The Washington herald., 1912-05-12
. Pc were at dinner. q hat salesman
A and myself, and OF course the talk
Nv had turned TO " the road"
The day Of the sharper Is pass

WV had turned 10 the ROAD.
The day OF the sharper Is pass
ing among travelling statesmen. Isn't
it?' had asked. and Williams had raised
hand for emphasis.
1T is more than passing" he answered
" II Is past The man who tries the crooked
little deals on the road may get by for while.
but the FIRST thing he knows he is left out
in the eold-and II q man has any sense he
win see that.
But" he continued with a little smile,
there are times when one doesn't have TO
tell all he knows. For instance. there IL In
my recollection a time when I sold mighty
nice little bill OF goods simply by keeping my
mouth shut. It didn't hurt any one TO do
that, It helped the house a lot and II gave a
certain sheriff q hne opinion OF what he had
always thought was class OF nothings"
I'm ready" said: " train the cannon"
He sat for q few moments watching the
smoke As It curled from his cigar. and the
smile on his face kept broadening all the
time
It's an Oklahoma story" he said a. last.
had Just started out on the road for a
Kansas City firm, one with not too much
reputation, but with a mighty nifty line
Of stun. II was the firms first entrance into
Oklahoma territory-or rather, Indian ter
ritory. for the country had not been merged
into state at that time.
left ConeyviIle. Kas-. about 3 O'Clock
one morning. and got into Nowata. Okla
about breakfast time. The town was a
small AFFAIR, with only a row OF stores
on each side OF a dusty. crooked street.
However, you cannot always tell about these
small towns In the open country. Sometimes
you will ind a little tumbledown shack that
s--fTT L. - F,,N
As I started out TO hunt the best store in
town observed an excited group OF men
and horses near the line OF hitching posts.
There were men OF the open country there.
great tall men. with sun Drowned faces, men
who carried rifles and whose faces were
determined. A short. red faced man was ad-
dressing them. I remember him distinctly,
because I couldn't help comparing the color
OF bis face to the color OF the red bandana
handkerchief which was tied around his neck.
"I did not pause to see what was the
matter because did not have any too much
time In the town. found my store and
entered
Is the proprietor In? I asked the clerk.
1.-The sheriff? he asked. No, he's out
with the posse.
The posse? asked.
Yes, you see Henry Starr Is Ioose again.
He and his gang robbed a bank up here IN
Coneyville the other day and ESCAPED after
fight down into this country. The sheriff
has tip that he knows where he is. and
he's going to take posse out this afternoon
to get him.
Knew What Posse Meant.
Then there flashed across my mind the
import Of the group Of men had seen In
the street on my way to the store The little,
red faced man must have been the sherinL.
I saw that there was small chance Of making
sale that day, but just the same 1 de-
termined to try it-even II had 10 20 along
with the posse 10 DO Il. And 50 I hurried
to the telephone once to break a date In
Ochslata that had made for that after
noon.
: got my connection with the merchant
In Ochelata all right and was talking when
suddenly we were cut OF. Mems voices cut
in-excited voices. heard one man called a
sheriff. Another, It seemed. was a reporter
for one OF the Musl1ogee papers. / couldn't
help but listen, and It was funny story that
the sheriff Of Ochelata had to tell Soon got
my connection again, broke the date, and
then went out to ind the sherif-storekeeper
with a bit Of new feeling In my heart.
The meeting still was In progress IN the
middle Of the street, and walked up to
the sheriff.
Williams is my name said as ap-
preached the little man with the handker-
chief around bis neck. and I am represent
ing the
Good Lord he interrupted. you don't
think that I've got time to talk business to-
lay. do your I've got a real Job-Tve got to
catch a gang Of bandits
- I'll 60 along with you I said I haven't
cot anything to do and So"
The sherin aared
This isn't any pienic.' he almost yelled
II me. This is a matter OF life and death.
These men are the best shots in this country.
Why you-you-' He stopped for lack Of
words.
I" Go on and say It. / laughed al him:
you might as weIpset it out. I'm a peg
egged city dude With a derby hat and I
wouldn't know bandit II I would meet one !
. the road. Isn't that right? :
:. The sheriff nodded his head.
Wen. you've said it, he answered me.
And that's right where you're wrong |