we can't
make him understand he ought to be
more afraid OF them. II he'd lived here !
all his life he would be. If they get
him there'll be trouble Of an illegal ma
ture." He broke of suddenly and nod |
ded TO a little old man in buck
board turning of from the road into
farm lane which led up to a trim cot !
tage with honeysuckle vine by the |
door. That's Mrs. Wimby's husband" |
said the judge in an undertone.
Miss Sherwood observed that Mrs. /
Wimby's husband was remarkable for
the exceeding plaintiveness of his ex-
preston. He was weazened, blank, |
pale eyed little man, with thin white |
mist Of neck whisker, and he was
dressed in clothes much too large for !
him. No more inoffensive figure than |
this feeble little old man could be i'm !
agined, yet his was the distinction Of /
having received a hostile visit from his !
neighbors Of the Crossroads. A yaga- |
bonding tinker, be had married the one
respectable person Of the section, a I
widow, who had refused several gen. /
tlemen at the Crossroads, and so com
plete was tsle bridegroom's insignlfi- |
canoe that to all the world his own !
name was lost. The bride continued to
be known by her former name as Mrs. /
Windy" and her spouse was usually |
called "Widder Woman Wimby's hus-
band" or Mr. Windy" The bride sup
piled his wardrobe with the garments
Of her former husband, and, alleging
this proceeding as the cause Of their
anger, the White Caps broke into the
farmhouse one night, tore the old man
from his bed and before his wife's eyes
lashed him with sapling shoots till he
was near to death. A little yellow cur
that had followed his master on his
wanderings was found licking the old
mans wounds, and they -deluged the
dog with kerosene and then threw the
poor animal upon a bonfire they had
made and danced around in heartiest
enjoyment
The man recovered, but that was no
palliation of the offense to the mind of
a hot eyed young man from the east
who was besieging the county authori-
ties for redress and writing birthstone
and saltbeter for his paper. The pow
ers of the county proving either lack
adaisical or tlmorous, he appealed to
those Of the state, and he went every
night to sleep at farmhouse the own
er Of which had received a warning
from the White Caps, and one night It
befell that he was rewarded, for the