Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-07-02
The House of the Black
-. !. s.'.. Ring e.,y.,.... 1905 /.

go1n TO be any more pow-WoWin III
this valley they'll take you and pow
WOW half a spoonful OF brains into
your old Dutch skull" exploded Amos
"Pow-wowin'! Lord Almighty, IL
amt good and sick of pow-wowin'!
Can't an old ydrler hen lay a big aig
In this valley but what she's been pow
vowed? Now, why don't you stop this
nonsense and go to lookin' for the gang
that's really been dom this devilish-
: ness? Jim Farthing couldn't have done
that job alone, There was two Of 'em
at least, and who was the other want
TO know? You take my advice. Squire,
n go mighty slow. The Paintings are
out of this, n he's a dangerous man
to make mistakes with
What about the hammer? Heigh?'
That hammer won't hang no Far
things. They could get that hammer
In a dozen ways. Almost every break
tools out of some blacksmith shop or
Toulouse. Perhaps the one that took
that hammer done II to lay the sus-
picion onto the Farthings. / tell you,
Squire, you take my advice and go
slow"
Il shall go slow or fast, jest as /
dum please, you-uns take notice of
that. It's been a mighty long time
sence Nv been crawling around this
fN~NNNJ RhAAA5 PSOBiC ~ Il pcklCI w.
You let me tell you this. sub. AL Far
thing amt out of this yet. Nosuh." He
turned with a jerk and stormed out Of
the ROOM, slamming the door behind
him. A small avalanche of talk, seem
ingly loosened by the bang, ratified
about the room, but 1t was quickly cut
short by a commotion without.
They rushed TO the door in time to
see the sheriff and his posse gallop up
with a flourish, their horses white with
foam, and make half a circle about the
store front.
Where's the squireT" shouted the
leader breezily.
Here, right here" The old man
hustled through the crowd. There
was a curious, wild western air to the
scene, with its blowing horses and
flannel -shirted riders. The leader sat
on a raw-boned mustang that, despite
Its hard run, held his head high. The
Squire vent straight to the man.
IT'S Jim Farthing we want" he an
nounced, h%rusquely. mo matter about
the others"
But / thought there was evidence
against all of EN-. / thought they was
n gang" There was a shade of disap-
pointment In his voice.
mo. Jim's the only one IN this
scrape. I've gut more evidence since
| telephoned. You'll know him: stout,
broad shouldered Teller; about 81; Ave
feet eleven; weighs about 1870; brown
hair. grey eyes. smooth face, square
jaws, good teeth; wears a brown shirt
and a black felt hat"
"Where'd we better start in?"
You'd better go TO the house first,
and from there strike up into the Gap
to their wood lot. He's hid somewhere
In h mountains, but he can't get out.
I've sent word In every direction and
they're keeping watch for him.
All right" answered the sheriff with
breezy Importance. II shall want to
swear In most of this crowd as depu-
ties. We want TO spread out in small
groups, and"
God Almighty! there he is now!"
The ejaculation turned the crowd like
a pistol-shot. Allen Farthing and Jim
were right by the sheriff's horse.
Here's the boy; it's all a mistake;
and l want it cleared up right now.
This boy is Jest as innocent OF this
business as a child"
Sheriff" called the Squire sharply,
that's the | order his arrest on
the spot The sheriff sprang from his
and strobe over to the new ar
Look here, young man, / want to put
questions TO yeh and you mind
0 answer 'em." The Squire,
grim and black. planted himself in
of Jim and swung his fist In his
face. Where was yeh last night? Was
you home all the timer"
No"
Was you out with your ,colt?"
"At 10 o'clock"
Driving down Gum Rum way?"
Yes"
You'll tell the sheriff now why you
took that drive at that time of night
In that direction"
WHY went on business" There
was a troubled look in his face.
"Oh. yes. that's very probable" The
a a triumphant look at the
DO you have much business
at midnight these nights? Alone was
yeh all the way?"
Moo, / wasn't
who did We have with yeh?" An
silence had fallen over the
crowd. Jim made no reply.
.'Who was it?" inisted the man
brutaiiy.
Il can't tell you. Squire Hartswick."
Cant tell me-? DO you realize what
1t means IL you don't? If you went on
Now, once again. who was it?"
y refuse to answer"
.'Oh, Indeed. This is quite interest.
Ing, Mr.. Sheriff. Very well, let me ask
you another question. You've always
Karl Keichline, have yeh?"
why. l don't know-
Yes or no; have o always liked
mo"
Ever had any falling out with him?v
why. not much. Up in the noun
tains one night, We
Never mind the whole story" broke
In the Squire harshly. What was the
last word he said to you them,
"Why-I
Tell the sheriff Just what he said"
HE said he'd get even with me IL 1t
took so years. but l didn't
Right. 1t takes two to make a uar
and what you said to him will come
out In due tine
But, Squire Hartswick. I-
sOh. you'll nave time enough 10 talk
that. We want you to clear UP
one more point. Here. sheriff. you
brought up the hammer, didn't you? Z"
The sheriff produced II at once. Now.
lave you ever e that hammer"
Yes, that's our hammer" He took
L into his hands and examined IL curi-
ously.
where did you see It last?"
1T was In our tool house up home"
when was that2"
"Sometime last week; / don't re-
member Just when"
Have you any explanation as to why
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