Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1910-06-17

also formed the ceiling Of the room
below, was scanned with numerous
cracks, and up through these came the
sound of rafting glasses and the bois-
ferrous voices Of the men. Gluing MS
eyes to one of the aperturos. Sandersor
gained a splendid view Of the tap-room
beyond.
For what appeared an almost inter
minable period the villainous quartet
applied themselves asslduously to the
game. At last. however. when sander
son was on the verge of losing all pa
thence. they set aside their cards and,
drawing closer together, Conversed ear
nestly for some time. They spoke IN
guarded tones, but the listener was
able to follow the trend Of their con
ference sufficiently to confirm his
worst fears.
Presently Russell took W the cards.
| shufled them, and placed the pack in
| the center of the table.
"The man who draws the highest
card O the job, Harvey" Sanderson
heard him say to the man seated at
his right.
Each Of the -four drew a care from
the pack and laid 1t face upward or
the table. SandersOn saw that the
man addressed as Harvey had drawn
an ace, while those which fell to the
lot of the theirs We're of lesser de-
nomination.
you're the lucky man. Harvey"
laughed Russell. You knife the young
cub while the rest Of Is dig his grave"
The words SEN a thrill Of horro:
through Sanderson as their portent
dawned upon him. 1t was his own
grave they purposed to dig!
Look out for Black Bob" continued
the landlord. w%arningly. Hes up
there, drunken than a Dutch peddler.'
I'll kin 'em both" snarled Harvey,
showing his fang-like teeth in a wolf.
ish smile. i've got a grudge against
the Niger. anyhow"
From a cupboard behind the bar
Russell produced a rusty shovel and
spade. together with a pickaXe. The
latter implement he gave to the mular-
to, handing the other man the shovel,
and retaining the spade himself. The
trio of Villains hen hurried outside.
Meanwhile the chosen assassin drew
a long-bladed knife from somewhere
about his person. Running his hand
caressingly along the keen edge he be-
gan to test its sharpness
The moment for action had arrived,
Sanderson, every nerve tense with ex-
element, cautiously retreated from his
post Of observation, numerous plans
for offense and defense following each
other in rapid succession through his
overweight brain.
He realized that, we'll armed and
wide awake, the odds were very much
In his favor. He was in a position to
sweep the only entrance to the room
with his pistol, and this advantageous
arrangement of the loft assured him
Of being pitted against not more than
one Of the miscreants at a time, pro-
vided, Of course, that the negro did
not array himself with the tavern con
tingent. This, however, in view Of
what he had overheard, seemed i'm.
probable. He accordingly determined
to enlist the black giants aid in his
own behalf.
Black BOZ was sleeping %soundly, hi
face buried in the blankets. Sander
son touched him lightly and he awok
with a growl.
Harvey is coming up the ladder t.
kill US. Russell and the others ar
even now preparing our graves in thu
yard"
The click Of the negro's pistol as
cooking 1t, he sank back amongst his
blankets, feigning slumber, was the
only reply; but it sounded SO loud to
Sanderson's preternaturally acute sense
of hearing. that he was a~pprehensivc
lest Harvey, hearing it as we'll, would
be warned away before the black could
find an opportunity Of ending his evil
career.
The mental agony Of the next few
moments was intense Sanderson's
heart seemed to pound like a trip-ham-
mer in his breast. But, emulating
Black Bob's example, he. too, feigned
slumber.
Presently, very silently, Harvey
mounted the ladder. the trap vas eau
tiously lifted, the floor creaked slight
ly beneath a heavy weight, and the
would-be assassin approached the pal
let. Sanderson held his breath in
suspense. Was he to shoot first, or
did the negro mean to fire?
Even as he put the question to him
self there came a binding flash that
revealed for the space Of a second
every object in the room. A deafen-
ing report followed. There were
sounds Of a heavy fall, a muff1ed, CUR
Cling groan, then silence more terrible
than the din 1t succeeded.
Black Bob started toward the lad
der, moving with a shutting noise.
There were sounds as of chairs being
overturned below, voices rose in star
tied clamor, and hurried footballs
crossed the floor Of the tap-room. Rus
sell and his accomplices, startled by
the sound Of the shot from their grue-
some task without, had fastened back
into the tavern, and were wen now
pushing up the ladder, the mulatto in
the lead.
The instant the latter's head and
shoulders appeared above the trap
Black BOZ fired again. The ball from
his heavy pistol bored Its way through
the miscreant's breast, sending him
headlong to the floor below, mortally
wounded.
Russell and his surviving ally were
just struggling to their feet, having
been precipitated to the ground by
the weight Of the mulatto's body, when
"