The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1915-05-20
zine page: the item that had offended
Horton.

we know how to handle yarmints" He
dropped his voice ana added for the
ulottecs ear Crly. Here's a little
~atter on tie side chat concerns only
49, IL wcG.5n- interest theee other
gentlemen He opened his hand. and
| added: Here, eat that!"
Farbish with a frightened lance
at the set lace OF the man who Was adj
vancing upon MIN, leaped back, nd
drew from his pocket a pistol-it vas
an exact counterpart of the one with
which ne had supplied Samson.
with panther-like swiftness, the
Kentuokian leaped forward, and struck
up the weapon. which spat one in
effective bullet into the rafters There
was a momentary scufIle of swaying
bodies and a crash under which the
table groaned amid the shattering
| of glass and china. Then, slowly the
| conspirator's body bent back at the
waist, until it's shoulders were
stretched On the disarranged cloth,
and the white face, with purple veins
swelling on the forehead, stared Up
between two brown hands that gripped
it's throat
Swallow that" ordered the noun
tameer.
For just an instant. the company
stood dumfounded then a strained.
unnatural voice broke the silence
Stop him, he's going to kill the
man.
The odds were four to two and
with sudden rally to the support of
| their chief potter, the other conspira-
tors rushed the figure that stood throt-
| Ting his victim. But Samson South
was in his element. The dammedup
wrath that had been smoldering dur
ing these last days was having tens
pestuous outlet. He had found mem
who, in a gentlemen's club to which,
re had come as a guest, sought tol
use him as 4 catspaw and murderer.
AS they assaulted him, en- masse.
he seized a chair and swung il efF-
like about his head For few
! ments there was crashing of a..
and china and clatter of furniture
and chaos of struggle.
Samson South stood for moment
|
disorder. The table was Uttered with
shivered glasses and decanters and
chinaware. The furniture was scat
tered and overturned. Farbish was
weakly leaning to one side in the seat
to which he had made his way. The
men who had gone down under the
heavy blows of the chair lay quietly
where they had fallen.
Wilfred Horton stood waiting. The
whole affair had transpired with such
celebrity and speed that he had hardly
understood it, and had taken no part.
But, as he met the gaze of the dis
ordered figure across the wreckage of
dinner-table, he realized that now,
with the preliminaries settled, he who
had struck Samson in the face must
give satisfaction for the blow. Horton
was sober, as cold sober as though he
had jumped into ice-water, and though
he was not in the least afraid, he was,
mortified and, had apology at such q
time been possible, would have made
1t. He knew that he had misjudged
his man; he saw the outlines of the
plot as plainly as Samson had seen
them, though more tardily.
Samson's toe touched the pistol
which had dropped from Farbishs
hand and he contemptuously kicked it
to one side. He came back to his
place.
Now, Mr.. Horton he said to the
man who stood looking about with a
dazed expression, IF you're still OF the
same mind, I can accommodate you.
You lied when you said l was saw
age-though just now it sort of looks
like l was, and'-he paused, then
added-"and I'm ready either to fight
or shake hands. Either way suits
me-"
For the moment, Horton did not
speak, and Samson slowly went on:
But, whether we fight or not, you've
got to shake hands with me when we're
finished. You and me amt going to
start no feud This is the first time
I've ever refused to let a man be my
enemy if he wanted to. I've got my
reasons I'm going to make you shake
hands with me whether you like it or
not, but if you want to fight first it's
satisfactory. You said awhile ago you
would be glad to be more explicit with
me when we we're alone" He paused
and looked about the room. Shall
throw these damned murderers out OF
here, or will you go into another room
and TALK"
Leave them where they are" said
Horton, quietly. We'll go into the
reading-room. Have you killed any OF
them?'
II don't know" said the other, curt
| ly, "and | don't care"
When they were alone, Samson
| went on:
81 know what you want to ask me
about, and don't mean to answer you.
You want to question me about Miss
Lescott Whatever she and have
done doesn't concern you. | will say
this much-if I've been igno.ant Of
New York ways and my ignorance has