The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1908-09-11
ON THE ROAD
TO ~CENTERViLLE
IOriginal.l

on a pair Of horses hitched to a wagon
standing in the road. Turning to sew
eral loungers about the bar, he asked:
Amy gent go1n' to C~entervillefs
I'm a-goin' that way. Reckon TIL
go with you." said a lounger.
A medium sized, compactly built'man
with a restless eye and a sprtngy step
got up from his ctat1 counted out
some money to the landlord. said
MORN, gents" to those present, went
out with he farmer and got I'D alons
side of him or the spring seat.
Much obleeged to you for comm
along" remarked the farmer as he
drove of. There's beer q turrible lot
o. holdups rounds here lately. I don't
k goin' alone very much"
why don't the committee stop it7"
asked the passenger
stop it! The committee can't do
nothin'."
The passenger chuck1ed .rWhy not7''
he asked.
"'Cause the works all done by Tom
Flint. 1 reckon, and It would tax a
dozen committees to do anything with
him. They say he's mighty slippery"
tom Flint hasn't lone no holdiuf
up. He isn't SO low down as that"
You don't mean it"
There's nothin' the matter with
Flint. He won't hurt nobody that
don't want to hurt him."
How do you Know thatP'
"Know It'll III prove it I'm Tom
Flint myself"
The farmer quickly I'VE to b
far end Of the seat looked sidewtse at
his passenger and exclaimed:
"Great Scotty'
Flint seemed disposed to make good
his words. riding so peacefully beside
the farmer that b latter gradually
ssumed an appearance Of confidence
and he I'VE fell to chatting. Flint
told how he began his shooting career
and how easy it seemed after be had
killed the first man
"How did 1t seem when you killed
the last oneY' asked the farmer.
Flint WINGED. "Tucker7" he said
well, I didn't want to kill Tucker, but
he took my gal away from me-"
~Did she prefer you to TuckerT"
well, no, I amt say she did, but
g. long as 1 couldn't git her 1 didn't
intend that Tucker should have her"
"They saw she tux on mighty bad
when he died."
Again Flint WINGED, but said nothing.
WAS they goin' to be married soonT'
asked the farmer.
Married.! They was married"
The words were spoken with a good
deal of feeling, and the countryman
pressed the subject no further. Some
thing was wrong with the names on
the near horse. They were slipping
back off the collar. The farmer drew
rein.
Reckon I'll git down and tighten
them hames," he said. "Wil you hold
the lines, Mr.. Flint?'
Instead of holding the ines Flint
jumped down off the seat and 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 Flint's head.
Hands upy"
The astonished Flint did not comply
with alacrity, ~whereupon the farmer
repeated the order with a finger press
ed close on each trigger. Flint raised
his hands. He locke puzzled. A num-
DCA VI pC1SoAo "cIS I1lSIcSlco III LIE
capture, but ne 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 were alone. far from any
habitation, and there would be plenty
OF time.
"Who are your he asked the farm
q. "a sheriff."
mo"
zone of the committeer
NO"
"Then who are your"
tom Tucker. Bill fuckers broth
err"
A t1nge of white spread itself over
Flints face.
II was there when Bill was brought
h." continued Tucker, "and saw my
own brother, who I'd one around with
when we were little shavers with our
arms around eac others necks, laid
low by the man who wanted his wife,
and 1 saw the little girl crazed by 1t.
II 1 could "a found you then, Tom
Flint, you'd "a got the better of me, for
I was reckless. Lucky I didn't When
I cooled off some 1 went to work On
the sly. You'd never seen me, anG that
gave me an advantage. I tracked you
to the tavern and knew you were go
In to Centerv11Ie. I borrowed this rig
and these clothes. The guns I had al
ready. You remember, In The fracas
with Bill you dropped n of d
Well, this right one Ia the one you
dropped. Now turn about while I dis
arm you"
Flint hesitated. He was desperate
and medftated some desperate move,