Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1913-01-10

| side saddle and she'd make two Of/you
| ten of you-twenty of puny, mandy
| pamby, conceited young idiot like you!
| Upon my word, Melvin, if Il had a
mother like you l should be ashamed
Of myself. never had, l may tell you,
or I shouldn't come down to dogs
life like this
The bushranger paused to, watch the
effect Of his insults. 1t was not quite
what he wanted. The youth would
not hang his head. And. if he did not
answer back, he looked back doggedly
enough, for he could be logged. i'll a
passive way; it was his one hard
quality, the knot in a character of
green deal. Stingaree glanced up the
road once more, but only for al in
slant.
1T is a dogs life,". he went on,
whether you believe it or not. But
it takes a bulldog to live it, and
don't you forget it. It's no life for
young poodle like you. You can't
stick up a better man than yourself,
not more than once or twice. 1t re-
quires something more than Il six.
shooter, and good deal more than was
put into you, my son! But you shall
see for yourself--look over your Shout
der
Oswald did so, and started in a
fashion that set the bushranger nod
ding his scorn. 1t was only q pair IF
lamps still close together in the dis
lance up the road.
The COACH" exclaimed the xcited
youth.
Exactly said stingarec, "and I'm
going to stick it up
Excitement grew to frenzy in fash.
I'll help your
You'll do no such thing. But you
shall see how it's done, and then ask
yourself candidly if it's nice work and
| if you're the man to do it. Ride a
hundred yards further in, tether your
horse quickly in the thickest scrub
you can find, then run back and climb
into the fork of this gum tree You'll
have time; if you're sharp I'll give YOU
leg up. But shan't be surprised If
I don't see you again.
There is no saying what Oswald
might have done but for these last
words. Certain it is that they set nina
gall0ping with an oath and brought
him back painting in another minute.
The coach lamps were not much wider
apart. Stingaree awaited him, also on
| foot and quicker than the telling Os-
int no
could see through the meager dropping
leaves with very little danger of being
seen.
"And if you come down before I'm
done and gone-if it's not to glory-Tll
run some lead through you. You'll be
the first"
|: Oswald perched rejecting on this
final threat, and the scene soon enacted
before his eyes was viewed as usual
through the aura of his own egoism.
He longed all the time to be taking
part in it. He could see himself SO
distinctly at the work save for about a
minute in the middle, when for once in
his life he held his breath and trem-
bled for other skins.
| There had been no unusual feature.
| The life size coach lamps had shown
| their mountain range of outside pas
sengers against the moonlit sky or
| trees.
4 cigar paled and REDEEMED between
| the teeth of one, plain Wreaths of
smoke f1oated from his lips, with but
an instant's break when Stingaree rode
out and stopped the coach. The three
leaders reared-tne two wheelerS were
pulled almost to their launches. The
driver was docie indeed, though pro-
fame in word, and Stingaree himself
discovered a horrifying vocabulary out
Of keeping with his reputation. In in
credibly few minutes driver and pas
sengers were formed in line and
robbed in rotation, all but two ladies,
who We're kept inside unmolested. A
fragrant Irishman declared it was the
proudest day of his life, and@ Oswald's
heart went out to him, though it rather
dispeased him to find his own senti-
ments shared by the vulgar. The man
with the cigar kept it glowing all the
time. The mail bags were not de-
manded OH this occasion. Stingaree
had no time to waste on them. He was
still collecting purse and watch when
Oswald's young blood froze in the stiff
ening limbs he dared not move.
One of the ladies had got down from
the coach on the off side, and, behold,
it was a man wrapped in q rug, which
dronped from him us he crept round
behind the horses. At. their head
stood the lily mare, as if doing her own
nefarious part by her own kind. In a
| twinkling the mad adventurer was on
her back, and all this time Oswald
| longed to jump down or at least to
shout Il warning. to his hero-but, as
usual. his desires We're unproductive of
word or deed. And then Stingaree saw
/ his man.
He did not fire He did not shift
sight nor barrel for a moment from
tbe docile file before him. "Barmaid!
Barmaid, my pet!' he cried, and hard