Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-05-21
CHAPTER xxv-(continued).

CHAPTER XxV-(Continued).
They done give John three hours
more. Their if he don't surrender thy'll
charge the house and riddle it! And
John he won't let the children come
out-or any one. He says the Lord is
Wi the right!'
Curran was staring in his turn.
Mich! What is it?"
The old soldier looked at him with
a remembrance. 81 forgot, Mr.. Wiley!
Where you been? Folks were askin'
TO you-they said if airy man in the
county could talk reason to John, it's
you!"
Look here-has there been any
trouble-any fighting?"
Started last evening. Why, it done
break up your meetin', didn't it! The
whole county just poured out there.
They had a time getting the bodies
dragged off-worked all night, and two
more deputies We're shot at midnight;
n then this morning the folks got
Marryat to go try another parley with
John-and he killed the sheriff, Mr..
Wiley!"
The editor clenched his hands. IT
heard-1 know, now?"
THE posse is all around the place.
l a away at dark and come to
town to telegraph Aurelie. The depu-
ties are keeping the crowd to the creek
road. Everybody's there-all the town
folks and the farmers that drove in to
hear you. God Almighty, what a. cleo
ton day! They amt a man though Of
1t yet! Five Of 'em been killed. Mr..
Wiley, and the sheriff's body Is lying
there yet. Johns fired at every one
who shows himself"
And they've fired at the house!"
Yes. Mebbe killed some O. the boys.
Johns got 1t all barricaded. He can
fight from any window-and they got
to cross that field where he can drop
any one"
Curran was hurrying with him. The
shock OF the matter had driven every
thought of himself from his mind. They
passed a man or two who hardly
looked at them. Curran could not tell
whether it was the palsy of the
tragedy, or the contempt in which they
must hold him today when all the state
would be ringing with his downfall.
When they reached the junction, a
crowd was waiting for the train. He
heard snatches Of the talk. Men were
gaunt n hollow eyed. Heard some-
body'd wired the governor to send
militia. = No, they amt coming
Mr.. Van Hart say it would be a
disgrace if h county can't handle this
affair. Folks say the governor amt
MS politIcs-and he would't call on him
- 1900 AZ SAAA was hlllcu. "
Marryat was a fool to try draw up on
the house when John had Just told
him to stay off. And District Attorney
Jewett threw up his hands-said he was
going out of office. and he wasn't go
ing to monkey with it. So they all
charge Of it,"
The two. watching for the 9 o'clock
train from Chicago to draw out of the
creek cut, heard this endless babble.
Teams drove by on their way to the
quarry. Women were crying. The
local from Earliville brought -four
correspondents Of mid west papers who
were being bounded. for follow
stories. The affair had already been
flashed nation wide. Last nights Dat
tie was in all the Chicago papers which
got early editions to the river towns at
daylight. 1t was a s~ensation-this
story Of a one armed outlaw. crazed
Tqa, thedton ?mh ami ami amhmhmh
with religious brooding, driven to les
peration by his wrong of the law, for
tifying his cabin and defying the com.
munity to take him. Five men dead
and eight wounded; the shanty rid
died again and again, but the de-
unhurt, and refusing all par
ley, all demands to. surrender. The
news hot through the staid and sober
midland counties like a drama from
the ancient and lawless vest; it
wrested attention even from the mo-
lnentous election.
Curran listened to Michigan's be-
Wildered recital, and to the fragments
pf talk. The throng grew. Some said
Two companies Of militia were coming;
that the hastily summoned county dep
uties were hopelessly inefficient, scared,
'bluffed" out by Lindstrom's merciless
shooting and the number Of the dead.
Nobody wants to tackle him." said
n h~1~ ~ - 0~1r
ing store. Some of the boys thought
they could sneak around in the timber
and get a shot at him close, and he
wounded three Of them before they
could lift a flnger!"
And they could hear a woman cry
lng in the house, And a boy-must
be that little Dane kid, Peter!"
ing. IF she comes" he breathed, ito
save Peter and the baby!"
"They won't fire the house, Mich"
They will! Young Mr.. Van Hart
said they will. He give 'em a chance
to surrender-he's give EN- three
chances to sur~render--and John won't
hear Of 1t. And Mr.. Harlan said not
an hour ago. there'd be one more
chance! Then he'll charge that place
he says it'll be upheld at all costs.
no difference who is hurt!"
Harlan" muttered Wiley, IL
wish I could see him. Beg him-ah.
Welt" he stared at the depot crowd. He
was thinking Of that logged and in
vtncible quality he had seen grow in
Harlan. He knew. He had felt its
power-under all else lay this Viking
Yes. il it lay with Har-
Ian. he would not hesitate. The way of
peace with him was the law v%indicated.
But 1t was curious. in all the turmoil.
that no one noticed him-the obsession
OF the tragedy must have obscured ever
the sensation of his downfall. He tried
to buy a paper u none was to be had.
Through all the complaints and re-
denunciation Of the coun-
" officers for not doing something. he
became aware to his amazement that
no n questioned him. He met Mowry.
the undertaken. in his long black coat
and string tie. and Mowry had no.
thought except a grievance Of his own,
The Widow Steger had passed, and
just his luck-passed in the hospital
at Burlington where her soninlaw had
embalmed her. And here Mowry had
been buying his groceries OF Dickinson
Tor nine years in expectation Of getting |
the widow.
"Dog-gones 1t. Wiley, this IL a sore
town! It's irritatin' when folks
~patronize home Industries. I'm
going to Californy where Hen and Ben
are bottlin' mineral water, They say
there Is q great opportunity for an I'M
dertaker IN their town-if they ever
get their mineral water to sellin'.'
So RvNtA ~Athf~~ --H-..Af I. a