Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1915-02-25


II was a simple fashion OF resIgninR
a regency, but effectual.
Old Caleb, however, still insurgent
and unconvinced. brought in a minor
ity report.
I'VE wants flghtin' men," he grum-
bled, with the senile reiteration of his
age, as he spat tobacco and beat a rat
tat on the mill floor with his long
hickory staff. 1--WE don't want no de-
serters."
Samson amt deserter," defended
Sally. There isn't one of you fit to
tie his shoes" Sally and old Spicer
South alone knew OF her lovers letter
to the circuit Judge, and they were
pledged to secrecy.
Never mind, Sallyl" 1t was Sam
son himself who answered her. II
didn't come back because / care what
men like old Caleb think. came back
because they needed me. The proof Of
a fighting man is his fighting. reckon.
I'm willing to let 'em Judge me by
what I'm going to do"
So, Samson slipped back, tentative
ly, at least, into his place as clan head,
though for a time he found it a post
without action. After the fierce out
burst Of bloodshed, quiet had settled,
and it was tacitly understood that, un.
LESS the HOLMAN forces had some coup
in mind which they we're secreting,
this peace would last until the soldiers
were withdrawn.
When the worlds a-lookln'," COM
mented Judge Holman, hits a right
good idea to crawl under a logan
lay still"
PuTvy had been too famous feud-
list to pass unsung. Reporters came as
far as Hixon, gathered there suci
news as the Hollmans chose to give
them, and went back to write lurid
stories and description, from hear
say, of the stockaded seat of tragedy.
Nor did they overlook the dramatic
coincidence of the return of wildcat"
Samson South from civilization to saw
agery. They made no accusation, but
they pointed an inference and a moral
as they thought. 1t was sermon on
the triumph of heredity over the ad-
vantages of environment. Adrienne
read some of these saffron misrepre-
sensations, and they distressed her.
Meanwhile, it came insistently to the
ears of Captain Callomb that some
plan was on foot, the intricacies of
which he could not fathom, to manu-
facture a case against number of the
Souths, quite apart from their actual
guilt, or likelihood of guilt. Once
more, he would be called upon to go
out and drag in men too we'll fortified
to be taken by the posses and depu-
ties of the Holman civil machinery.
AT this news, he chafed bitterly, and,
still ranking with a sense of shame at
the loss of his first prisoner, he formed
a plan of his own, which he revealed
over his pipe to his first lieutenant
There's a niger in the woodpile,
Merriweather," he said. I'VE are sim
ply being used to do the dirty work
up here, and I'm going to do little
probing of my own. guess I'll turn
the company over to you for a day or
two"
What idiocy are you contemplating
now?" inquired the second in COM
mand.
I'm going to ride over on Misery,
and hear what the other side has to
say. I've usually noticed that one side
of any story is pretty good until the
others told"
Its sheer madness. ought to take
you down to this Internal crook of a
Judge and have you committed to
strait-jacket."
If" said Callomb, you are content
to play the catspaw to bunch of as
sassins, I'm not. The mail-rider went
out this morning and he carried let.
ter to old Spicer South. l told him that
was coming unescorted and unarmed
and that my object was to talk with
him. asked him to give me safe
conduct, at least, until l reached his
house, and stated my case. treated
him like, an officer and a gentleman,
and, unless I'm a poor Judge of men,
he's going to treat me that way"
The lieutenant sought vainly to dis
suade Callomb, but the next day the
captain rode forth, unaccompanied.
Curious stares followed him and Judge
Smithers turned narrowing and UNI
pleasant eyes after him, but at the
point where the ridge separated the
territory of the Hollmans from that Of
the Souths he saw waiting in the road
mounted figure, sitting his horse
straight, and clad in the rough habili-
ments of the mountaineer.
AS Callomb rode up he saluted and
the mounted figure with perfect gray-
ity and correctness returned that
salute as one officer to another. The
captain was surprised. Where had
this mountaineer with the steady eyes
and the clean-cut jaw learned the
niceties of military etiquette?
81 am Captain Callomb of #" COM
pany," said the officer. I'm riding