The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1905-04-24
ON H ROAD
TO ~cENTERVlLLE
fOriginal.l

O. iiSSA abOdt LAC LIZ aSAGo
Any gent goin' TO Cente-ville?'
I'm a-goin' that way. Reckon I'll
go with YOU said a Younger.
A medium sized. compactly built man
with a restless eye and a springy step
| got up from his chair, counted out
some money to the landlord. said
NORM. gents" to those present, went
out with the farmer and got up along
Side oil him Oh the spring seat
Much obieeged TO you for comm
along remarked the farmer as he
drove off. There's been a turrible lot
o holdupS rounds here lately. l don't
like goin' alone very much"
why don't the committee stop it?"
asked the passenger,
Stop it, The committee can't do
notEin'."
Tho passenger chuckled. why notg'
he asked.
cause the works all done by Tom
Flint, | reckon. and il would lake a
dozen committees TO do anything with
him. They say hes mighty slippery"
Tom Flint hasn't lone no holdin'
MP. He isn't SO low down as that
You don't mean it"
There's nothin' the matter with
T III ne L III hoDo0g lhflt
don't want To hurt him"
How do you know that?"
Know it. I'll prove it. I'm Tom
Flint myself"
The farmer quickly moved to the
far end Of the seat. looked sidewise 1T
his passenger and exclaimed;
Great Scott"
Flint seemed disposed TO make good
his words. riding so peacefully besiue
the farmer that the latter graduat.y
assumed an appearance OF confidence.
and the two fell to chatting. Flint
told how he began his shooting career
and how easy 1t seemed after he had
killed the first man.
How did it seem when you killed
the last one?' asked the farmer.
Flint WINGED. 'Tucker?" he said.
well. I didn't want to kill fucker. but
he took my gal away from me-"
Did she prefer you to Tucker?'
well. no. | can't say she did. but
g. long as | couldn't git her I didn't
intend that Tucker should have her.
They saw she tux on mighty bed
when he died"
Again Flint WINGED. but said nothing.
WAS they goin' to be married soon?"
asked the farmer.
Married. Iney was married.
The words We're spoken with a good
deal Of feeling. and the countrymau
pressed the subject no further Soma
thing was wrong with the names 81
the near horse. They were slipping
back off the collar. The farmer drew
rein.
Reckon I'll git down and tighten
them names" he said. will you hold
the lines. Mr.. FlintT'
Instead of holding the ines Flint
jumped down off the seat aud went
forward to fix the names. He tight
ened the strap. the horses neck mean
while being between him and the coun-
trYman. When he had finished and
looked up at the farmer a great change
had come. The "hayseed" held a re-
vOlver in each hand. and each revolver
was pointed directly at FIint's head.
Hands I'M"
The astonished Flint did not comply
with alacrity. ~whereupon the farmer
repeated tie order with n finger press
ed close on each trigger. Flint raised
his hands. He looked puzzled. A mum
Der of persons We're interested in his
capture. but lie couldn't make out
which one of them the farmer was.
Flint was perfectly cool. Indeed he
counted on an opportunity for one OF
the quick moves for which he was IA
nous. They We're alone. far from any
habitatiOn. and there would be plenty
of time.
who are your" he asked the farm
er. "a sheriff."
NO"
"One of the committee"
mo"
ssTT,op ,,-bN ora r y,
tom Tucker. Bill fuckers broth
err
A tinGe Of white spread itself over
Flint's face.
Il was there when Bill was brought
in" continued Tucker. land saw my
own brother. who I'd gone around with
when we We're little shavers with our
arms around each others necks. laid
low by the man who wanted his wife.
and l saw the little girl crazed by it.
If l could "a found you then, Tom
Flint. you'd "a got the better of me. for
I was reckless. Lucky l didn't. When
l cooled off some l went to work on
the sly You'd never seen me, anG that
gave me an advantage. l tracked You
to the tavern and knew you were GO
in to Centerville. l borrowed this rig
and these clothes. The guns 1 had al
ready You remember. in the fracas
with Bill you dropped one of yours.
Well. this right one Is the one you
dropped Now turn about while | dis
arm you"
Flint hesitated. He was desperate
and meditated some desperate move,
but he looked into his adversary's eve