The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1914-12-31

Taxed vigilance. He stood there nos
sihly thirty seconds. then n sharp ~
sillade OF clear rtports barked out an,
was shattered by the hills into a Ion
rcyerbcration. with n hand claspet
to his chest, Purvy turned, walked {,
the middle OF the floor, and fell.
The henchmen rushed To the opeI
sash. They lcaped out aud plunged
up the mountain. tempting the assas
SINS fire. but the assassin was salts
fled. The mountain was again n,
at the middle Of the store. Jesse Purv,
shifted his head against his daugh
ter's knee and said, as one stating an
expected event:
We'll. they've got me"
An ordinary mountaineer would
have been carried home to die in the
darkntes OF Il dirty and windowlese
shack. The long.sunoring star OF Jesse
Puryy ordained otherwise. lie might
90 under or he might once more beat
his way back and out of the quick.
sands of death. At all events, he would
nght for life 10 the last gasp.
Twenty miles away In the core OF
the wilderness. removed from a rail.
road by a score of semipcrpendicular
miles. n fanatic had once decided TO
found n school.
Now a faculty OF ten men taught
such as cared to come such things as
they cared 10 learn. Higher mp the
hillside stood a small. but model hos.
pital, with n modern operating table
and a case OF surgical instruments.
which, II ras said, the state could not
surpass.
TO this haven Jesse puryy. the muir.
der lord, was borne In a litter carried
on the shoulders of his dependents.
Hero. as his stcadfast guardian star
decrced, he found two prominent med.
ical visitors. who hurried him to the
operating table. Iutcr he was re.
moved 20 a white bed. with the June
sparkle in his eyes, pleasantly modu.
lated through drawn blinds, and the
June rustic and bird chorus in his
ears-und his own thoughts in his
brain.
Conscious. but In great pain. Purvy
bcckoned Jim Asbcrry and Aaron lIol.
lis, his chiefs of %bodyguard. TO his bed.
side and waved the nurse back out OF
hearing.
III | don't get well" he said fecbly,
there's a job for you two boys. |
reckon you know what II isl"
They nodded. and Asberry wits.
pered n name:
Samson South"
Yes" Purvy spoke IN a whisper;
but the old vlndictiyeness was not
smothered. You got the old man. |
reckon YOU a manage the cub. II
you don't he'll get you both one day"
The two henchmen scowled.
III git him tomorror," growled As.
berry. Thar hain't no sort OF use
in a.waitin'."
"No!" For an instant Purvy's voice
rose out OF its Weakness TO its old
stnccato tone Of command. a tone
which brought obedience. III get
We'll | have other plans. Never mind
what they are. That's my business.
II ! don't die, leave him alone, until
| give other orders.
III | get well and Samson South is
killed meanwhile | won't live long
II would be my life for his
Keep close to him. The minute you
hear OF my doath-get him" He
paused again. then supplemented.
You two will find something mighty
iuterestin' in my viii"
Ia was afternoon when Puryy
reached the hospital, and. at nlghtfall
90 the same day. there arrived at his
stores entrance, on stumbling, hard.
ridden mules. several men. followed
by two tawuy hounds whose long ears
Capped over their lean Jaws. and
whose eyes were l~istless and tired, but
whose black muzzl,, Wr.ukl,d and
smiled with that sensitive instinct
which follows ~" mar scent. The eX.
-horlN's family were instituting pro.
coodiugs independent ot the chiefs or.
Lrrg. The uoHt morning this party
plunged into the mountain taugle and
beat the cover with the b]lUOdhguuds
IN leash,
The two Reu'.e,faced dogs picked
their way between the towering rho.
d~odrndrous, the glisteniAB l%aurels, the
iaathery pine sprouts and the moss.
covered rocks. They went gingcrly
and alertly on ungalnly. cushioned
feet. Just as their masters were de.
spairing they came TO a place directly
over the store, whore a branch had
been bent back and hitchcd to clear
the outlook and where "A boot hee!
had crushed the moss There one OF
them raised his nose high into the
air, opened his mouth, and let out a
long, deep-chostcd bay OF discovery.
CHAPTER ~.
George Lcscott had known hospital