The Tomahawk., 1916-06-08

~ BEG YOUR PARDON, Mr.. SWEE
while I waited. Now that the strain
of this stratagem was over, was con-
scious of burning thirst. l called
Sweeney's sister and asked her to give
me q drink of water. Hardly had
swallowed this when Sweeney reap
peared in the doorway. He had left
the Winchester in the house, but in its
place he had brought his nine-inch .45
Colt six-shooter.
well" he said, suspiciously, "now
that you have found the way here you
can get on your horse and lead the
way back again"
While he was speaking his brother
brought Badly around, and Sweeney
mounted it, while l went ahead and,
after having let down the bars, mount
ed my own horse. Sweeney motioned
to me to lead the way, which 1 did.
While the horses picked their path
along the trail that led back through
the dense brush, Sweeney rode close
behind me, his revolver in his hand,
and grew loquacious, telling me how
he had practiced shooting with the
James gang, and how he had proved
to be the best marksman of the lot. He
also pointed out a clump of bushes
near the path, in which, he said, the
gang had been encamped during the
period that they had been in the neigh
borhood.
While l had perfect confidence in
the success of my plan, it was not
without a distinct sense of relief that
I saw the open prairie in front of me
and Vinita in the distance. Then l
unfolded a proposition to Sweeney.
81 think the best thing for us to do
will be to ride to the livery stable and
leave our horses there" said. ''Then
you had better go direct to my room.
1t is the corner room in the hotel, and
my grip is still there. Meanwhile l
will go to the telegraph office and find
out from the operator where Colonel
Eddy's special train is, and what time
it will arrive at Vinita. I don't know
how you feel, but I am getting hungry,
and if find that we have time to eat
before the special train arrives l will
order some food. AS soon as l find
out what time it will be here I. will
come straight back to my room and
let you know"
Sweeney appeared satisfied as to my
bona fides, and, after we had left our
horses at the livery stable, he went
straight to the corner room at the no.
tel which I had occupied, while l
moved off in the direction of the tele-
graph office. On the way I had met my
aid Bonnell, who had been greatly
worried as to the fate of my mis-
sion and of myself. Bonnell was, of
course, too good detective to ap-
proach me on the street at that juno
ture. He had seen Sweeney part COM
pany with me at the livery stable, and
now he followed at little distance un-
til he received the signal to wait.
I went to the telegraph Office, but
instead of entering it, walked round
the back of the building until l had
placed several houses between myself
and the hotel. I crossed the street
at a point west of the depot and went
round to the rear of the hotel, where
there was a flight Of outside stairs
ascending from the back yard to the
second floor. On the way l met Bon
nell again and signaled to him to fol-
low. Then, with my assistant a little
way behind, assembled this flight ana
went quietly toward my room. The
door stood partly open. Peerlng
through the crevice 1 saw Sweeney
lying upon the bed in his shirt sleeves
with his hat, boots and spurs on. he
was taking things easy. If he hao
had any suspicious as to my 1nten-
lions, these had been completely dis
sipated by my nonchalant way of let
ting him 60 after their arrival at
Vinita.
I drew a small double-barreled
Remington derringer from my pocket
and, hiding it behind me, entered the
room whistling. AS Sweeney looked
up 1 suddenly thrust the derrlnger
into Sweeney's mouth, loosening two
of his upper teeth.
Hands up" 1 exclaimed, and the
"bad susa" complied Immediately.