Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1912-12-06


And even as the bookkeeper rose
TREMENDOUSLY to his feet. strange and
stealthy figure. the cynosure of all
eyes hut the busllrpngers' for Il long
minute. reached the open end Of the
veranda; and with II final spring Il tall
man in silk pajallas. h $ gray beard fly-
ing over either shoulder hurled himself
upon both hushiangers Mt once. With
outspread fingers he clUtched the Scruff
Of each neck ut the self same second.
crash came the two heads together and
over went the table with the three men
over it.
Shots were fred in the struggle on
the ground. happily without effect.
Stingaree had his shooting hand man
glcd by one blow With Il chair whirled
from height Carmichael got his
heel with venomOus stamp upon the
neck OF HOWE: and. in fewer seconds
than it would take TO write their
names. the raScals were defeated and
disurmed. Howie had his neck half
broken and his face was darkening
before Carmichael could he induced
to lift his foot.
THE coclSroach" bawled the man
ager. drunk with battle. I'D hoof his
soul out for two pinsr'
i moment later he was cropping for
his glasses. which had slipped and fall
len from his perspiring nose. and max
ing use of such expressions withal as
to compel painting protest from the
tail man in the sii|en stripes
MY name is Methuen." said he. II
know it's special moment. but-do
you miEd?"
Carmichael fourd his glasses at that
instant. adjusted them. stood up and
leaned back to view the bishop. and
his next words were the apology or
the gentleman he should have been.
MY dear fellow" cried the other.
II quite understand. What are they
doing Will ne rnfyians? Have yon any
handouts? Is it far to the nearest
police harrackS?'
But the rext act of this moving
melodrama was not the least charar-
te~istic Of the chief performance. for
W
not only handruffed. but dashed hand
and foot and in"arcerated in separate
log huts with q guard apiece. and
when u mounte1 messenger had been
6isoatched to the barracks at Clare
Corner. and tho remnant raised
cheer for BISHOP Methuen. it was the"
that that fine fellow showed them
the still finer stuff of which he was
also maze He invited all present TO
step back for a few minutes into the
place Of worship which had been so
charlnincly prepared. 80 scandaIously
misuSed, and where he hoped to see
them all yet again in the evening. IL
il would not bore them to give him
further and more formal hearing then.
II won't keep them five minutes
now" he whispered to Carmichael as
the men went ahead to pick M the
chai~s and take their places. while the
bishop hobbled after still in his pa
iamas and with terribly inflamed and
swollen feet. And then he added.
II must ask you to send buggy at
once for my poor chaplain. He did his
gallant best. poor fellow. but | had to
leave him fallen by the way. am an
old miller. you know. 1t came easier
to me, but the cinder path and run
ming shoes are q different story from
hot sand AID naked feet. And now.
If you please. will strike one little
blow while our hearts are still warm"
c},, n w no ctr how
straight from the shoulder. how sim
ply. how honestly. there is perhaps
no need to tell even those who have
no previous knowledge Of back block
Bishop MethCen and his manly ways.
The bishop and his chaplain "a good
man of no present account stayed TO
see the police arrive that night. and
the romantic ruiIians taken thence
next morning in unrOmantic bonds.
Comparatively little attention was
paid to their depart'lre-partly on ac-
count of the truc'llent attitude of the
police-partly because the Episcopal
pair were making an equally early
start in another direction No one ac-
companied the armed men and the
bound. But every man on the place.
from homestead. mems hut. rabbiter's
tent and boundary riders camp-every
single man who could be mustered
for the nOn"e and horse run up for
hi1n-escorted DR.. Methuen In close
cavalcade to the Mulfera boundary.
where the final cheering too place. led
by Carmichael. who. Of course. was
font and origin Of the display And
Carmichael rode by himself on the
way back. He had been much with
the bishop during his lordship's stay,
and he was too morose for profanity
during the remainder of that day.
But 1t was no better when the man
ayers mood lifted. and the life on Null
fera slipped back into the old binding
and perspiring groove.
Then one night, a night of the very
week thus sensationally begun. the in
yeniOus Chaucer began one of the old.
cd stories on the moOnlit veranda. and
cfr,,nn1 him yx-bilt, that