The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1915-02-26

blame fool" dlssuaded VILE McCagsr.
"HiKon's plumb full Of them Hollmans.
an they're likely ter DO full Of llckor-
hits Saturday. Hits APT ter be shore
death fer ye ter try ter rido through
Main street-ef ye Cite thot far. Fe
dassent do hit"
Il dast do %anythingl" asserted tho
boy, with a fash OF sudden anger.
Some liar lowed awhile ago tibet l
wac n coward. All right, mebby ! be-
Unc' VILE, keep the boys hyar tell ye
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 oedars. Sometimes, he rode just
one bend OF the road in Samson's rear.
Sometimes, he took short cuts, and
watched his enemy pass. But always
he held him under a vigilant eyo.
Finally. he reached a wayside store
where a local telephone gave communi-
cation with Hollman's Mammoth De
partment store.
~"Jedge," he informed, Samson
South's done left the party ct Their
mill. an he's a-ridin' towards town.
Shall ! git him."
rs he comm by h~isself7" inquired
the s~torekeeper.
Yes"
We'll, 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,
II was about three o'clock when Sam
son started. II was near six when he
reached the ribbon Of road that loops
down into town over the mountain.
His mule was I'm n lather Of sweat He
knew that he was being Bpied upon.
and that word of his coming was trav-
cling ahead OF him. What he did not
know was whether or not II suited
Jesse Purvy's purpose that he should
slide from his mule, dead, before he
turned homeward. II Tamerack had
been seized as a declaration Of war,
the chief South would certainly not
be allowed to return. II the arrest had
not been for feud ~reaEons, 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
ten or twelve men, 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 seer them. He rode
his mule az a walk. knowing that he
was r~ihe-covered from a %half-dozeD
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 tho
jail. 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 IL
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
from the outside.
How in hell did ye git into town."
demanded the prisoner.
~ rid in" was the short reply.
How'd We git in the %jailhouseH"
The captive was shamefaced.
81 got a leetle too much ticker, an
was shootln' out the lights last night"
he confessed.
What business did ye have hyar In
Hixong"
81 Jest slipped in ter see a gal."'
Samson leaned closer. and lowered
his voice.
Does they know tibet ye shot them
shoots at Jesse Puryy9"
Tamarack turned pale.
mo-" he stammered, they believe
you done hit"
Samson laughed. He was thinking
OF the rifles trained on him from q
dozen invisible rests.
How long air they a-goln' ter keep
ye hyar7" he demanded.
II kin git out tomcrrer Of ! pays the
fine. Hits ten dollars"
And Of 20 don't pay the hnef"
Hits a dollar a day"
~ reckon ye don't low ter pay hit,
do yer"
81 lowed mebby ye mout pay hit fer
me, Samson"
"Ye done lowed plumb wrong. |
come hyar ter see ef ye needed help,
but hit pears ter me they're lottin' -
on 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 well up,
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