The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1919-02-27
CHAPTER VII.
My Third Peril.

MT. PurVlS' look MS pay IN baltS
and stayed with us until my first great
adventure cut him off. 1t came one
July day when I was in my sixteenth
year. He behaved badly, and l. as any
normal boy would have done who had
had my schooling in the candle light.
We had kept Grimshaw from our door
by paying interest and the sum of $50
on the principal. 1t had been hard
work to live comfortably and carry the
| burden of debt. Again Grimshaw had
begun to press us. My uncle wanted
to get his paper and learn, If possible,
when the senator was expected In
| Canton.
| So he gave me permission to ride
with Purvis to the post office-a dis
tance Of three miles-to get the mail.
Purvis rode In our only saddle and
bareback, on handsome white fllly
which my uncle had given me soon
after she was foaled. had fed and
petted and broken and groomed her
and she had grown so fond of me that
my whistled call would bring her gal
lOping from the remotest reaches of
the pasture. / had named her Sally
because that was the only name which
seemed to express my fondness.
"Mr. Purvis" was not an experienced
rider. My filly led him at a swift gal
lop over the hills, and I heard many
q muttered complaint behind me, but
she liked free head when we took
the road together, and I let her have
her way.
Coming back we fell in with another
rider who had been resting at Seaver's
little tavern through the heat of the
day. He was traveller on his way
to Canton and had missed the right
trail and wandered far atield. He had
n big military saddle with bags and
shiny brass trimmings and a pistol In
holster, all of which appealed to my
eye and interest The filly was little
tired and the stranger and l were rid.
ing abreast at walk while Purvis
trailed behind us.
We heard quick stir In the bushes
by the roadside.
whats that2" Purvis demanded In
half-whlsper of excitement. We
stopped.
Then promptly voice--a voice
which I did not recognlze-broke the
silence with these menaclng words
sharply spoken:
"Your money or your life"
"Mr. Purvis" whlrled his horse and
slashed him up the hill. Glanclnl
backward, saw him lose stirrup and
fall and pick himself up and run as
If his life depended on 1t. l saw the
stranger draw his pistol. gun wen
off in the edge of the bushes close by
The flash of fire from its muzzlt
.. leaped at the stranger. The horse!
reared and plunged and mine threw
,, me in a clump of small peoples by thu
roadside and dashed down the hill.
My fall on the stony siding hat
stunned me and l lay for three or foul
seconds, as nearly as / can estimate 1t
In strange and peaceful dream. Why
did / dream of Amos Grimshaw com
ing to visit me again, and why, abovt
oil, should 1t have seemed to me tina
: enough things were said and done II
] that little flash of dream to fill I
j whole day-enough of talk and pla,
D and going and coming, the whole end
: ing with talk on the haymow? AgaiI
and again have wondered about tina
e dream. i came to and lifted my heat
and my consciousness swung back upol
!. the track of memory and took up tn
i thread of the day, the brlefest remov
from where 1t had broken.
l peered through the bushes. Tn
! light was unchanged. could Sc
! quite clearly. The horses were gone
It was very still. The stranger Ia
r helpless In the road and figure wa
t bending over him. It was man witt
handkerchief hanging over his fac
g with holes cut opposite his eyes. H
t had not seen my fall and thought. a
I I learned later. that had ridden away
His gun lay beside him, its stoc
toward me. / observed that a piec
Q Of wood had been split off the lowe
9 side of the stock. jumped to my fee
d and seized stone to hurl at him A
I did so the robber fed with gun 4
: hand. If the gun had been loaded
5 suppose that this little history woul
never have been written. Quickly
t hurled the stone at the robber. ! RI
t member ii was smalllsh stone abou
r the size of hens egg. saw II graz
d the side of his head. ! saw his han
r touch the place which the stone ha
y grazed. He reeled and nearlySfell an
Q recovered himself and ran on, but tn
n little stone had put the mark Of Cal
II upon him.