The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-02-01

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hard, wet, determined day on the
trail nothing of more consequence as
a clew to train robbers than his name
on torn letter possibly proved as
fatal as anything to the pursuit. 1t
appealed to the posse as about the
same thing as discovering a pussy
cat in the man-eating tigers cage
at the circus.
harrington was one of those who
couldn't get the mental focus of gen.
tie "Four-Eyed Jack" holding up
trains. He was not the only one
there thus handicapped, and the
chase "bogged down." as they ex-
pressed it. But they did some fig
uring before they quit, and by a pro-
cess of elimination deduced that If
Jack was one of the robbers Charley
Jones must be the other. Jones ap-
pealed to harrington as a pretty fair
hold-up probability on account of
previous experience. He had drifted
in from nowhere in particular, so ap-
parently poverty-stricken that he was
willing to herd sheep. Harrington
gave him a job at it and found that
Jones was the sort of man sheep in
stinctively placed confidence in.
Such creatures, whether human or
otherwise, are worth keeping around
sheep ranch, but Jones got up and
vanished one midnight with cooked
revolver in his hand. He heard the
dogs barking around the tent where
he and harrington were sleeping.
harrington ran after him, but Jones
explained that he couldn't stay where
the dogs barked at night, like folks
we're prowling around. If Earring
ton had a dollar or two in change
he would accept that on his two
months work, but check would be
no use to him. He acted in all re-
spects like gent with something on
his mind and his trail, and Earring
ton remembered him as such.
Yet Jones appeared to have import
ant business thereabout, for he came
back presently, and about this time
"Four-Eyed Jack" developed an unac-
countable fondness for his company.
In fact, Jack seemed to seek it. Rid
ers came on them frequently togeth-
er, and they appeared to be uncom-
monty interested in whatever it was
they were discussing. All these things
were recalled casually at Earring
toms ranch house after they had
pieced the letter together.
But the trail had vanished. -Four
Eyed Jacks" advent had given the
expedition a farce-comedy turn and
the posse gave up the pursuit, with
one exception. That was Jackson. He
looked as much the desperate pur-
suer as "Four-Eyed Jack" looked the
desperate. His weight didn't drop a
notch under $50 pounds, and he car
ried most of that in front, under his
belt. An amateur getting acquaint-
ed with his first gun could have hit
Jackson at the mile, and ene-legged
man ought to have left him in the
stretch. But Jackson had an eye
that glowed like smothered fire under
his shaggy brows, and his face, firing
ed with glossy black whiskers, was
intelligent and unfearing. He said
little in the debate at the ranch house
over the pursuit, but every time he
got the chance he voted to go on
regardless of Encouragement or dis
comfort, although in the latter re-
spect he must have been the worst
sufferer in the posse.
Nobody evinced any particular i'm
patience with Jackson because OF this
persistence, for he was known to pos
SSSS IuG ulSpOSlIlOu VI I1hAA6 "a AAAA~AS~>
catching rather seriously. Previously
he had, single-handed, captured a
particularly desperate character, the
latter ceasing to be such in the course
of the capture. He mistook the &C
curate and swift capabilities Of Jack
sons avoirdupois, becoming corpse
thereby, with utter amazement left
engraved upon his features.
The posse at Farrington's ranch
took note of Jackson's exceptions to
going back and voted to leave -Four
Eyed Jack" to him if he felt that he
wanted Jack personally, together
with Charley Jones, if the latter hap
pened to be included.
1t developed that this was what
Jackson did want, for he went out in
the trail alone, working on the theory
that "Four-Eyed jack and Jones
were the right men to look for. Men
used to meet him here and there and
u ~