The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-07-17

II another and another. Purity 500
down that way, slim flame licked ,
II the side of big building there ar
crooked its tongue over the top. The
a second big building right beside
ketched afire, and they both shove
up in their own light, big and angr
and handsome, and the light shove
up the men in front Of 'em, too-guar(
ing 'em, guess, fur fear the tow
would get its nerve and make figt
to put 'em out 1t was tobacco burnin
| in them warehouses.
But that town had some fight in he
in spite of being took unexpected tina
away. 1t wasn't no coward towr
The light from the burning building
made all the shadders around abOu
seem all the darker. And every one
in awhile, after the surprise Of the frs
rush, they would come thin litt
streaks Of fire out of the darkness
somewheres and the sound of shots
And then gang of riders would gal
lop in that direction, shooting up al
creation. But by the time the ware
houses was all lit up so that you could
see they was no hope Of putting them
out the shooting from the darkness
had jest about stopped.
| It looked like them big tobacco ware
houses was the main object Of the raid.
Fur when they was burning past all
chancet Of saving the leader sings out
an order, and all that is not on their
bosses jumps on, and they rides away
from the blaze. You bet l laid low on
them boards while they was going by,
and fattened myself out till 1 felt like
single.
AS hearn their hoof sounds getting
farther off lifts up my head agin. But
they wasn't all gone either. Three
that must have been up to some per-
teller deviltry Of their own come ga
Looping acrost the square to ketch up
with the main bunch. Two was quite
bit ahead Of the third one, and he
yelled to them to wait But they only
laughed and rode harder.
And then fur some fool reason that
last Teller pulled up his boss. and stop
ped. He stopped in the road right in
front OF me and wheeled his boss
acrost the road and stood up In his
stirrups and took long look at that
blaze. He stood still fur most a min
ute like that, black agin the red sky,
and then he turned his hoss' head and
5abbed him with his stirrup edge. i
Jest as the boss started they come Il
shot somewheres behind me. The boss
Jumped forward at the shot, and the
teller swayed sideways and dropped
lis gun and lost his stirrups and come
Town heavy on the ground. His boss
salloped off. l heard the noise of
some one running off through the dark
IND stumbling agin the lumber. 1t
vas t1e Teller who had fred the shot
away. suppose he thought
he rest of them riders would come
Jack when they heard that shot and 9
lunt him down. But purity soon hearn
hem all crossing that plank bridge
gin and knOwed they was gone.
At first I guessed the Teller on the
round must be dead. But he wasn't,
ur purity soon hearn him groan. He
ad mebby been stunned by his fall and
vas coming too enough to feel his pain.
I didn't feel like he orter be left
here. So l clumb down and went :
yer to him. He was lying on one S
ide all kind Of huddled up. There t
ad been a mask on his face, like the S
est Of them, with some hair onto the @
ottom of it to look like beard. But v
ow 1t had slipped down till it hung O
'ose around his neck by the string.
hey was enough light to see he wasn't o
othing but young Teller. He raised
lmself slow as come near him, lean +
lg on one arm and trying to set up. c
he other arm hung loose and help
$50. Half setting up hathaway he &
lade a feel at his belt with his good Il
and, as I come near. But that good
I'm was his prop, and when he took Il
of the ground he fell back. His D
md come away empty from his belt d
The big six shooter he had been feel a
6 fur wasn't in its holster. anyhow.
had fell out when he tumbled. "
cked it up in the road jest few feet II
ON his shotgun and stood there with
in my hand, looking down at him. h
''Well," he says, in a drawly kind b
voice. "yo' can finish yo' little job 10
shot me from the darkness, So
I'd now yo' done got my pistol. I a,
exon yo' better shoot agin." ..
''Bo," says, F""you got nerve. I like in
", Bo. didn't shoot you, and I +,
Mt going to. The Teller that did has r.
ent I'm going to get you out Of this. NJ
here you hurt?" .,
Hip" he says, ''but that amt much. h,
le thing that bothers me is this arm %
8 done busted. fell on it."
drug him out Of the road and back =,
the lumber pile had been laying h,
and hurt him considerable ado -,
, it. a.
Now" I says, what can 1 do fur
"" :.
'Yo' mighty good to me-" says he. Il,
onsidering yo' are no kin to this he
r. part of the country at all. l reck- in
by yo' talk 20 are one of them he
. Yankeos aiI1'f v0'e's r :,