The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1910-08-03

or keeping the means of assurins
bread to his children
With as great solemnity as though
It had been sanity relic the old mar
drew from behind the door the treas
ure Of his house. an old flintlock mus
ket, and he caressed its worm eater
stock
He loaded 1t himself. He knew thai
old friend better than any one. Ills
stiffened hands grew timber and young
as he handled the old gun--a hand.
full OF powder and wadding made ot
tarred rope and now the charge OF
balls tbuckshot they Were), double and
more than he would have put in had
the game been other than what he
expected it would be, and all rammed
down hard alS tight. He had score
to pay as well as Sento; but. being a
wise man, he had never told of his
forced contribution. But now he put
more than buckshot into the gun. He
put hate and vengeance in it. He put
death in it. He put all the malice Of
an impotent person in 1t. oh, yes: the
gun was well loaded for its work! If
the gun did not burst with its double
load it would be almost a miracle.
The. old man lighted several blessed
candles and set them before his patron
saint This duty done. he awaited
events.
Sento closed his house that evening
carefully and while it was still light
went to the old man. A short time
later, BY the light of the stars, Sento
watched the old man place the gun.
10 avoid every chance Of missing he
wished to give Sento the last instruc-
tions-to aim straight at the old ovens
mouth and to be calm. When the ban
dts stopped to seek the money he was
TO ire. A child could not miss them.
Upon the advice of the old man Sen
TO hid himself behind the masses of
the geraniums In the shadow of the
house. Then he must wait patiently
until they came. And hours passed
centuries rather.
Suddenly the frogs in the ponds be-
yond stopped their croaking. Then
through the paths came two shane
less figures, which seemed to him to
De two enormous dogs. They were
crouching to hide below the hedges.
Finally he could see that they were
two men crouching almost double.
There they arey' he muttered
through his chattering teeth
Every moment they turned, looking
about, fearing to be surprised. They
Inspected the masses Of bushes and
geraniums and even approached the
ioor to the house and listened az the
All these maneuvers had
brought them near Sento twice, but he |
'ould not tell who they were. He held
ne barrel Of the gun firmly. His cour-
Ige grew stronger. These must be the
nurderers Of poor Gaffaro. He must
iii them In self defense.
They reached the oven. One of them
topped and thrust his hand into the
ven, occupying exactly the firing line.
ne shot would be superb. But what
= the other one, who would be free?
Sento began to feel the anguish OF
ear, and his forehead was moist with
old sweat. Killing one, he would be
lsarmed before the other. And lie he
lowed them to return with empty
ands they would burn his house at
east.
Finally the one who was watching,
Inpatient at the slowness Of his com
anton. rejoined him. In one sole dark
lass the two men stood searching the
eep oven. That was the psychological
loment, and Sento, setting his teeth,
red.
When that gun was discharged the
hole huerta felt the conclusion. a