The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1908-08-22
YHEn ROAD o.o.
TO ~CENTERViLLE
lOriginal.l

- toFOAA ~ NhC d WSSI IOOkluR OUT
on a pair OF horses hitched to a wagon
standing In the road. Turning to sew
eral loungers about the bar, he asked:
ANY gent goin' to Centerviller'
I'm a-goin' that way. Reckon TIL
go with you." said a lounger.
A medium sized, compactly buf1tsman
with a restless y and a springy step
got up from his chair, counted out
some money to the landlord. said
MORN, gents" to those present went
out with the farmer and got up alons
side of him on the spring seat
much. obleeged to you for comm
along" remarked the farmer as he
drove off. There's been a turrible lot
O. holdups rounds here lately. I don't
like goin' alone very much"
why don't b committee stop itY"
asked the passenger
stop it! The committee cart do
nothin'."
The passenger chuckled. "Why notY'
he asked.
"'Cause the works ell done by Tom
Flint, 1 reckon, and It would take a
dozen committees to do anything with
him. They say he's mighty slippery"
"Tom Flint hasn't done no holdinf
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 van to hurt him"
How do you know that7"
KNOW It'll I'll prove IL I'm Tom
Flint myself"
The farmer quickly moved to the
far end of the seat, looked sidewtse at
bis passenger and exclaimed:
"Great Scottt'
Flint seemed disposed to make good
his words. riding so peacefully beside
the farmer that the latter gradually
assumed an appearance of confidence,
and the two fell to chatting. Flint
told how he began his shooting career
n how easy it seemed after he had
killed the first man
How did it seem when you killed
the last one?" asked the farmer.
Flint WINGED. '-Tucker2' he said.
"Well. 1 didn't want to kill Tucker, but
he took my gal away from me-
did she prefer you to TuckerT'
swell, no, L can't say she did, but
g. long as 1 couldn't git her I 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 soon ?"
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 TN git down and tighten
them hames," he said. "wI you hold
the lines, Mr.. FlintT'
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 be 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 Flints head.
Hands upr'
The astontshed 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 looked puzzled. A num-
Der Of persons were interested in his
capture, but he 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
habftation, and there would be plenty
OF time.
"Who are your he asked the farm
er. "a sheriff."
mo"
zone of the committee"
mo"
"Then who are you7"
Tom Tucker. Bill fuckers broth
er."
A tnge Of white spread itself over
Flints face.
Il was there when Bill was brought
h." continued Tucker, land saw my
own brother, who I'd gone around with
when we were little shavers with our
arms around each others necks, laid
low by the man who wanted his wife,
and I saw the little girl crazed by 1t.
II 1 could "a found you then, Tom
Flint, you'd "a got b better of me, for
I was reckless. Lucky L didn't When
I cooled off some I went to work on
the sly. You'd never seen me, an6 that
gave me an advantage. I tracked you
to the tavern and knew you were go
In to C~enterv1le, I borrowed this rig
and these clothes. The guns I lar al
ready. You remember, in the fracas
with Bill you dropped one Of yours.
Well, this right one La the one you
dropped. Now turn about while I dis
arm you"
Flint hesitated. He was desperate
and meditated some Desperate move,
but he looked into bis adyersary's eye
and concluded to comply with the or