The Blackfoot optimist., 1915-07-15

ocal train near Hixon he saw several
aces which he recognized, but they
either eyed him in inexpressive silence
or gave him the greeting of the fur
liner"
Then the whistle shrieked from the
restle over the Middle fork, and at
)nly short distance rose the cupola
# the brick courthouse and the scat
cred roofs of the town. Scattered
,ver the green slopes by the river
,ank lay the white spread OF tented
/ .ompany street, and, as he looked out.
he saw uniformed figures moving to
md fro and caught the ring Of bugle
,all. So the militia was on deck;
.hings must be bad, he reflected. He
tcod on the platform and looked
iown as the engine roared along the
trestle. There were two gatling guns.
One pointed its muzzle toward the
:own, and the other scowled up at the
ace of the mountain. Sentries paced
heir beats. Men in undershirts lay
.ozing outside tent flaps. It was all
picture of disciplined readiness, and
yet Samson knew that soldiers made
Of painted tin would be equally effec-
tive. These military forces must re-
main subservient to local civil authori-
ties, and the local civil authorities
obeyed the nod of Judge Holman and
Jesse Purvy
AS Samson crossed the toll bridge
to the town proper he passed two
5-own-shirted militiamen, lounging on
he rail of the middle span. They
grinned at him, and, recognizing the
outsider from his clothes, one of them
commented:
"Ain't this the hell of town."
TITS going to be-" replied Samson.
systematically, as he went on.
Still unrecognized, he hired horse
at the livery stable. and for two hours
rode in silence. save for the easy
creaking of his stirrup feathers and
he soft thud of hoofs.
The silence soothed him. The brood
ing hills lulled his spirit as grooming
songf lulls a fretful child. Mile after
nile unrolled forgotten vistas. Some
hing deep in himself murmured:
"Home!"
1t was late afternoon when he saw
ahead of him the orchard Of Purvy's
place, and read on the store wall. a
little more weather stained, but other
wise unchanged:
Jesse Purvy, General Merchandise" "
The porch of the store was empty,
and as Samsan flung himself from his
saddle there was no one to greet him.
This was surprising, since, ordinarily,
two or three of Purvy's personal
guardsmen loafed at the front to a.ch
the road. Just now the guard should
logically be doubled. Samson still
wore his eastern clothes-for he want.
I'd to 60 through that door unknown
AS Samson South he could not cross
it's threshold either way. But wher
he stepped up on to the rough porch
flooring no one challenged his advance.
The yard and orchard were quiet from
their front fence to the grisly stock
ade at the rear, and, wondering at
these things, the young man stood for
moment looking about at the after
noon peace before he announced him
self.
Yet Samson had not come to the
stronghold of his enemy for the pur-
pose of assassination. There had been
another object in his mind an utterly
mad idea, it is true, yet so bold OF
conception that it held ghost OF
promise. He had meant to go into
Jesse Purvy's store and chat artlessly,
like some inquisitive "furriner." He
would ask questions which by their
very impertinence might be forgiven
On the score of strangers folly. But
most of all, he wanted to drop the cas-
ual information, which he should as
sume to have heard on the train, that
Samson South was returning, and to
mark, on the assassin leader, the effect
Of the news. In his new code it was
necessary to give at least the rattlor's
warning before he struck, and he
meant to strike. If he were recog
nized, well-he shrugged his shoulders
But as he stood on the outside, wip
ing the perspiration from his forehead
tor the ride had been warm, he heard
voices within. They were loud and
angry voices. It occurred to him that
by remaining where he was he might
gain more information than by hur.
rying in.
I've done been your executioper for
twenty years." complained voice.
which Samson at once recognized as
that of Aaron Hollis, the most trusted
Of Purvy's personal guards. 81 hain't
never laid down on ye yet. Me an Jim
Asberry killed old Henry South. We
aid fer his boy, an would a. got him
# you'd only said ther word went
inter HiXon an killed Tam'rack Spicer
with soldiers all round me. There
hain't no other damn fool in these
,nountings would "a took such a lone
chance es thet. I'm tired of il
They're a-goin' ter git me, an l wants
ter leave, an you won't come clean
with the price of a railroad ticket to