The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-06-07
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track I1ey come a SOTL O1 DlOAIS0 TOd4s like blasting big stumps out. and then another and another. Purty soon, down that way, slim flame licked up the side of a big building there and crooked it's tongue over the top Then a second big building right beside it | ketched af1re. and they both showed up in their own light, big and angry and handsome, and the light showed up the men dn front of 'em, too-guard- ing lem, guess. fur fear the town would get it's nerve and make a fight to put,'em out. It was tobacco burning fin them warehouses.
 But that town had some tight in her, in spite of-beang took unexpected that away. It wasn't no coward town. The light from the burning buildings made all the shadders around about seem all the darker. And every once in awhile. after the surprise of the first rush, they would come thin little etreaks of fire out of the darkness someWheres and the sound of shots. And then a gang of riders would gal Top in that direction. shooting up all creation. But by the time the ware houses was all lit up SC that you could see they was no hope of putting them out the shooting from the darkness had jest about stopped
 NOOG@CSO 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 hosses jumps on, and they rides away from the blaze. You bet I laid low on them boards while they was going by, and dattened myself out till felt like a shingle-
 : As hearn their hoof sounds getting farther off I lifts up my head agfn- But they wasn't all gone either. Three That must have been up to some per tic'ler devfltry of their own come gal sIopfng acrost the square to ketch up with the main bunch. Two was quite a 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 feIler pulled up his hOss and stop ped He stopped in the road right in Front of me and wheeled his hoss acr0st the road and stood up in his etirrups and took a. 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 noss' head and 5abbed him with his stdrrup edge.
 Jest as the hoss started they come a shot somewheres behind me The hoss Jumped forward at the sfrot, and the Teller swayed sideways and dropped bis gun and lost his stifrups and come Hown heavy on the ground His hoss galloped off. I heard the noise of bome one running off through the dark and stumbling agin the lumber. It was the Heller who had fred the shot running away. I suppose he thought the rest of them riders would come back when they heard that shot and hunt him down But purty soon hearn them all crossing that plank bridge agin and knowed they was g4De.
 At first guessed the feller on the ground must be dead But he wasn't, fur purty soon I hearn him groan. He had mebby been stunned by his fall and was coming too enough to feekhis pain.
 I didn't feel like he orter be left a4here- So I cIumb down and went over to him. He was lying on one side all kind of huddIed up. There had been a mask on his face, like the rest of them, with some hair onto the bottom of it to look like beard. But now 1t had slipped down till it hung loose around his neck by the string. They was enough light to see he wasn't nothing but young feIler. He raised himself slow as I come near him, lean ing on one arm and trying to set up. The other arm hung loose and help less Half setting up hathaway he made a feel at his belt with his good hand, as I come near. But that good arm was his prop, and when he took it off the ground he fell back. His hand come away empty from his belt.
 The big six shooter he had been feel ing fur wasn't in Its holster, anyhow. It had fell out when he tumbled. I picked it up in the road jest few feet from his shotgun and stood there with it in my hand, looking down at him.
 Well" he says, in a drawly kind of voice, 'tyo' can finish yo' little job now-yo' shot me from the darkness, and now yo' done got my pistol. I reckon yo' better shoot agin."
 @'Bo." I says, you got nerve. I like you, Bo. I didn't shoot you, and I ain't going to. The feIler that did has went. I'm going to get you out of this. Where you hNrt?''
 "Hip," he says, sfbut that ain't much. The thing that bothers me is this arm. It's done busted. I fell on 1t.''
 drug him out of the road and back of the lumber pile I had been laying on and hurt him considerable ado Ing g.
 ~ssow," I says, what can I do fur you?''
 "Yo' mighty good to me- says he. considering yo' are no kin to this here part of the country at all. reck- on by yo' talk yo' are one of them d. Yankees ain't yo'?''
 That there war was fought forty years ago, but some of them feI1ers down there don't know d. and Tan kee is two words yet; but, shuclxs, They don't mean no harm by it. So I 4 tells him I am d. Yankee and asts him agfn if can do anything fur him.
 ''Yes,'' he says, 'yo' can tell a friend of mine Bud Davis has happened to an accident and get him over here quick with his wagon to tote me