The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1915-03-26

At Hixon Tamarack Spicer strolled
along the street toward the court
house. He wished to be seen. So long
as it was broad daylight and he dis
played no hostility, he knew he was
safe-and he had plans.
Standing before the Holman store
were jim Asberry and several COM
panions. They greeted Tamarack af-
fably and he paused to talk.
"Ridin' over ter Misery?" inquired
Asberry.
"Lowed | mout as we'll"
Mind eff | rides with We es fur es
Jesses place."
Plumb glad ter have company"
drawled Tamarack.
They chatted of many things, and
travelled slowly, but, when they came
to those narrows where they could not
ride stirrup to stirrup each jockeyed
for the rear position, and the man who
found himself forced into the lead
turned in his saddle and talked back
over his shoulder, with wary, though
seemingly careless, eyes. Each knew
the other was bent on his murder.
At Purvy's gate Asberry waved fare
we'll and turned in. Tamarack rode
on but shortly he hitched his horse
in the concealment Of a hollow, walled
with huge rocks, and disappeared into
the laurel.
He began climbing, in crouched
position, bringing each foot down
noiselessly and pausing often to listen.
Jim Asberry had not been outwardly
armed when he left Spicer. But, soon,
the brakeman's delicately attuned ears
caught a sound that made him lie fiat
in the lee of a great log, where he was
masked in clumps Of Towering rho
dodendron. Presently Asberry passed
him, also walking cautiously, but hur-
riedly. and grading Winchester rife
in the hollow of his arm. Then Tama-
rack knew that Asberry was taking
this cut to head him off and waylay
him in the gorge a mile away by road
but short distance only over the hill.
Spicer held his heavy revolver cooked
in his hand, but 1t was too near the
Purvy house to risk shot. He waited
a moment, and then, rising, went on
noiselessly with a snarling grin, stalk.
ing the man who was stalking him.
Asberry found place at the foot
of huge pine where the underground
would cloak him. Twenty yards below
ran the creek-bed road, returning from
its long horseshoe deviation. When
he had taken his position his faded
butternut clothing matched the earth
as inconspicuously as a quail matches
dead leaves, and he settled himself to
wait Slowly and with infinite eau
ton his intended victim stole down,
guarding each step, until he was in
short and certain range, but, instead
of being at the front, he came from
the back. He, also, lay fiat on his
stomach and raised the already cooked
pistol. He steadied it in a two-handed
grip against tree trunk and trained
it with deliberate care on a point to
the left of the other mans spine Just
below the shoulder blades.
Then he pulled the trigger! He did
not go down to inspect his work. 1t
was not necessary. The instantaneous
fashion with which the head of the
Ambassador settled forward on its
face told him all he wanted to know.
He slipped back to his horse, mounted
and rode fast to the house of Spicer
South, demanding asylum.
The next day came word that IL
Tamarack Spicer would surrender and
stand trial in court dominated by
the Hollmans the truce would con-
tinue. Otherwise the war was on"
The Souths flung back this message:
Come and git him"
But Holman and Purvy, hypocriti.
cally clamoring for the sanctity Of the
law, made no effort to come and git
him." They knew that Spicer Souths
house was now fortress, prepared for