Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-10-06

eye the street from which the weakest
n least accurate fire had come. he
invaded it at a 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 v%alorous vol
unteers, waited. concealed by beer bar
rels. until Calliope had passed their
retreat and then peppered him from
the ear. In another m 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 he
must find some means Of reducing the
great odds against him.
Not far away was the little railroad
station. its building a strong box
house 10 by 20 feet resting upon a
platform four feet above ground.
Windows were in each of it's walls.
Calliope 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 a window.
Patterson and his supporters halted
under protection Of a pile of lumber
md held consultations. In the station
was an unterriied 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 e was a hand truck
used in the manipulation of small
freight. 1t stood by a shed full of
sacked wool. a 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 fred from a
window. and some tufts of wool squirt
ed from the marshal's trustworthy bull
wark.
The marshal was too deeply en-
| crossed in steering his protected bat
tleship to be ware 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 Calliope! 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 her there was silence.
AT length the wounded man opened
his eyes. After a blank space he
again could see and near and feel and
think. Turning his eyes about. he
found himself lying on a wooden
bench. \. tall man with a perplexed
countenance. wearing a big badge
with CITY Marshall engraved Upon it.
stood over him. A little old woman
in black. with a 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 his mind and connected
with past events when the old woman
began to talk.
There now. great. big. strong man.
That bullet never fetched you-jest
skeeted along the side of your head
and sort of paralyzed you for a spell
I've heerd Of sech things afore. Con-
cussion is what they m it. Abel
Watkins used to kill squirrels that
way-barkin' EN-. Abe called it. You
jest been parked. sir, and you'll be
all right in a 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 a baby. would
you? This is my son. sir"
Half turning. the old woman looked
up at the standing man. her worn face
lighting with IL proud and wonderful
smile. She reached out one veined
and c%alloused hand and took one of
her sons. Then. smiling cheerily down
at the PROSTATE man. she continued to
dip the handkerchief in the waiting
room tin wash basin and gently apply
it to his temple.
II amt seer my son 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 a pass to come out here.
can stay a whole week on it. and then
it'll take me back ag'in. Jest think
now. that little boy Of mine has got to
be a otficer-a city marshal of a 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. 1 reckon he
thOuTht his old mothar n bo ckoorof