The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-11-07

sNhat do you mean by that9" he Dried
The sheriff was Morton. and the most
worthy judges were other members Of
his gang.
This move tlckled Danny Randalls
sense of humor immensely.
'~That's good headwork," he said ap-
provingly. II didn't think Morton had
It In him."
"It's time something was done to
run that gang out Of town." fumed DR..
Rankin.
"No; it is not time," denied Danny,
''any more than It was time when you
and Johnny and the rest Of you had
your celebrated jury trial"
"Td like to know what you are driv-
ing atp' fretted the worthy doctor.
Danny Randall laughed in his gentle
little fashion. l win confess that just
at that time 1 was very decidedly
wondering what Danny Randall was
at. In fact, at moments l was strong
ly inclined to doubt his affiliations.
He seemed TO stand in an absolutely
neutral position. inclining to neither
side.
Tom Cleveland was killed In the
open street by one of the Empire hang
ers-on. The man was promptly ar
rested by Morton In his capacity of
sheriff and confined In chains. Nor
81, yin ra
to serve on the jury. l had the Curl
Osity to attend the trial, expecting to
assist at an uproarious farce. All the
proceedings, on the contrary, were
conducted with the greatest decorum
, aud with minute attention to legal
formalities, The assassin, however,
was acquitted.
| From that time the outrages in
creased in number and in boldness.
| No man known to be possessed of any
| quantity of gold was safe. 1t was
| dangerous to walk alone after dark, to
! hunt alone in the mountains, to live
/ alone. Every man carried his treas
ure nbout with him everywhere he
/ went. No man dared raise his voice
In criticism of the ruling powers, for
1t was pretty generally understood
that such criticism meant death.
This Is chapter hate to write, anC
therefore shall get 1t over with as
soon as possible.
! One Sunday In the middle of October
two men trudged into town leading
each pack horse.
was ut the time talking to Barnes
ut his hotel and saw them from dis
tance hltching their animals outside
Morton's. They stayed there for som,
time, then came out, unhltched thei
horses, led them az far as the Empire
hesitated. finally again tied the beast
and disappeared. In this manner the.
gradually worked along to the BELL
Union, where at last recognized then
as McNally and Buck Barry, our CON
rades of the Porcupine. or course
at once rushed over to see them.
| found them surrounded by crow
to whom they were Offering drink
. free handed. Both were already pre-
ty drunk, but they knew me as 500
: as | entered the door and surged t
! ward mo hands out.
"Well, well, Well" cried McNall
u dellghtedly "And here's himself
d And who'd have thought of seeing 20
here? | made sure you were In I'll
: valley ana out OF the country Ion
since. And you're just in time. Max
name for Il? Better call 1t whtsk
straight Drink to us, my boyl Com
Join my frlends We're all frien(
here! Come on, and here's to luc
o the best luck ever! We've got tW
horse loads of gold out there-nothir
but gold-and II all came from our o.
2 digging. You ought to have stage
B. We had no trouble, Bagsby was d
:. old foolr All the time he was dra
u glng me along by the arm toward Il
crowd at the bar. Barry maintainC
3 an air of owlsh gravity,
20 "Where's Missouri JonesT l 1
II quired. hut might as well have ask
tho stone mountains. McNally chs
tered on, excited, his blue eyes dar
10 Ing, Dragging over and over about !
two horse loads of gold.
y The crowd took his whisky, laugh
II with him and tried shreydly TO pun
~ him as TO the location of his digging
~ McNally gave them no satsfacti
~ there, but even when most hilario
lu retained enough sense 10 put them
:" the track.
OF AS viii be imagined, was most
easy about the whole proceeding a
10 tried quietly to draw the two men I
re mo, sir" cried McNally, mot al