The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-04-14

had tied his hands 30 tight behind
. his back his shoulder blades over
lapped. And the first thing the lead
er wanted to know vas where was the
dust. Naturally Hoppy had forgot
ten. as any man in his right MIND
would under such circumstances
They administered a few KICKS 10
Hoppy's bony anatomy, but that
didn't seem to waken his faulty mem
DRY. Still he couldn't think, n one
of them informed him that II ne
couldn't remember without a little
stronger assistance they'd give him a
little to help him along.
"Once more they wanted to know
where the dust was, but Hoppy
couldn't remember. They held a lit
tie consultation; time was flying and
they must work quickly.
"Hoppy watched them with inter-
est. and it didn't take him long to see
what they had planned for him in the
way of entertainment. The big brR-
tai fellow of the crowd had snatched
A. long rod we use in prospecting n
was. stirring up the fire. When 1t was
burning brightly he stuck the n OF
the rod in the fire and looked over at
Hoppy.
"Hoppy wilted a little, and I don't
blame him, but he was game. Inc
big fellow wanted to know where
that gold was, but Hoppy couldn't re-
member. When a man has given up
a of his life to find the yellow
stuff as we had, and has found it at
last. he isn't inclined to hand 1t over
to the next poor sinner that comes
! along and tries to take it by force.
Hoppy was game.
"Wher the rod was nicely heated
/ the robber came over to Hoppy and
held it about one-eighth of an inch IN
| front of Hoppy's nose, and he wanted
to know if Hoppy saw it. Needless
to say. Hoppy did see it, and, more
over, he felt it. He was given to I'M
derstand that not only should he see
il but that he would feel 1t II ne
didn't give them the necessary 1nfor-
nation, but Hoppy was tight:-busy
praying that we fellows would come
O say? Not at all. He was think
ing of something else.
"At the order of the leader n OF
them snatched OF his boots and they
made ready to bore a few holes INTO
his sole. Hoppy had a tough one, but
he knew as we'll as they that II
wouldn't stand roasting. At the f"s
hiss of the red iron he let out a vel
and they had to sit on him a while
before he cooled down. This time
they got him firm and, as he SILL
couldn't seem to remember, one OF
them yanked off his shirt and the big
chap leveled the red hot iron for his
heart. That was too much for Hop
py, and he begged for mercy and
promised to tell. him where we stored
the gold.
"Hoppy told them to go back Ok
the shack near a brown rock N
there under a covering of earth
they'd find the gold. He acted scared
blue, and they hustled out. Hoppy
could see them as they hurried up the
rise of ground back of the shack. he
saw them find the place as he a
said with the earth covering. They
we're as eager a pair and pleased a
crowd, Hoppy said afterward, as ne
had ever seen.
"One of them had a crowbar. He
lifted it up and down it went. Ihen
something happened. There was d
crash and a blast Of flame that vent
a hundred feet into the air. Mixed IN
the crash and blaze were mems cries
of agony and forms shuttled a mo-
ment into view, and it was all-oVer.
1--WE rode hard On the back stretch
for we saw and heard the explosion,
and I tell you it was an anxious ana
hot bunch of men that threw them
selves off their ponies at the shack or
what had been a shack. We dug
HOBBY out of the debris of the shack,
more dead than alive, but he was just
mad enough to spoil all chance OF MS
dying, and we managed to get the
truth out Of him.
cit seems that he had kept the
bluff to the last minute so that ne
might not arouse their suspicious
and then kindly directed them to a
place he had provided in that strange
foresight of his for such emergencies
"a hole furnished with enough dy-
Mantle to blow a mountain over al
most. They had done the rest, and
incidentally had found rest, too, Tor
it was so much work picking them
up that we gave up the attempt.
"Hoppy was a hero after that. I'm
afraid he never got over u prais!ng
him, but as long as Hoppy staid with
us he was treated like a man n ne
was one, too-the real stuff clear
through" w. Werner, in chicago