The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1913-11-21

Sorry" says I. ~ got speft wrong
first time"
Float "That's skunk says !, be
cause he's a polecdt not to answer me-"
Guns.
whats that?" asked whiskers,
heaps suspicious because couldn't
think Of another word of four letters.
"EIell!" says l.
quite right" sighed WhiskerF, ''to
think Of your future home"
Dale signaled, Coming.
Tell Dale" says Whiskers. and his
bereaved voice kind Of Jared me now,
we're Just goin' to keep gun at your
ear-hole while we march up the trail.
II Dale's men fire, your wife viii be q
widow, Mr.. Smith"
At that l wagged my arms and sig
nailed. mo call to get wet Hold-ups
marching to Georgia. Kill man with
gun. II you miss, ware Widow Smith"
You see If Dale squinted and missed,
my widow was apt to reproach. So !
added. ALLOW windage for squirt"
Dale answered, You bet your life
will"
Then l swung round facing the
cabin, and saw the barrel of my own
revolver just peering round the door.
BY its height from the ground judged
that poor young Ginger was the artist.
fancy to Ginger.
We'll, gents" says l, your umbreI-
las is in the hat rack. All aboard
for Robbers Roost, and don't forget
the lunch"
Whiskers wanted me into the cabin,
but I'd taken a dislike to catgut, so
Ginger got orders to shoot me. At
that fiared up. Shoot" says l, you
skulking towards, scared to show your
noses at the door. Hold your of ear.
Whiskers. Charge, you cursl"
The chief came first, straight at me,
and seemed to climb over my foot on
to his nose. Mr.. Bull Brooke got hurt
on the nose too, and I'd just time to
hand the greaeer left handler behind
the ear before / went down on top
of Whiskers, and the four of us rolled
in heap. l learned when 1 was a
sailor how to argue.
Then l struggled, dragging my pile
of robbers off sideways, so that to
keep us covered with the gun, poor
Ginger showed his red head in the
doorway. IT was his life or mine, yet
when the shot rang out from across the
river, and saw the lad come crashing
to the ground, felt sort of sick. OF
course that shot slackened the grip Of
the three robbers, 30 l wrenced loose.
struck hard, and jumped high, gain
ing the north wall of the cabin. When
l turned round, our boys across the
river were pouring hot lead after the
robbers as they dived through the door
of the shack. Ginger sprawled dead
ON the doorstep, and my gun. six PAGES
off, lay in the dust. The robbers were
disarmed, and was free.
Say, Whiskers," called. 81 want
to save your lives, you and the greaser.
Come and throw up your hands before
| you're hurt"
There was no answer. Rocky Noun
tain outlaws may be mean and bad.
but they fight like Americans, and
they know how to die. I'd only one
way left to force their surrender. and
save their lives, 80 hustled brush
wood, cordwood. coal oil from the shed.
piled up the fuel, and got a sulphur
match from the bunch in my hind
pocket.
Boys" 1 called, "Old Brown sort
of values this place. It's all the home
he's got. and 1t amt insured"
No answer.
The little fame lep' up and caught
the brushwood, the cracking lifted to
roar, and the robbers must surely
know that their time was come. for II
they showed at the door they would
be shot l grabbed my gun from the
ground to stop our boys from firing.
Then shouted above the noise Of the
flames, Come out and throw up your
hands!"
They came, poor fellows, and made
them prisoners, marching them down
to the ferry.
(TO BE CONTINUED)