Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-08-06

III .
death fer We ter try ter ride through
Main street-ef ye gifts tibet far. Ye
dassent do hit"
81 dast do a~nything!" asserted the
boy, with a flash of sudden anger.
Some liar lowed awhile ago tibet l
was a coward. All right, mebby I be.
inc Vile, keep the boys hyar tell We
hears from mean keep 'em sober"
He turned and made his way to the
fence where his mule stood hitched.
When Samson crossed the ridge and
entered the Holman country, Jim AS
berry, watching from a hilltop point Of
vantage, rose and mounted the horse
that stood hitched behind a nearby
screen of rhododendron bushes and
young cedars. Sometimes. he rode just
one bend of the road In 6amson's rear.
Sometimes, he took short cuts, and
watched his enemy pass. But always
he held him under a vigilant eye.
Finally, he reached a wayside store
where a local telephone gave communi-
cation with Hollman's Mammoth De-
partment store. ~a~
15edge,n he Informed, Samson
South's done left the party ct Their
mill. an he's a-ridin' towards town
Shall l git him?"
as he comm by hisself?" inquired
the storekeeper.
yes"
"Well, jest let him come on. We
can tend ter him hyar, eff necessary"
So Jim withheld his hand, and merely
Swallowed, sending bulletins, from time
to time.
It wal about three o'clock when Sam
son started. 1t was near six when he
reached the ribbon of road that loops
down into town owe the mountain.
His mule was in a lather of sweat. He
knew that he was being spied upon,
and that word of his coming was trav-
cling ahead of him. What he did not
know was whether or not 1t suited
Jesse Purvy's purpose that he should
slide from his mule, dead, before he
turned homeward. If Tamarack had
been seized as a declaration of war,
the chief South would certainly not
be allowed to return. If the arrest had
not been for feud reasons, he might
escape. That was the question which
would be answered with his life or
death.
The "~jailhouse" was a small build
ing of homemade brick, squatting at
the rear of the courthouse yard. AS
Samson drew near, he saw that some
ter or twelve mon, armed with rifles,
separated from groups and disposed
themselves behind the tree trunks and
the stone coping of the we'll. None OF
them spoke, and Samson pretended
that he had not seen them. He rode
his mule at a walk, knowing that he
was rife-covered from a half-dozen
windows. At the hitching rack direct
ly beneath the county building, he
flung his reins over a post. and, swing.
ing his rifle at his side, passed eau
tiously along the brick walk to the
jeil. The men behind the trees edged
around their covers as he went, keep
ing themselves protected, as squirrels
creep around a trunk when a hunter is
lurking below. Samson halted at the
Jail wall, and called the prisoners
name. A tousled head and surly face
appeared at the barred window, and
the boy went over and held converse
from the outside.
How in hell did We git into town."
demanded the prisoner.
81 rid in" was the short reply.
How'd We git in the ~jailhouse?"
The captive was shamefaced.
IT got a leetle too much Ticker, an
was shootin' out the lights last night"
he confessed.
What business did We have hyar in
Hixon? 2"
II jest slipped in ter see a gal"
Samson leaned closer, and lowered
his voice.
Does they know tibet ye shot them
shoots at Jesse Purvy?"
Tamarack turned pale.
NO." he stammered, they believe
you done hit"
Samson laughed. He was thinking
of the rifles trained on him from a
dozen invisible rests.
How long air they a-goin' ter keep
We hyar?" he demanded.
q" kin git out tomorrer eff l pays the
fine. Hits ten dollars"
And eff 20 don't pay the finer"
Hits a dollar a day"
II reckon ye don't low ter pay hit,
do ye?"
81 lowed mebby We mout pay hit fer
me, Samson"
Eye done flowed plumb wrong.
come hyar ter see eff ye needed help,
but hit pears ter me they're lettin' ye
of easy"
He turned on his heel, and went
back to his mule. The men behind the
trees began circling again. Samson
mounted, and, with his chin we'll up.
trotted back along the main street. 1t
was over. The question was answered.
The Hollmans regarded the truce as
L L