The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12
WAITING TO SHOOT
BY EDMOND 3. LINCOLN.

give up business, go west and live ar
outdoor life. Taking his family witt
him TO Kansas. he bought farm there
and entered upon the work Of raisine
crops. He succeeded in re-establish
Ing his health, family of children
grew up about him. his wife was con.
tented In his western home. and the
Maxwells were considered the hon
piest people of that region. Moreover
they were greatly beloved for thei,
kindness to their neighbers.
One day a neighbor owning farm
on the opposite side Of the road from
the Maxwells died. and his family
moved away. A few months later the
closed farmhouse was reopened, and
an Ill favored man was seen MOVING
about the place. He had bought the
farm and. being bachelor, had gone
to live alone on 1t. His name was
Stuntz. He came from Kentucky. wos
about forty years old, wore his hair
and beard long. never apparently comb.
Ing either the one or the other. and
was in all respects disagreeable
looking person.
Mrs. Maxwell, realizing that the fam.
lily comfort depended largely on their
netghbors. was great disturbed at the
advent Of Stuntz. Her husband made
light OF her fears. And, indeed, for n
time the neighbor gave them no trou.
,ble. AS a matter Of policy Mr.. Max
we'll went over and made his acuuaint-
ance. and Mrs. Maxwell invited him
to supper. He accepted the invitation,
but said very little during the meal.
The only person present who seemed
to arouse his attention was Caroline
Maxwell, the oldest daughter, aged
twenty.
Not long after this Stuntz Joined
Miss Maxwell on the road and walked
with her. She treated him civilly,
though she found it difficult to do so.
After that whenever he saw her out
of doors he would make some excuse
to be with her. One day Mr.. Maxwell
was astonished at receiving q call
from Stuntz for the purpose of asking
for Caroline's hand. The father CON
fcealed his disgust as we'll as he was
able. saying that any such match
would be impossible. Caroline when
she heard of the proposal refused to
again speak to the wooer.
From this time forward Stuntz spent
all his leisure time arranging annoy.
ances for the Maxwell family. &c
contrived that his cattle should get
within the Maxwell fences and tramp
down the crops; he shot Tommy Max.
wells pigeons; he appropriated the
Maxwell fruit. These were only the
simple methods he used to trouble his
neighbors; his more complicated ones
were too disagreeable to catalogue.
The result of the whole was misery
to the Maxwells. There was too much
self restraint in the family to make
any complaint to the farmers living
near, but it was not long before the
condition leaked out. and many were
the mutterings against Stuntz.
One day Mr.. Maxwell was obliged
either to surrender his manliness or
protest at the shooting by Stuntz Of
the household dog. beloved by all the
Maxwell family. Stuntz went into his
house to get his gun to kill Maxwell
whose wife, terrified. dragged him
within doors and locked him in.
That night Mrs. Maxwell begged her
husband to move away from the home
where they had been SO happy and
could still be happy were 1t not for
their neighbor. and, since she was sup.
ported by all the children, he was
obliged to consent. The next morning
Stunt was seen sitting on his porch
with his gun in his hands. evidently
watching for Mr.. N1axwelrs appear.
ance. Mrs. Maxwell first saw him
and before her husband was aware Of
Stunts position had locked her hus
band in his bedroom.
The weather was hot and murky.
ragged clouds passing overhead. Dur
ing the afternoon q dark mass Of
cloud appeared above the southern
horizon. Mrs. Maxwell, looking out of
a window. saw it. She also saw Stuntz
sitting with his gun across the road
not 200 yards away. OF the two she
dreaded Stuntz the more, though she
kept her eye on the cloud. Presently
1t assumed the shape Of an immense
balloon. She let her husband out of
confinement, showed him the cloud, and
the whole family went to the cellar.
Stuntz was not facing the balloon
cloud and didn't see 1t. Furthermore,
he. being from Kentucky. had had no
experience with Kansas cyclones. On
came the pillar of cloud, gyrating like
n top and humming like q mighty cat
aract. Stuntz heard the sound. but did
not know what 1t was. he was afraid
to get up and go to the other side Of
his house for fear his neighbor might
slip away and he would miss an OPP
.Dortunity of shooting him.
Then suddenly stuntz. amid mass
of whirling timbers which q second
before had been his house, went up
into the air. Whirling like teetotum.
turning q thousand somersaults, he
was carried with the rapidity of can
non ball for mile and half. then
dropped to the ground from an alti-
tude Of several hundred feet.
When the Maxwell family emerged
from the cellar they saw neither
Stuntz nor his house. His gun was
lying with broken stock in the road.
The cyclone had cut swath covering
the Stuntz house and leaving their
own unframed.
1t developed later that Stuntz was a
man much to be feared in every way.
He had been in numerous shooting
scrapes in the mountains of Kentucky
and was supposed to be slightly de-
ranged. He was devoid Of fear and.