The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-09-05

tempt and could scarcely refrain frUn
kicking hisn.
"Sam." he said, you're too stupid to
live. You should have run up the
road to Martins and told him.,
"Now. why didn't l think O. that7''
said Sam r~efectively.
Because you were born a fool and
will never be anything else than q
fool. You have missed the opportuni-
ty Of your life. If you had given the
alarm and saved my goods i would
have looked out for you for the rest Of
your life."
The two proceeded On their way for
some distance silent and with mourn
full cOuntenances, Bunkers' indicating
that the hopes he had cherished were
blighted, Sans indicating that he was
ruling having missed the opportunity
OF his life. Presently the former asked:
Ibid you get a sufficient sight of
the robbers to see what kind O. lo0kin'
persons they were?"
mot last night when they come.
but l seen EN- this mornin'."
'"This mOrnin'!'
eyes. they was there this mornin'."
Bunkers groaned. What q trial to
have to deal with such q numskull!
"You don't mean they didn't have time
to get away with all the stock In the
nightY"
II dunno; they was there at sunup
this mornin'."
HAD they gone when you came
awayT
Reckon
do you mean that they were per-
mitted to do as they liked with my
store from 10 o'clock at night till sum-
rise this mornin'?"
Reckon"
"And not a neighbor interfered with
them?'
1.-THE neighbors didn't know they was
there"
"After you saw them break in what
did you do?"
81 listened for awhile to find out
what they was about"
"What did you hear?"
"Nothin'."
"Did they have q light?"
"First of, but they put it out"
"What did you do next? You didn't
stay there all night, did your"
Il went home thinkin' I'd come here
In the mOrnin' and break the news to
you"
Bunkers, not being able to make head
or tale of this incoherent statement.
concluded to hurry on and find out for
himself what had really happened
whether any of his stock had been
left and why his neighbors had not
taken any action in the matter. He
had shut up his store, since he had
no one to take his place while he was
gone. Now he regretted taking such
q chance. Martin was his nearest
neighbor, about an eighth.of a mile dis
tant. The next, Saunders, lived on
the other side Of a hill. 1t was very
easy for robbers to pry up a window,
go into his store and appropriate what
they liked. On second thought he was
not 30 much surprised that they should
take their time about 1t.
The wayfarers plodded on in 81
lence till they came to a rise In the
ground whence they could see Bun
kers' store. Smoke curled from the
chimney. The owner stood looking at
it in establishment
ut can't be-" he said, that the ras-
Gals are strong enough to defy the
whole settlement"
There was five of 'em," suggested
Sam.
"Five desperate men, well armed,
might be too formidable to warrant
an attack-that is, by any force that
could be collected within q few miles.
Mebbe they're waitin' to git In more
men from q distance"
Like enough" Sam put in.
"Shut up" growled Bunkers. irritated
that Sam, too stupid to give an alarm
when he saw a store broken into,
should offer an opinion.
There was another silence while the
two descended the declivity. Present
ly Sam said:
Air you goin' to tackle 'em all alone
by yourself"
Bunkers made no reply to this. He
was trying to think what it all meant,
what to do. The truth is, he was
badly ratified. He walked on In d.
lence.
"How would 1t do" asked Sam, 'for
me to 80 ahead, e what they're doin'
and come back to ten you? They
wouldn't do nothin' 70 q measly chap
like me-"
Bunkers uttered an exclamation Of
contempt. He was not the mar to put
a fool into danger he would not en-
counter himself.
AZ they drew nearer . girl about
fifteen years old came out of the house
and stock looking up the road.
Bunkers stopped stock still.
by jings" he exclaimed; then add.
ed, "If that don't look Just like my
EmelineT!
From this time he forgot all about
Sam. who dropped behind and disap