The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1915-07-22
good idea to crawl under a logan

TuTVy naO DoeE 800 famous reuQ-
list to pass unsung. Reporters came as
far as Hixon, gathered there sucn
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 moral
as they thought. 1t was sermon on
the triumph of heredity over the ad
vantages of environment. Adrienno
read some of these saffron misrepre-
sensations, and they distressed her.
y
Meanwhile, it came mistakenly 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 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 woSdpile,
Merriweather," he said. 1--WE are sim
ply being used to do the dirty work
up here, and I'm going to do little
| probing of my own. l guess I'll turn
| the company over to you for 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"
You mean you are going to go over
there where the Souths are in
trenched, where every road is guard
ed?" The lieutenant spoke wrathfully
| Callomb. You went over there once
| before and took man away-and he's
dead. You owe them life, and they
collect their dues. You will be sup
ported by no warrant of arrest, and
can't take sufficient detail to pro-
tect YOU"
NO" said Callomb. quietly; Il go
| INV
myself"
and" stormed Merriwether, you'll
never come back"
Il think" smiled Callomb, "1'll get
back. l owe an old man over there
an apology, and want to see this des-
perado at first hand"
IT'S sheer madness. ought to take
you down to this Internal crook of a
Judge and have you committed to a
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. told him that
l 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. l treated
him like an officer and gentleman,
and, unless I'm 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 un-
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 grav-
ity and correctness returned that
salute as one officer to another. The
captain was surprised. Where had
this mountaineer with the steady eyes
niceties of military etiquette?
| Il am Captain Callomb of F. COM
pany," said the officer. I'm riding
over to Spicer South's house. Did you
come to meet me?"
ITO meet and guide you," replied a
pleasant voice. "My name is Samson
South"
The militiaman stared. This man
whose countenance was calmly
thoughtful scarcely comported with the
descriptions he had heard of thu
Wildcat of the Mountains the mar
who had come home straight as a
storm-petrel at the first note of the
! tempest and marked his coming with
double murder. Callomb had been too
busy to read newspapers of late He
had heard only that Samson had been
away"
| While he wondered, Samson went
on:
I'm glad you came. II 1t had been
possible l would have come to you.
| AS he told of the letter he had written