The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1919-05-02


He's done for Please go away.
ooh, I sha'nt faint-at least not
vet. Poor fellow! I've seen him up
stairs and wondered who he was. Is
he really going to die?"
Looks bad" said Barnes, gently
opening the shirt front. Several OF
the craning men turned away sud-
denly.
"Who is he, Mr.. Jones?'
sHe is registered as Andrew Paul,
from New York. That's all [ know.
The other man put his name down as
Albert Room. He seemed to be the
boss and this man i sort of servant,
far as I could make out. They never
talked much and seldom came down.
stairs. They had their meals in their
room"
There is nothing we can do" said
Barnes, except try TO stanch the fow
of blood. He is bleeding inwardly, I'm
afraid It's a clean wound, Mr.. Jones.
Like a rife shot, should say"
That's just what it is, said che Of
the men, a tall woodonan. THE teller
who did it was 4 dead shot, you en-
bet en- that He got E other man
square through the heart"
"I.ortly, but this will raise rum
pus," groaned the landlord. Wen
have detectives an
Il guess they got what was comm
to 'esn," said another of the men.
whats that? Why, they was ridin'
peaceful as could be 10 Spanish Falls.
What 90 you mean BY sayin' that, Jim
Conley2 But wait 4 minute. How
Goes il happen that they We're up near
yo"r dads house? That certainly
amt nl2 sac road to Span"
'Sranish Falls nothn'. They wasn't
goin' 70 Spanish Falls any more'n am
at this minute. They tied their horses
up the road just above our house.
said young Conley. lowering his voice
out of consideration for the feelings
Of the helpless man. st was about
1eyen o'clock [ reckon I was comm
nome from Singin' school up at Number
Ten. an [ PASSED the bosses hitched to
the fence. Naturally | stopped, Curl
Gus like. There wasn't no one around,
fer as l could see, SO [ thought I'd
take look to see whose bosses they
We're. | thought it was derned funny
them bosses bein' there at that time O.
night an no one around. Looked
mighty queer TO ne. Course, thinks
vistin' in there at Green Fancy, so I
thought I'd
Green Fancy" said Barnes, start
ing.
Was it up that far?' demanded
Jones.
They was hitched jest about hun
dred yards below Mr.. Curtis propity,
on the Off side @ the road. / hadn't
any mOre'n got to our front gate when
| heard some one running in the road
up there behind me. Fore I knowed
what was happenin', bang went a gun
| almost jumped out'n my boots. The
runnin' had stopped. The horses was
rarin an tearing so | thought I'd
'Where'd the shot coma froIn?'' de-
manded Jones.
Up the ROAD sOme'--c>s7,s cOuldnt
swear just where. Must'a been up by
th3 road that cuts in to Green Fancy
SO [ thought I'd hustle in an see il
pa was awake, an git my gun. JEST
then pa stuck his head Out'n the win
der an yelled what the hells the mat
ter. You betcher life [ sung out who
L was mighty quick. cause pas purity
spry with q gun an I didn't want him
takin me fer burglars sneaking arount
the mouse While we Wuz talkin' there
one OF the hOSSeS started our wa,
ls.1i,<>A
hckety-Spllt, an in about two second!
It went by us. It was purity dark. bu
we see plail as day that there was
man in the saddle, bendin' low owe,
the boss neck and shoutin' to il. w,
waited couple o minutes, wOnderin
what to do an Iistenin' to the hos
Sittln' furder and furder away in tn,
direction OF the crossroads. The,
way down there by the pike we heer.
another shot. Right there an then o,
said he'd put on his clothes an wee
set out to see what it was all about
Wen, pa come out with my gun an
HIS an we walks up to where | seer !
the hoSses. Shore 'nough, one of EN- /
was still hitched to the fence. an
tOtner was gone. We stood around /
minute or two eXaminin' the boss an t
tnen Pa says let's go up the road a way; |
an see it we en- see anything. An |
by gosh, we hadn't gone mOren' fit, /
feet afore we come plumb on a MAJ /
iaEln ID the rIlsddIe Of the road. p /
SHOOK nina an he didn't let out
sound. He was warm, but deader'n
tombstone. [ wuz fer leavin' him ther.
I'LL We Cd git the coroner, but pa saws
no. We'd carry him down TO our porcf
an lay him there, SOS he'd be out o.
DANGER l jumps on Polly an lights t
out Ter here, Mr.. Jones, to telephone
up 20 Saint Liz fer the sheriff an the