Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-07-24
CHAPTER XVI.
(Continued.)

81 don't like that young feller'
said Curtis. Hes in fer trouble
He ran toward his house, which
was only a fen rods beyond us,
while I started on in pursuit or the
two men at top speed. Before my
horse had taken a dozen jumps
heard a horn blowing behind me
and it's echo in the hills. Within
a half a moment a dozen horns
were sounding in the valleys around
me. What a contrast to the quiet
in which we had been riding was
this pandemonium which had brok-
en- loose in the countryside. A III
tie ahead | could see men running
out of the fields. My horse had be-
gun to lather, for the sun was not.
My companions were far ahead. l
could not see the dust OF their
heels now. I gave up trying 10
catch them and checked the speed
of my horse and went on at
walk. The horns were still sound
ing. Some of them seemed to be
miles away. About twenty RODS
ahead l saw three riders in strange
costumes come out of a dooryard
and take the road at wild GAL
Iop in pursuit of Latour and Pur-
Wis. They had not discovered me.
kept as calm as l could in the midst
of this excitement. remember
laughing when I thought of the
mess in which "Mr. Purvis" would
shortly find himself.
l passed the house from which
the three riders had just turned
into the road. A number of women
and an old man and three or four
children stood on the porch. They
looked at me in silence as l was
passing and then began TO hiss and
ieer. 1t gave me a feeling l have
never known since that day. /
logged along over the brow of n
hill when, at a white, frame house,
saw the center toward which all
the men of the countryside were
coming
Suddenly I heard the hoof-beats
of a horse behind me. l stopped,
and looking over my shoulder saw
a rider approaching me in the cos
tune of an Indian chief. A red
mask covered his face. A crest of
eagle feathers circled the edge of
his cap. without word he rode
on at my side. l knew not then
that he was the man Josiah Curtis
nor could l at any time have
sworn that it was he.
A crowd had assembled around
the house ahead. could see a
string of horsemen coming toward
il from the other side. I wondered
what was going to happen to me.
What a shouting and jeering in the
crowded dooryard. | could see the
smoke of a fire. We reached the
gate. Men in Indian masks and
costumes gathered around us.
"Ordert Sh-sh-sh," was the loud
command of the man beside me in
whom recognized-Or thought that
did-tl.e voice of Josiah Curtis.
What has happened?"
zone o. them tried to serve a
writ an we have tarred an feath-
cred him"
Just them I heard the voice of
Purvis shouting back in the crowd
this impassioned plea:
Bart, for Gods sake, come
here"
turned to Curtis and said:
IL the gentleman Irled 10 serve
the writ he acted without orders
and deserves what he has got. The
other fellow is simply hired man
who came along to take care of the
horses. He couldn't tell the differ
ence between a writ and hole in
the ground"
Men, you have gone fur enough"
said Curtis. This man is all right.
Bring the other men here and put
'em on their horses an III escort
'em out o. the town"
They brought Latour on a rail
amidst roars of laughter. What a
Eear-like, poultrified, be-poodled OBJ
ject he was!burred and sheathed
in runpled gray feathers from his
hair to his heels. The sight and
smell of him scared the horses.
There were tufts of feathers over
his ears and on his chin. They had
found great joy in spelling that
aristocratic livery in which he had
arrived
Then came poor Purvis. They
had just begun to apply the tar