The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-08-26
The Boy
Bushwhacker
BY DONALD cHAMBERLN

mc4lCOs were OUT uuuIlng. WnaC they
were after was not rabbits or squirrels
or birds They wanted bigger game
They were bushwhackers. From be
hind a tree, stone or a bush they
would pick or the bandits. Their
homes had been plundered and the
brother of one Of them, George Dor
rance, had been killed by the men they
were now taking revenge upon.
George had lain In wait for q strag
gler from the band Of one Alvarez and
shot him from behind tree. Imme
diately after the deed was done q
Mexican woman, who knew George
saw him emerge from the timber
Passing along the road she saw the
dead bandit lying on his back, bis
CLASSY eye looking up at the peaceful
blue sky. Alvarez had heard the shot
behind him and, desiring to know what
1t was about, turned and rode back
Seeing the dead man, he asked the
woman who shot him. She told him
that George Dorrance had done the
deed, and pointed in the direction
George had gone.
Warren Edwards, Georges compan.
ion, was waiting for him not far dis
tant, and they moved on together to-
ward Georges home Presently look.
ing back. they saw Alvarez coming.
he was on an elevation In the ground,
and they were on another. The Dor
rance house was a short distance be.
low, and, boylike, instead of going into
hiding anywhere else they made for it.
They were met at the door by Mrs:
Dorrance.
Mother" said George, 81 shot a
bandit, and think one of 'em Is com
ing for me-
A moments thought decided her, and
she led them to garnet, unceiled and
the Joists above uncovered. On these
1oists were piled some old beds.
Get up there" said the woman.
The boys climbed up and hid them
selves in the bedding. Unfortunately
Alvarez had seen them go into the
house and knew they were there. He
was full of wrath at the loss of his
man and determined to wreak 1t on
the slayer. Riding up to the house,
he threw himself from his horse and
stalked In with knitted brow and a
merciless look in his eye.
Il want a boy named George Dor.
rance" he said to Georges mother.
tsrTshora,r No u,ob haxv hnu1
HE is here; saw him come in with
another boy few minutes ago. You
might as well produce him and save
me the trouble of looking for him."
what do you want to do with him p
Never mind that; tell him to come
out Of hiding"
The woman stuck to 1t that George
was not In the house.
Are you his mother?" asked the
bandit. .-
yes" 3tt
AS soon as he received this reply
Alvarez gave up trying to persuade or
brighten the woman into giving up her
son and went through the house
searching for him. AS soon as he saw
the beds stored on the joists above the
garrett, recognizing it as q most likely
hiding place. he examined 1t and yank.
ed the boys out. Hustling them down.
stairs, he took them out in front Of
the house.
(which Of you boys is George Dor
rance" he asked.
Neither replied. Alvarez asked the
question of Mrs. Dorrance, who had
followed them out Of the house. She
would not reply.
Il want to know" said Alvarez an
grily, (which one of you boys is
George Dorrance, who Just now shot
one of my men. If I can't find out I'll
kill you both, for I'm determined to
kill the one who did the bushwhack-
ing"
George declined to give the required
information, and Warren was deter
mined that he would not betray his
friend Whether Alvarez admired an
act Of heroism on the part Of one of
the boys unknown to him or from
some other cause he did not carry out
this threat to kill both. He resorted
to device to learn the truth. He had
seen the boys guns standing In a cor
ner In the house. He stepped inside.
brought them out and, keeping the
boys covered with a revolver, handed
each boy a gun. Then he told them,
when he gave the word, to fire on
Mrs. Dorrance, and the boy who fall
ed to infiict a death wound should die.
In this way he expected to discover
which was her son, for no boy would
thus kill his mother.
But the test was interrupted. he
had scarcely handed the guns to the
boys when there came the metallic
notes Of a bugle. Alvarez, without
even looking to see whence it came,
eaped on to bis horse and, digging the
rowels OF his spurs into the beasts
tanks, was or like flash.
But the boys had the guns. Two re-
ports rang out together, and Alvarez's
body was left In the dust while his
horse ran on.
A few minutes later a company of
the -th United States cavalry rode
past the house. The captain was mott
fed that Alyarez's band was I'm the
n nichharhnoS -