Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1916-03-09


Drop IT." said shortly. Lift that
gun and you're dead!"
At first thought him crazy enough
to take the chance of my fire; then
the big fingers relaxed. and the rife
fell Gathering to the floor. To my sur
prise, the fellow laughed.
We'll, I'll be damned" he chortled.
you here?"
He threw back his head. and | rec
ognized him-Jem Taylor. old Ned
Cowan. l drew quick breath. my
teeth clenched, my arm steady. This
encounter was going to prove no boys
play
Put down yer popgun, boy. an take
it easy-the blame thing mout go off.
! reckon as how we all hav'n't got
nuthin' ter fight fer. hav' we? How
Their Sam Hill did yer ever git yere?
Now watt" broke in coldly. "You
stand just where you are. am not
sure whether you know me or not;
but know you, Ned Cowan-I know
what you did at Hot Springs. and how
you took me along so as to make 9TH
ers believe was guilty"
"Shucks. lad; twas no more than
fair fight
1T was cold-blooded murder, Cow
ami" exclaimed Indignantly. "the cul
| mination of feud."
Huh who told yer that?"
stepped aside, but still held him
under the muzzle of my revolver. The
change in posture brought the man
face to face with Noreen; saw him
lean forward and gaze at her; then
recoil, as though he viewed a ghost.
She never moved, never spoke.
Good Lord" he muttered. rs that
Harwood's girl? Why, Anse's out
huntin' after her now"
He stopped, cursing fiercely to him
self. His eyes shifted their gaze from
the face of the girl to mine. They
were narrow cat eyes, cruel and cum
ming.
II reckon | amt seen oil Harwood's
gal afore in maybe five year." he said
slowly. "but she has sure growed up
fine. Anse took after marrying her
furst jist ter spite Harwood, but since
he seed her while back he's sorter
took notion he wants her hisself.
| reckon l don't blame him. Thet's
why he wouldn't wait, but set out ter
night. No, don't reckon, young fell
Ter, it's no particular risk Yer a sojer
an don't jest understand how we fight
ont yara in the ,,,nuptipuc yVa iaof
strike quick, an then git away. 'Taint
SO much Of trick Anse is APPLYING
at over at Lewisburg. Sure thar's five
hundred Yanks thar; an II thar wus
| five thousand 1t wouldn't make no
great difference the way the guard is
sot. The who'll blame caboodle is
camped in the courthouse yard, an
the only picket is at the main ford o.
the Green Briar. Yer never saw no
body, did yer. gittin' out yere"
mo" admitted, realizing his inti-
mate knowledge. THE camp is poorly
protected"
Il reckon 1t is. and Anse knows
that just as well as you do. An he
knows the gal yere had room at Their
hotel Thar is where he went, amin
fer ter raid the shebang Just before
daylight" He laughed again mirth-
lessly. by God. but Anse will be
some mad when he finds out whut has
happened. reckon he'll bout cut yer
heart out"
"He will have to get me first"
/
bout tibet, young fellar. Anse will
sure git yer; he knows every bride
path cross these mountings, an
wouldn't give a continental damn
fer no chance you've got fer ter git
away. He's a tiger cat on a trail,
Anse is-an' besides the blame fool
wants the gal. He amt no Cowan If
he lets you beat him outer her."
He glanced quickly across my shoul.
| der toward the door. Perhaps she
moved; perhaps 1t was all magma
ton, but thought heard noise. and
wheeled partly around, my eyes for
an instant deserving old Cowan's face
II was his one chance, and he took it..
l sensed the spring, even as Noreen's
cry of warning broke the silence, but
not in time to escape the grip of the
old mans iron fingers. His body
crashed against me with such force
that / staggered and fell; one hand
closed like wise on my throat. the
other gripped the stock OF my re-
volver, crushing my fingers lifeless. l
struck the edge of the table, strug-
Cling vainly to keep my feet. 1t went
over with crash, bearing US both
along. old Ned atop, clutching fiercely
to keep his hold, his eyes blazing
madly down into mine. AS we struck
wrenched my hand free and pulled
the trigger. The shot seemed to blaze
across my own breast, burning like
fire, and, the next instant, the mans
knee crushed my wrist to the floor,
and the revolver fell from my be-
benumbed fingers.
l seem to recall little of what fol.
lowed; only confused recollection of
desperate struggling amid the legs Of
the overturned table; of oaths, blows,
of eyes glazing revengefully into mine.
l seemed to lose all knowledge, all
consciousness, under the merciless
throttling of those hard fingers. Then
suddenly they relaxed-I caught a
quick, reviying breath, another. Every
nerve In me throbbed; could see
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