The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-09-22

was there any hope of its being en-
forced.
While TIE Others talked there was
one man who thought Hiram Perkins
did NOT recover from Haviu" >ecne his
little pet made Il cripple. He resolved
that rortIey's automobile should never
pass his place again. But how was b"
20 prevent it: by means of the law
Portlcy'S po.kctbouh was mighticr
than the law. Dig a trench across the
road and mask it? That would be
murder One day Hiram read an ad-
v~rtiSement of the sale of government
condemned goods. This gave him an
idea. and his idea grew to Il plan.
At quarter past 10 on the morning
after Farmer Burton had signed an
instrument acknowledging full indem-
nifty for the injury done his daughter
and had received his check Mr.. Port
ley'S automobile came down the road
at its accustomed speed AS it ap-
preached Hiram Perkins farm Mr..
saw smoke ahead.
whats that" he asked of his
chauffeur.
Looks as if soldiers were firing
3cross the road" replied the chauf-
keur. slowing up.
At reduced speed they approached
the firing. 1t was on Hiram Perkins
ground He had mounted Il rapid fire
gun of an obsolete pattern on Il pile of
stones four feet from the ground, with
its muzzle pointed at a target set up
across the road, Hiram was laZily
turning the crank.
Hey. YOU old fool. Are you crazy"
yelled Mr.. Portley.
Hiram ceased turning his crank and
looked at til" automobiles
why. no: | reckon not" he replied.
I'm only shootin' at mark"
go on. Pete" said Mr.. Portlcy to
his chauffeur
The automobile gave a few preIimi-
nary pufS. and Perkins began again
to turn his crank. sending Il storm Of
bullets across the road. The chauffeur
shut off i'll Il hurry
ley. by monopolizinS the road in that
fashion,"
who's m"nopoliZin the road" ask
ed Hiram. ceaSng to turn the crank.
You; firing that thing across it
I'm ShOotin' at Il mark peaCtAhIe. |
own twenty acres on this side and
eighty on the other side. reckon I've
own property
You haven't right to obstruct the
road"
81 amt touchin' the road"
Portley was puzzled. but only for Il
moment. He was sure of the farmers
motive.
How much do YOU want to stop
your practicing when | want to pass
your farm"
There was a world of calm Intensity
in Hira as tone and manner as he re
piled:
You haint got money enough to
stop my practicin ut any time
Mr.. Portley refrained from further
argument He felt sure that if he
couldn't buy his way from the farmer
he could buy it through Il lawyer. He
gave orders to his chauffeur TO turn
and hurried back in no good humor to
take another road. doubling the dis
lance to the city. On reaching it he
went straight to his lawyers office
told how Hiram Perkins was monopo-
liZing the highway and asked how he
should procee>l.
"There's 70 law said the lawyer
ito prevent man firing on his own
property even if the highway runs
through it"
what. No law to keep him from
shooting me as I pass his farm
eff he shoots you Intentionally. it's
murder: if unintentionally. you have
an action for damages"
81 don't want no damages after I'm
deadv' exclaimed Mr. Portley. in his
irritation dropping into the double
negative Of his earlier years.
'"Thc only way l see out of it, the
lawyer went on. looking at the ceiling
thOpghtfulIy "iS to meet what I am