Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1916-04-20

tVA WARN anu hung up my arm.
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 rifle
fell ctattertng to the floor To my sur.
prise, the fellow laughed.
well, I'll be damned he chortled,
you here?"
He threw back his head, and rec
ognized him-Jem Taylor old Ned
Cowan. ! 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
1t easy-the blame thing mout go OF.
l 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 wait, broke in coldly. ''Ycu
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
ers believe was guilty
"Shucks, lad; twas no more than
fair fight"
1T was cold-blooded murder, Cow
an" exclaimed indignantly. 1.-The cul-
mtnatton of feud'
Huh who told yer that?"
I 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. is 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.
Il reckon amt seen OF 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 a notion he wants her hisself.
l 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
out yere in the mountings. We jest
strike quick. an then git away "Taint
so much of a trick Anse is a-playing
at over at Lewisburg. Sure thars five
hundred Yanks thar; an if thar wus
five thousand it wouldn't make no
great difference the way the guard is
sot. The Who'll blame cabccdle 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?"
"No," admitted, realizing his init
mate knowledge. THE camp is poorly
protected"
Il reckon it is, and Anse knows
that just as we'll 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. l reckon he'll bout cut yer
heart OUT
He will have to get me first"
ooh. don't yer ever worry none
bout tibet, young fellar. Anse will
sure git yer; he knows every bride
path cross these mountings, an /
wouldn't give q continental damn
fer no chance you've got fer ter git
away. He's 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.
1t was his one chance, and he took it..
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
cra4hed against me with such force
that staggered and fell: one hand
closed Ike q wise on my throat, the
other gripped the stock of my re-
volver. crushing lay fingers lifeless.
struck the edge Of the table. strug-
Cling vainiy 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 cwn breast, burning like
nre. and. the next instant, the mans
knee crushed my wrist to the floor,
and the revolver fell from my be-
benumbed fingers.
I seem to recall little of what fol-
lowed; only a confused recollection of
desperate struggling amid the legs Of
The overturned table: of oaths, blows,
Of eyes glaring revengefully into mine.
! seemed to lose all knowledge, all
consciousness, under the merciless
throttling Of these hard fingers. Then
suddenly they relaxed-I caught a
quick, reviving breath, another. Every
nerve In me throbbed; could see
again, hear. feel. That was Noreen's
face ! looked into-ay. and the girl
was actually dragging the fellow off
me! / took another breath, long
one. moving So that the inert body
rolled over on its side; then rose up,
supporting myself on one arm, and
stared about snhhing in the first eff.