The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1908-10-16
CHAPTER xvI.-continued.

CHAf En-
Al I'D trust ye," she said. well, there
was a gang across the street tonight
across from my place, 1 mean-and
THAT sneaking Tom Terrill and Darby
Meeker, and 1 reckon all the rest of
lem, was there. And they wa run
min back and forth to my place, and
a-drinkin' a good deal, and the more
they drinks the louder they talks.
And hears Darby Meeker say to one
b,feller, Well git him, sure!' and I
listens with all my ears, though pre-
tendin' to see nothin'. Well fix it this
time he said; the Old Un's got his
thinkin' cap on And I takes in every
word, and by one thing and another
I picks up that there's new schemes
q afoot to trap We. They was a-sayin'
. as it might be an idee to take We as
, you come out of Knapp's tonight"
a. How did they know l was at
ii Knapp's?" 1 asked, somewhat sur
8. prised, though I had little reason to be
when I remembered the number of
e spies who might have watched me.
sa' Why, Dicky Nahl told EN-" said
Ii, Mother Borton. "He was with the gang
and sings it out as pretty as you
please"
This gave me something new to
think about, but I said nothing.
"Well," she continued, "they says
"at last that won't do, fer it'll git EN-
Into trouble, and l reckon they're argy-
flying over their schemes yit. But one
= thing I finds out"
Mother Borton stopped and looked
at me anxiously.
WELL" 1 said impatiently, what
,5fwas it,"
II, They're a-sayin' as how, If you're
killed, the one as you knows onll have
to git some one else to look after the
boy, and mebbe he won't be so smart
y about foolin' them"
That's an excellent idea," said I.
q, IF they only knew that I was the 9TH
er fellow they could see at once what
q bright scheme they had hit upon"
Y Maybe they amt a-goin' to do it"
J. said Mother Borton. There's a heap
. O. things said over the liquor that don't
:, git no further, but you'll be a fool if
you don't look out. Now, do as l tell
. you. You just keep more men around
J. you. Keep ayes in the back of your
b. head, and If you see there's a-goin' to
Z be trouble, jest you shoot first and AK
questions about it afterward. They
talked of getting you down on the
waterfront or up in Chinatown with
some bogus message and said how
easy 1t would be to dispose of you
without leaving clues behind 'em.
Now, don't you sleep here without
three or four men on guard, and don't
you stir round nights with less than
= four. Seud Porter out to git two more
men, and tell him to look sharp and
see If the coasts clear outside. ]
reckon I'll slide out if no ones look
In"
I've got some men OH the next
door," l said. Il thought it would be
Just as well to have a few around in
case of emergencies. I'll have two OF
them out, and send Porter to recon
hotter"
"Who told you to git your men to
gether?"
"A little idea of my own"
you've got some sense, after ALL
The reinforcements were soon ready
10 take orders, and Porter returned tt
bring word that no suspicious person
WAS In sight in the street.
~ reckon I'd best 60, then" sait
Mother Borton II don't want no knife
In me Jest yit, but IL there's no one
to see me I'm all right"
l pressed Mother Borton to take
two of my men as escort, but sht
sturdily refused.
"They'd know something was I'm 4
/ was 10 go around that way, and II
be a bloody ghost as soon as theI
could ketch me alone" she said
Well good night--or is 1t mornin'