The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1915-03-11

He would like to step from the trail
at Hixon and walk brazenly throug
! the town In those old clothes, cha
longing every hostile glance. II the
shot him down ON the streets, as the
questioning and his anguish Of dilen
ma. He would welcome that, but
would, after all, be Sinking the issue
He must get out OF Hixon and int,
his own country unrecognized. TIL,
lean boy of four years ago was thu
somewhat filled-out man now. The on.
concession that he had made to Paril
life was the wearing Of q closely
cropped mustache. That he still wore
had worn It chiefly because he liked
to hear Adrienne's humorous denuncia
ton Of It. He knew that, In his pres
emit guise and dress. he had an excel.
lent chance Of walking through the
streets Of Hixon ~ . stranger. And.
after leaving Hixon. there was q mis-
sion to be performed ct Jesse Purvy's
store. A he thought of that mission
grim CLINT came to his pupils.
All journeys end. and a. Samson
passed through the tawdry cars OF the
local train near Hixon he saw several
faces which he recognized, but they
either eyed him In inexpensive silence
or gave him the greeting OF the FUR
riner."
Then the whistle shrieked from the
trestle over the Middle fork, and at
only short distance rose the cupola
OF the brick courthouse and the scat
tered roofs OF the town. Scattered
over the green slopes by the river
bank lay the white spread Of tented
company street, and, as he looked out.
he saw uniformed figures moving to
and fro and caught the ring Of bugle
call. SO the militia was on deck;
things must be bad. he reflected. He
stood on the platform and looked
down as the engine roared along the
trestle. There were two gatling guns.
One pointed its muzzle toward the
town, and the other scowled up at the
face OF the mountain. Sentries paced
their beats. Men In undershirts lay
doing outside tent flaps. 1t was all
a picture Of disciplined readiness, and
yet Samson knew that soldiers made
of painted tin would be equally effec-
tive These military forces must re-
main subservient to local civil authori-
ties, and the local civil authorities
obeyed the nod of Judge HOLMAN and
Jesse Puryy.
AS Samson crossed the toll bridge
to the town proper he passed two
brown-shirted militiamen, lounging on
the rail of the middle span. They
grinned at him, and, recognizing the
outsider from his clothes, one of them
"Ain't this the hell of a town."
Its going to be-" replied Samson,
as he went on.
Still unrecognized, he hired horse
1t the livery stable, and for two hours
rode in silence, save for the easy
breaking of his stirrup feathers and
he soft thud of hoofs.
The silence soothed him The brood
ng hills lulled his spirit as a grooming
iOnS luiib a lItllul Nlllb MIG dlltl
nile unrolled forgotten vistas. Some
hing deep in himself murmured:
"Homel"
II was late afternoon when he saw
head Of him the orchard of Purvy's
lace, and read on the store wall,
title more weather stained, but other
iise unchanged:
Jesse Purvy. General Merchandise"
The porch of the store was empty,
nd as Samson flung himself from his
addle there was no one to greet him.
his was surprising, since, ordinarily,
wo or three OF Purvys personal
uardsmen loafed at the front to watch
ne road. Just now the guard should
,gically be doubled. Samson still
ore his eastern clothes-for he want
d to go through that door unknown.
e Samson South he could not cross
8 threshold either way. But when
Q stepped up on to the rough porch
boring no one challenged his advance.
he yard and orchard were quiet from
leir front fence to the grisly stock
lie at the rear and, wondering at
lese things, the young man stood for
moment looking about at the after
BON peace before he announced him
III.
Yet Samson had not come to the
ronghold of his enemy for the pur-
use of assassination. There had been
lother object in his mind-as utterly
ad idea, It is true. yet so bold Of
inception that 1t held a ghost of /,
'omise. He had meant to go into
sse Purvy's store and chat artlessly, ,
re some inquisitive "furriner." He ..
ould ask questions which by their
Try impertinence might be forgiven
the score of strangers folly. But,
ost OF all, he wanted to drop the cas- I
i information, which he should as
me to have heard on the train, that !
Imson South was returning, and to
ark. on the assassin leader, the effect '
the news. In his new code 1t was
cessary to give at least the rattler's D
irning before he struck, and he I
cant to strike. If he were recog- "
zed, well-he shrugged his shoulders. II
But as he stood on the outside, wip-
3 the perspiration from his forehead. II
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