Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-02-03
CHAPTER XIV.

In a small room over the post office
in Peril an attorney, whose profess
sional success had always been pre-
carious, received those few clients
who came to him for consultation. The
lawyers name was Walter Hackley,
but he was better known as Clayheel
Hackley, because he never. wore socks
and his bare ankles were tanned to
the hue of river-bank mud.
His features were wizened and his
eyes shifty. He was coward and
an intriguer by nature and tnclina-
ton. 1t was logical enough that when
the verdict of the directors table that
Bad Anse Havey was a nuisance fl
tered down the line the persons seek
ing native methods for abating the
nuisance should come to Clayheel
Hackley
One day In August this attorney at
law, together with Jim Fletcher and q
tricky youth who enjoyed the distinc-
ton Of holding office as telegraph OPP
orator at the Peril station, caucused
together IN Hackley's dingy ROOM
In the death of Bad Anse Havey this
trio saw a joint advantage, since the
abating of such nuisance would not
so unrewarded.
Gentlemen" said the attorney his
wizened face working nervously, this
business has need to be expeditions.
Gentlemen-it requires, in its nature.
TO be expeditions. a few more fail
ures and we are done for"
well, tell US how ye aims ter do
hit" growled the telegraph operator.
"Jim Fletcher has the idea" replied
the lawyer impressively. Quite the
right idea. How many men can you
trust on a job like this, Jim?"
"As many as We needs" was the con-
f1dent response. "A dozen OF q score
II they're wanted" - sz"sr.-
Enough to make 1t sure, but not
too many" urged Hackley. I'VE
should set day precisely as the court
would set day for-er-an execu-
ton. The force you send out should
simply stay on the job until it's done.
II Anse Havey can be got alone. SO
much the better. But above all"
The lawyer paused and spoke with
his most forceful emphasis: Don't
just wound this man. See that the
thing is finally and definitely settled"
"III be there myself" Jim Fletcher
assured him. Now when is this day
goin' ter be?"
''This is Monday" reflected the at
torney. There is no advantage in
delay. 1t will take 3 day or two to get
ready. Let the case be docketed. as 1
might say--for Thursday"
Anse Havey had gone to Lexington.
Never again did he mean to hold
against himself the accusation of the
unlit lamp and the ungirt ioin." He
knew that she loved him.
In Lexington he had bought q ring
and at Peril he had got marriage IL
cense. His camp-following days were
over. He had one youth, and he knew
that If his enemies succeeded In
their designs that might at any mo-
ment be snapped short with sudden
death. It did not seem to him that one
of it's golden hours should be wasted
AS he came out Of the courthouse
with the invaluable piece Of paper In
his pocket two men, seemingly I'M
armed, rose from the doorway of the
store across the street and drifted to-
ward their hitched horses. 80
Young Milt McBriar had ridden over
to Peril that day with several compan-
ions, and Anse Havey went back with
them. So 1t happened that quite acci-
dentally he made this journey under
escort. The men who rode little way
In his rear cursed their luck-and
waited. And though they lurked in
hiding all that afternoon near Anse
Havey's house, they saw nothing more
OF their intended victim.
Anse was keenly alive to each days
impending threat, and when he
recognized the face of Jim Fletcher In
Peril as he came through, he had read