The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-04-03


whistled to my ally. I could hear her
answering whinny far down the dusty
road and then her hoofs as she gal.
loped toward me. She came within q
few feet Of me and stood snorting.
caught and mounted her and rode to
the nearest house for help. On the
way saw why she had stopped. A
number Of horses were feeding on the
roadside near the log house where An
drew Champion lived. Andrew had
just unloaded some hay and was back.
Ing out Of his barn. I hitched my
flly and jumped on the rack saying:
'Drive up the road as quick as you
can. A man has been murdered"
What fearful word It was that I
had spoken! What panic II made in
the little dooryardi The man gasped
ana jerked the reins and shouted to
his horses and began swearing. The
woman uttered little scream and the
children ran crying to her side.
The physical facts which are further
related to this tragedy are 1t little
moment to me now. The stranger was
dead and we took his body to our home
and my uncle set out for the constable.
Over and over again that night told
the story Of the shooting. We went to
the scene OF the tragedy with lanterns
and fenced It OF and put some men
on guard there.
In the morning they found the rob.
ber's footprints In the damp dirt Of
the road and measured them. The
whole countrywide was afire with ex.
citement and searching the woods and
fields fer the highwayman.
The stranger was buried. There was
nothing upon him to indicate his name
or residence. Weeks passed with no
news Of the man who had slain him. ]
had told Of the gun with . piece Of
wood broken out Of its stock, but no
one knew Of any such weapon In OF
near Lickitysplit
One day Uncle Peabody and I drove
up to Grimshaw's to make Q payment
Of money. I remember II was sold
and silver which we carried IN q little
sack. asked where Amos was an1
Mrs. Grimshaw-a timid, tired-lo0king,
bony little woman who was psvee esen
outside Of her own house-sald that
he was working out on the farm Of .
Mr.. Beekman near Plattsburg. He had
gone over on the stage late In June
to hire out for the haying. I observed
that my uncle looked very thoughtful
a. we rode back Aeme and he'd Iittle
to say. -
"You never had aay idee who that
robber was, did YER he asked by and
by.
"No-I could not see plain-it was
so DUSK" said.
The swift words, "Your money or
your life." came out Of my memory
and rang In II. I felt its likeness to
the scoldlng demands Of Mr.. Grim
shaw. who was forever saying in .e1.
feet:
"Your money or your homer"
That was like demanding our lives.
because we couldn't live without our
home. Our all was In II. Mr.. Grim
shaw's gun was the power he had over
us. and what terrible weapon Il
vast credit him with never realls-
Ing how terrible.
We came to the sandhills and then
Uncle Peabody broke the siIencs b.
saying:
II wouldn't give fifty cents for %
much o. this land - Q bird could q
around IN q day."
Then for long time I heard only
the sound Of feet and wheels mufYled
In the sand. while my uncle eat look.
Ing thoughtfully at the siding. When
! spoke to him he seemed not to hear
me.
Before we reached home I knew
what was In his mind. but neither
dared speak Of II.
People came from Canton and al
the neighboring villages to see and talk
with me. and among them were the
Dunkelbergs. Unfounded tales Of my
bravery had gone abroad.
Sally seemed to be very glad to see
me. We walked down to the brook
and IN into the maple grove ana back
through the meadows.