The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1910-08-06

not family, jim? the little man
/ pleasantly asked,
Yes
TIE job aint for you. jim" said
/ the smiling stranger If anybody does
any rushin | reckon I'm tn man to do
it. But | amt at all sure that any
rushin' is required"
The sheriff and his young deputy
stared at the little man
Crack went the revolver of tha
man across the way. It was followed
! by the tinkle of falling glass
Your friend wants to know he's
still wide awake" laughed the little
man. But there's no use lettin' him
| break any more glass. Can you get
me a clothesline somewheres?"
You'll have to catch him fore you
! tie him" said the sheriff with
sudden smile
Sure" replied the little man.
well, wait a minute" said the old
soldier. Il don't know you This is
my job and my responsibility. You
tumbled down on me out of the clouds
| an seem to want to step in an run
| things to suit yourself. You may be
! the man that can do it an you may be
a lunatic. How am l to know"
II amt much to look at, am II"
| said the little man.
NO" chuckled the sheriff.
1T can't be helped" said the little
man with sigh. An yet | fancy my
L%1 -
! People don't count on much from
| runts'
See here" said the sheriff, who
are your
my name is Mech replied the
little man. Jim Mech. I'm from
Arizona. Some of tn boys call me
Rather Jim. That's cause I'm death
| on rattlers. Ever shoot at a snakes
head when twas swaying to an fro?"
NO" the sheriff hastily replied.
Finest pistol practice in the
world" said the little man 9Th Ari-
iona sheriffs know me. He suddenly
smiled. Some O. them know me in
tn line O business, but that's a good
while ago. An I've been sheriff
myself"
The old sheriff looked into the pale
blue eyes.
Guess that's straight bill of par
ticulars," he slowly said. 81 reckon
it entities you to look in at this lit.
tie game. Sposin' l made you a dep.
uty?"
Good responded the man from
Arizona. AN now for tn clothes
line"
When the rope was brought the lit
tie man looked it over carefully. Then
he knotted a running moose in it
and coiled it over his arm
I'm goin' to make jump for tn
tree there-th' one by tn curb" he
said. He can't hit me. I amt a
good mark. I'll dash out from tn side
of tn house. Then minute or two
later III get to tn tree across the
road. It's plenty thick enough to She
ter me. III have tn fellow worried
then. He'll take chances to get me.
You watch tn fun. But say, sheriff,
don't let your boys do any shootin'-
unless they shoot in tn air. I'm more
afraid O. them than | am of tn Teller
across there"
"All right" said the sheriff. Got a
gum"
Don't want any gun for this job"
said the little man.
A moment later he dashed out of
the yard and gained the first tree.
The man in the house was taken by
surprise. He made no movement.
Two minutes later the little man
dashed across the street. He made
the move with remarkable celebrity,
and although the man in the house
promptly fired at him the shot went
wild
The little man with his coiled rope
gained the second tree and drew him
self up behind the shelter of the thick
trunk. Then the watchers saw him
lay part of his rope on the grouni l.
The desperate at the open front
window was evidently worried by this
move. He had found small oak
table In the house and pushed this
through the window onto the little
porch, holding it on end in front of
him as a shelter Before he could
rest the table against the porch rail
the little man had whirled the moose
in the air, and. quite reckless regard
ing his own safety, had given it a