Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-06-21

and drinking, had worked themselves
into an ugly mood even before Spike,
walking through the crowd, was rec
ognized by one and accosted. The
man, who was quarrelsome, caught
the convict by the coat collar. Spike
shook himself loose and was walking
away when Bill hurried on the scene.
Where are the pages you tore out
of that book?" he demanded angrily
OF Spike
Spike regaI ded him with assumed
establishment. What do you mean,
telling me tore anything out of your
book?" he asked. You carried the
book out, didn't you? know didn't"
Abuse from Bill followed. It was
returned by Spike with usury.
Across the street on a vacant lot
the owner of an adjoining house. while
burning some rubbish, was cleaning
his rife. AS he jerked the shells
from the magazine. one fell into the
fire. Picking up those that he could
find of the cartridges he returned to
his house with the gun. Spike and
Bill were in the midst of their heated
| argument a moment later when the re-
| port Of a rifle startled them. Both
men. as bullet sung past, instructive
ly lodged. In doing so Bill unluckily
struck projecting awning hook with
his head. The blow was sharp and
the end of the hook penetrated his
temple Bill sank to the pavement I'M
| conscious.
Some of the idle laborers who had
been alarmed at the shot, seeing Bill
go down, came forward. Bill. bleeding
at the temple. lay while Spike. won
dering what had happened, stood by.
The sheriff came up.
There he is" said one of Seagrue's
men, pointing to Spike. There's the
man that did the shooting"
The crowd worked in and the sher-
| if, despite Spikes protests, laid his
hand on Spikes shoulder and told him
that he was under arrest. turning him
over to a deputy as he did so. with
orders to search him. In moment
they found on Spike the revolver he
had taken from Bill at the courthouse.
| The sheriff opened the gun. 1t con.
tanned FIVE loaded shells; the sixth had
been discharged.
The crowd, angry at Spike, surged
forward, the sheriff holding them back
as best he could while he directed his
deputy to take the prisoner away.
Helen and Storm, finishing their
lunch, had gone to the courthouse and
were busy with the recorder who was
trying to find the missing book. when
a clerk coming in told about the fight
down street, and of a prisoner, named
Spike, the crowd was trying to take
from the sheriff.
Storm and Helen, not waiting to
| pursue their tearch, left the room to
ascertain what the disturbance was
about
By this time the sheriff and his dep
uties had succeeded in getting Spike
to the calaboose where they pushed
him inside. But the crowd, now a
mob, had followed hard on their heels
It was growing larger every moment
|
In fact, Storm and Helen had hardly
reached the street when they were
told there was a good prospect of the
city Jail being raided and Spike be
ing dragged out and hanged to the
first pole.
Seagrue had sent Lug out to looh
for Bill, whose disappearance dis
turbed him And Lug, finding his part
ner lying deserted on the sidewalk
tried hard to bring him around He
stopped a man running past and with
his help propped Bin up.
Helen and Storm. reaching the edge
of the crowd in front OF the Jail, saw
and heard enough to make them real
ize the seriousness Of the situation
They looked at each other.
VIVA: do you Think" asked Helen
of her companion anxiously.
Storm sh ook his head. We've got
to get help, Helen, and g. it quick.
The only place II can come from
is the camp, then" responded Heller
with decision. And we must go after
it, George"
They fastened to the station and
told the story to the agent. Storm
wrote a message, directing a boy Il
rush upstairs with it and get it of
When Rhineiander opened the tele
gram few moments later. he read:
SPIKE WORKING IN OUR 5E
HALF IN TROUBLE WITH SEA
GRUE's GANG. THEY ARE STORM
ING JAIL TO LYNCH HIM. On EN-
CINE. HAVE HELP READY AS
SOON AS WE ARRIVE-sToRm.
Rhinelander, without loss of time
| assembled his men, told them cf the
trouble at Las Vegas and asked If they
were willing to help rescue Spike
They answered with an affirmative
yell and he ordered them TO clint
aboard a fiat car.
IN 'front.' OF the Jail man was ha
ranguing the crowd and urging them to
get the murderer And his listeners
were already in a humor to rush the
place. Within, the sheriff and his men
were anxiOusly watching develop
ments.
The sheriff ordered a deputy to slip
quietly out the back way and get hold
Of a car. The moment the machine
appeared the sheriff smuggled Spike
out. meaning to take him to the coun
" jail for safe keeping. Unfortunately
an alert rioter saw the move. He
|