Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1910-12-14

eye the street from which the weakest
invaded it at double quick. abandon
ing the unprotected middle Of the
street. With rare cunning the oppos-
ing force in that direction. one Of the
deputies and two of the valorous vol
unteers. waited. concealed by beer bar
rels. until Caliope had passed their
retreat and then peppered him from
the rear. In another moment they
were REINFORCED by the marshal and
his other men, and then Calliope felt
that in order to successfully prolong
the delights Of the controversy be
must find some means of reducing the
great odds against him.
Not far away was the little railroad
station. it's building strong box
house 10 by 20 feet resting upon a
platform four feet above ground
Windows were in each of it's walls.
CaIliope made a bold and rapid squirt
for it. the marshal's crowd 'smoking''
him as he ran. He reached the haven
in safety. the station agent leaving the
building by Il window
Patterson and his supporters halted
under protection Of pile of lumber
and held consultations In the station
was an unterrified desperate who was
an excellent shot and carried an
abundance Of ammunition. For thirty
yards on each side of the besieged
was a stretch Of bare open ground
Standing near was hand truck
used in the manipulation Of small
freight. 1t stood by a she'd full of
sacked wool. consignment from one
Of the sheep ranches On this truck
the marshal and his men piled three
heavy sacks Of wool. STOPPING low.
Buck Patterson started for Calliope's
fort. slowly pushing this loaded truck
before him for protection. The posse.
scattering broadly. stood ready to nip
the besieged in case he should show
himself in an effort to repel the jug
gernaut of justice that was creeping
upon him. Only once did Calliope
make demonstration He fired from a
window, and some tufts of wool squirt
ed from the marshals trustworthy bull
wark
The marshal was too deeply en-
crossed in steering his protected bat
tleship to be aware of the approach of
the morning train until he was within
a few feet of the platform. The train
was coming up on the other side Of it.
1t stopped only one minute at Quick
sand. What an opportunity it would
offer to Caliope. He had only to step
out the other door, mount the train
and away!
Abandoning his breastworks. Buck.
with his gun ready. dashed up the
steps and into the room. driving open
the closed door with one heave of his
weighty shoulder. The members of
the posse heard one shot fired inside,
and then there was silence
At length the wounded man opened
his eyes. After a blank space he
again could see and hear and feel and
think. Turning bis eyes about. be
found himself lying on wooden
bench. A tall man with a perplexed
countenance. wearing big badge
with "City Marshal" engraved upon it.
stood over him. A little old woman
in black. with wrinkled face and
sparkling black eyes. was holding a
wet handkerchief against one of his
temples. He was trying to get these
facts fixed in bis mind and connected
with past events when the old woman
began to talk.
There now. great. big. strong man!
That bullet never fetched you-jes,
skeeted along the side of your head
and sort of paralyzed you for spell
I've heerd Of sech things afore Con
cussion is what they names it. Abel
Watkins used to kill squirrels that
Way-barkin' 'em. Abe called it. You
jest been parked, sir, and you'll be
all right in little bit. Feel lots bet
ter already, don't you? You just lay
still awhile longer and let me battle
your head. You don't know me,
reckon. and faint surprisin' that you
shouldn't. come in on that train
from Alabama to see my son. Big SON
amt he? Lands, you wouldn't hardly
think he'd ever been baby, would
you? This is my son. sir"
Half turning, the old woman looked
up at the standing man. her worn face
lighting with proud and wonderful
smile. She reached out one veined
and callouSed hand and took one OF
her sons. Then. smiling cheerily down
at the PROSTATE man, she continued tc
dip the handkerchief in the waiting
room tin wash basin and gently apply
it to his temple
Il amt seen my SOD before" she
continued. lin eight years. One Of my
nepheWs. Elkanah Price. he's a con
ductor on one of them railroads, and
he got me pass to come out here
can stay whole week on it. and then
it'll take me back agin. Jest think
now. that little boy of mine has got tc
be a officer-a city marshal of whole
town! That's somethin' like a con
stable. amt it? | never knowed be
was a officer He didn't say nothin
about it in his letters. reckon he
thought his old mother d he skeered
about the danger be was in. But
laws. l never was much of hand tc
git skeered. 'Tain't no use. heard
them guns a-shootin' while l was git
tin off them cars. and see smoke
a-comin' out of the depot. but jest
walked right along. Then l see sons
face }ookin' out through the window
knowed him at oncet. He met me al
the door and squeezed me most t