The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-07-24
CHAPTER ;v-contlnued.

"They was hitched Jest about hun
1red yards below Mr.. Curtis propity,
on the OF side o. the road. I hadn't
any more'n got to our front gate when
I heard some one running in the road
up there behind me. Fore I knowed
whet was happenin'. bang went a gun.
I almost jumped out'n my boots. The
runnin' had stopped. The horses was
rarin' an tearing SO thought I'd"
"Where'd the shot come 'front.' de-
manded Jones. t.a
"Up the road some'eres, couldn't
swear just where. Must'a' been up by
the road that cuts in to Green Fancy.
So thought I'd hustle In an see II
pa was awake, an git my gun. Jest
then pa stuck his head out'n the win
der an yelled what the hell's the mat
ter. You betcher life I sung out who
I was mighty quick. cause pas purity
Spry with gun an ] didn't want him
takin' me fer burglars sneaking around
the house. While we wuz taIl1in' there
one of the hosses started our way
ickety-split, an In about two seconds
It went by US. It was purity dark, but
we see plain as day that there was
man In the saddle, bendin' low over
the hoss' neck and shoutin' to II. We
waited couple o minutes, wonderin'
what to do, an listenin' to the hoss
gittin' furder and furder away in the
direction Of the crossroads. Then
way down there by the pike we heerd
another shot. Right there an then pa
said he'd put on his clothes an we'd
set out to see what It was all about.
! swell, pa come out with my gun an
his'n an we walks up to where seen
the hosses. Shore 'nough, one Of 'em
was still hitched to the fence, an
t'other was gone. We stood around a
minute or two examinin' the hoss an
then pa says let's 60 up the road ways
an see II we en- see anything. An
by gosh. we hadn't gone moren' fifty
feet afore we come plumb on man
layin' In the middle Of the road. Pa
shook him AN he didn't let out a
sound. He was warm, but deader'n o
tombstone. wuz fer leavin' him there
till we cd git the coroner, but pa says
no. We'd carry him down to our porch
an lay him there, SOS he'd be out o.
danger. / Jumps on Polly an lights
out fer here. Mr.. Jones, to telephone
up to Saint Liz fer the sheriff an the
coroner, not givin' a dang what I run
into on the way. Polly SHE'D some
thin terrible Jest afore we got to the
pike an / come derned near bein'
throwed. An right there side the road
was this feller. all In a heap. Thinks
I, you poor cuss YOU must a tried to
stop that feller on hossback an he
plunked you. That accounted fer the
second shot. The thing that worries all
Of us Is did the same man do the
shootin'. or was there two Of 'em. one
wnitin' down the cr0ss-roads?"
"Must have been two" said Jones,
thoughtfully. 'sThe same man couldn't
have got down there ahead Of him,
that's sure. Did anybody go up to
Green Fancy to make inquiries7"
"'Twasn't necessary. Mr.. Curtis
heard the shootin' an jest before we
left he sent man out to see what II
was all about. The old skeezlcks that's
teen drivin' his car lately come down
half-dressed. He said nothin' out Of
the way had happened up at Green
Fancy"
''lt's most mysterious" said Barnes
glancing round the circle Of awed
faces. "There must have been some
one lying In wait for these men. and
with a very definite purpose In mind
"Strikes me-" said Jones, shat these
two men were up to some kind Of dirty
work themselves, else why did they
say they were goin' to Spanish Falls
They were queer actin men, I'll have
to say that"
His eyes met Barnes and there was
q queer light in them.
"You don't happen to know anything
about this. do you, Mr.. Barnes7" he dc
,manded. suddenly.