The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1908-02-06
ON THE ROAD
TO ~CENTERVILLE
tOriginaf.l

eraI loungers about the bar, he asked:
ANY gent goin' to Centerville?"
I'm a-goin' that way. Reckon I'll
go with you," said a lounger.
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
:"Morin', gents" to those present, went
out with the farmer and got up along
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. 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
nothin'."
The passenger chuckled. "Why not7"
he asked.
"'Cause the works all done by Ton
Flint, / reckon, and it would AXE a
dozen committees to do anything with
aim. They say he's mighty slippery"
TON Flint hasn't done no holdin'
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 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 at
his passenger and exclaimed:
Great Scott!"
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 nov he began his shooting career
and how easy it seemed after he had
killed the first man.
"How did 1t seem when you killed
the last one?'' asked the farmer.
Flint WINGED. "Tucker?" he said.
"Well 1 didn't want to kill Tucker, 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 L couldn't git her L didn't
intend that Tucker should have her"
"They saw she TUX on mighty bad
when he died"
Again Flint WINGED, but sale nothing.
"Was they goin' to be married soon2'
asked the farmer.
married. They was married"
The words were spoken with q good
deal of feeling, and the countryman
pressed the subject no further. Some
thing was wrong with the names on
he neal 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 lines Flint
Jumped down off the seat and went
forward to fix the names. He tight
enc the strap, the horses neck mean
while being between him INT b coun-
tryman. When he had finished and
looked up at b 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 up!'
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 looked puzzled. A num-
Der Of persons were interested in his
capture, but ne couldn't max 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
h~abitation, and there would be plenty
of time.
"Who are your" b asked the farm
er, "a sheriff."
mo"
zone of the committee7"
mo"
"Then who are your"
"Tom Tucker. Bill fuckers broth
err"
A tfnge Of white spread itself over
Flint's face.
81 was there when Bill was brought
in," continued Tucker. "and 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 1 saw the little girl crazed by It.
If 1 could "a found you then, Tom
Flint, you'd "a got the better of me for
I was reckless. Lucky 1 didn't. When
I cooled off some 1 went to work ON
the sly. YOU never seen me, an6 that
ave me an advantage. I tracked you
to the tavern and new you were go
In to Centervflle. I borrowed this rig
and these clothes. The guns I had al
ready. You remember. in the fracas
with Bill o dropped one of yours.
Well, this right one IL 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 his adversary's eye
and concluded to comply with the or
der.
Nov walk on said Tucker. after
disarming him.
Flint marched on. covered every mo-
ment by one or the other Of fuckers
revolvers- The doomed man knew that
1t was death by the committee or death
- ~ 49,