Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-02

surprised By the dawn. galloped pest.
making for the security Of those high
accessible crags which have kept
them from mans extinguishing wea-
pons down through 30 many countless
centuries.
THE daily miracle OF the dawn
the line ran through Captain Kettles
head, and he struggled hard to find
rhymes to match It, and other lines to
carry on what he had seen. He was in
as desperate a situation a. q man well
could he; all the country, he knew
full we'll, was against him. and the GUS
tom was to cut q throat flrst, and to in
quire into motives afterward: but
somehow or other, a tight place like
quantity happy, and to bring up within
him that appetite for the making OF
verse which grew so largely to be a
habit with him throughout all his
stormy career.
He had walked all night; he was
boneweary; the dew chilled him. and
by the thorns OF the argans he had
been cruelty torn; but his spirit was
bright within him, and although
through sheer exhaustion he was at
length driven to pull, OF the path. and
rest, under the shade OF magnolia. It
was only his limbs that found repose.
The scent OF the pink waxen blossoms
above him, the smell Of the clean
earth, the sounds, the colors, the noises
Of the birds filled him with an ecstacy
that with him had only one mode Of ex-
preston He drew from his pocket
paper, an end of pencil. and the
stanzas rolled out with curious ease. %
It was wonderful poetry. ,nr..
- - - .,,...
The two Moors stalked him while
he was engaged in this occupation,
and they neared him 50 successfully
that they did not consider him worth
wasting charge OF powder and shot
on. Powder is an expensive item on
the. southern flats Of the Atlas and a
gas pipe gun only stands limited num-
Der Of discharges before it bursts, as
is evidenced by the fact, that the pretty
village in Norfolk, where the fragile
hints are made. supplies only one per
gun as there is never a demand for a
second The hooked dagger, on the
other hand. which is so effective for
the upward lab suffers no deterioration
from a little honest work. and lasts
the lifetime of two ordinary fighting
men ss,l,riratH.~, 49,. ,..-. ~. .'.r \.
BY way of doing the thing artistic
ally. and not getting in one ,another's
way, the pair separated a dozen wards
away from their game, and worked out
ore or either, flank The word for
CO." was "A1lah.' and whe one
shouted j. and iumpad. the other
.,,, &rl, r,,,>,> - nth cf 10 =
But Captain Kettle had the activity
of the sleeping dor approached by the
sudden cart wheel Even while the
knives stabbed through the air. he
sprfrg out backward from where he
was squatting and landed on heels and
wrists Practically the same instant
he was erect on his feet, and springing
forward again with all his force. His
fist shot out before him. and. with
every ounce of his weight driving it
behond. impacted just below the cor
ner of the right hand Moor's mouth.
The mans jaw broke in two places.
and he dropped instantly az II he had
been poleaxed. !
Number two Moor again aimed a
savage upward slash, which was near
enough to slit the front Of the sailors
coat but the worst OF that cut is, thft
though hard to parry. it leaves the per
former at a, disadvantage If the stroke
misses. Kettle caught the Drawn
wrist on its upward swing, and swirled
Ut on upward and backward. and the
victim screamed as the arm jerked ont
of it's socket and tore the ligaments,
''And that's stopped your riano p]av-
ing for O. week or two said CaDta3n
Kettle. NOW stand exactly still in
vour tracks. BY James, I wish I'D
been able;to get at a gun quick enough
and shot the pair OF you. You'll be UP
to mischief I'll leave you alone here
for ten minutes. Well, you must be
attended to further"
He hauled of, the mans jel'ab, and
tore from it half dozen strips which
he knotted together.
"Hold your sound arm against that
branch" he commanded. "Up-up,
vow swine. Now keep 1t there"
He Jumped into the magnolia tree,
mode fast the end Of the line to the
mans wrist. and drew him fathom
out from the trunk. The branch was
stout one and would not bend under
two mems weight. and Kettle dashed
the Moors wrist to 1t with seaman's
skill. and then dropped lightly to the
ground.
GAS Won can't lift the other arm to
cast that adrift You'll have to stay
there ti,l called for. I expect you'll
stand at some considerable personal
Inconvenience. hut thatll give you
time to ruminate over your bad taste
in trying to assassinate an innocent
tourist And now az your fellow cut
throat mayn't have been put as sound.
|ly to sleep as appearances seem to
indicate. I'll attend to him also"
He dragged the other Moor to the
foot of a big cottonwood. thought for a
minute. and then eased him OF his
jellab dagger. rowder-horn. and head
gear Then he sat him down face to
the tree with his legs straddled round
the roots. and making fast one end OF
q 1ellab rope to one wrist. hauled I'm
the other to IT. as close as It would
draw, and made fast again. so that the
man sat n,,zzling and cuddling the tree
and perfectly impotent to release him
self.
"you also" Captain Kettle announc'
ed. "have my free permission to medi.
tate on the evilness OF your deeds until