The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-05-13

FDll me ~-~
They're goln' to kill BiIlyY broke -
Nell will. sob.
what forY
II don't jest rightly make out.
They're after some one, and they thinks
Bllly's cacheJn bin. | reckon It's you.
Billy amt cachein' nothin'. but they
thinks he Is"
tits me ihcy's after all right enough.
Now you knows where am, why don't
you tell them an save Billyy
The girl started. bu: her keen west
ern mind saw the difficulty at once.
"Tbey thinks Billy pcfccts you Jest
the same"
do you love. hImi" asked the stran.
ger.
God knows I'm purity tough" con.
fessed Nell. sobblng. but | Jest DE-
that" And she dropped her bead
again.
The Invisible stranger In the gloom
fell silent considering.
I'm purity rank proposition my.
self" said lie ut last as if TO himself,
"and got job on hand which same
l oughta put through without givIn' ut.
tentIon on anything else. As a usual
play, folks don't care for me. aud !
don't care much for folks. women es-
pecial. They drives me plumb tired. |
reckon don't stack up very high on
the blue chips when II comes TO cash
In In with that sex anyhow, but In
general they gives me as much notice
AZ they layishes on doodle bug. ]
amt carin', you understand. nary
bit, but 0nct In a dogs age kind Of
bankers for decent look from one Of
them. / amt never had no women
folks OF my own-never Sometimes |
thinks II would be some scrumptlous
TO know a little gals waitin' for me
somewheres. They amt none. They
never will be. amt built that way.
You treated me white tonight You're
the first woman that ever kissed me OF
her own accord"
The girl heard faint scramble, then
the soft pat OF some one landing on
his feet. Peering from the window,
she made out faint shadowy form
stealing around the corner OF the ho-
tel. She put her hand to her heart
and listened. Her understanding OF
the strangers motives was vague, but
she had caught his confession that her
kiss had meant much to him and even
In her anxiety she felt an inclination
to laugh. She had bestowed that caress
az she would have kissed the cold end
Of dogs nose.
The men below stairs, after some
had decided on bullet. This
was out Of consideration for Billy's
standing as a frontiersman. Besides,
be had stolen no horses. In order not
10 delay matters the execution was
axed for the present tine and place.
Billy stood with his back to the logs
of his own hotel, his hands and feet
pound. but his eyes uncovered. He had
lever lost his nerve. In the short res
pite which preparation demanded he
told bis opponents what he thought Of
hem.
"Proud" he concluded a long solilo-
guy as II to the reflector Of the lamp.
'ProudT he repeated meditatiyely.
This yere Hanks jest that proud he's
all swelled up like a poisoned pup.
Amt every one kin corral man and
yit $4,000 without turnin' hair"
Black Hank distributed three men to
10 the business. There were no hero
cs. The execution of this man was
accessory TO him, not because he was
particularly angry over the escape Of
he messenger-he expected to capture |
hat individual In due time-but in or
Ter to preserve his authority over his |
men. He was In the act of moving |
'ack to give the shooters room when
Ie heard the door open and shut.
He turned Before the door stood a
mall, consumptlye looking man in a
light check suit. The tenderfoot car
led two short barreled Colts revolv-
rs, one Of which he presented direct
y at Black Hank.
"'Nds up!' he commanded sharply.
Hank was directly covered, 80 he
beyed. The newcomers eye had o
trangely restless quality. or the 9th
r dozen inmates Of the room eleven
Tere firmly convinced that the weapon
nd eye not directed at their leader
Tere personally concerned with them
elves. The twelfth thought he saw
is chance. To the bewildered onlook-
rs there seemed to be fash and a
ang instantaneous. Then things were
s before. One of the strangers weap-
MS still pointed at Black Hanks
reast; the second at each one Of the
theirs. Only the twelfth man, he who
ad seen his chance, had collapsed for
ard to the floor. No one could assure
lmself positively that he had dis
erned the slightest motion ON the part
the stranger.
Now" said the latter sharply, lone
a time, gentlemen, Drop your gun!'
his last to Black Hank. "Muzzle
own. Drop 1t! Correct"
One of the men in the back Of the
,om stirred slightly ON the ball Of his
,ot.
STEADY there" said the stranger.
he man stiffened.