The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-11-13

hedge beside him, and the next In
slant he was knocked fiat and breath
less by the impact of this hurting
body.
The next instant two swift, ruth,
less figures came plunging through
the hedge, and he found himself en-
broiled in seething mix-up of pant
ing, struggling men.
Presently Crow sat up. The steady
glare OF q "dark-lantern" revealed a
picture he was never to forget.
A single figure IN kneeling posi-
ton, hand on high. was crying:
Don't shootl Don't shoot"
Over him stood two men with pis-
tolls leYelled at the white, terrified
face.
Anderson. to his dying day. was to
remember those bullying eyes. the
fabby and unshaven face, the mouth
that appeared to be grinning-but
never had he seen such an unnatural
grinl
stand up!" commanded one of tho
men. and the victim struggled to his
feet. In less time than it takes to
tell it. the fellow was searched and
handcuffed. run back there, PIXIE.
and see that the woman don't take a
crack at us with a shotgun. She'd do
1t in a minute" As his companion
darted back into the roadway, tho
speaker turned to his captive.
Where's your gum"
By this time Anderson Crow was
on his feet. He was clutching some
: thing In his hand. He looked at II In
} stark establishment. It was an auto
matte pistol. In raising himself from
the ground his hand had fallen
; upon it.
, IT don't know" said the captive
sullenly. Then his gaze fell upon the
J gaunt figure of Anderson Grow. A
J frightful scowl TRANSPORTED his face.
Mr.. Grow involuntarily drew back a
step and reversed the pistol in his
hand, so shat its muzzle was pointing
at the enemy instead of at himself
l Between imprecations the prisoner
? managed to convey the fact that he
: realized for the first time that it was
a human being and not a log that had
, brought him to earth.
, Mr.. Crow found his voice and come
3 OF his wits at the same time.
J III learn you not to go rampagin'
/ around these parts carryin' concealed
weapons, you good-fer-nothin' scamp!
= I've got your gun. blast vel" He
! turned triumphantly to the surprised
secret-seryice man. 81 took it away
from him soon as I had him down.
T an"
} Holy maclrerell" gasped the oper-
= alive. "Did-did you Head him off
and-and down him? You? Well,
b. I'll be hanged"
e I sorter knowed he'd strike about
D here, tryin' to make the woods I'D
s yonder, so 1 hustled down here to
head him off while you fellers-"
:. Never mind now" broke In the
t other. Tell it to me later. Come
t on. both of you. We're not through
yet" He urged the burly captive
s through the hedge. Marshal Grow
Il followed very close behind.
They found terrified, excited
. group on the front porch-three
a sturdy females in nightgowns. all
u with their hands up! Below, revealed
by the light streaming through the
Q open door, stood a man covering
j them with a revolver. Fifteen or
4 twenty minutes later Mr.. Crow dug
the shivering Eliphalet Loop out of
d the haymow and ordered him forth
with to join his family in the kitchen.
i where he would hear something to
his advantage.
t The happiest man in Brambls
County was Eliphalet Loop when he
finally grasped the truth. The pris-
81 oner turned out to be his wife's first
! husband--he grasped that fact some
J. little time before he realized that he
j wasn't even her second husband,
D owing to certain fundamental prin-
ciples in law-and a fugitive from
rhA
convict, the leader of a gang of
Y counterfeiters, and he was serving a
term in one Of the federal prisons
I when he succeeded in his break for
! liberty. For many months the United
States Secret Service operatives had
been combing the country for him,
t hot and cold on his trail, but always,
until now, finding themselves baffied
t by the crafty rogue. who. according
TO the records, was one OF the most
dangerous, desperate criminals alive,
, Finally they got track of his wife,
1 who had lived for time in Hoboken,
but 1t was only within the week that
they succeeded in locating her as tho
wife of Eliphalet Loop. The re-
/ mainder OF the story Is too simple TO
t bother about.
} The next evening Mr. Crow sat on
} the porch in front of Lamson's store.
! His fellow-townsmen were paying I'D
} more promptly than he had expected.
Practically threefourths of the re-
ward was in his coat pockets-al
: silver, but as heavy as lead
/ Eyes. SIR" he was saying in
far-reaching voice, for the outer rim
of the crowd was some distance away,
''as l said before several times, fig-
| gered that I'd have to outfgger him.
He is one of the sIickest individuals
have ever had anything to. do with
an one of the most desperit. Fer
a second or two l thought maybe
he'd get the best of me, being so.
= much younger an having a revolver
besides. But I hung on like grim
: death, an finally I got my favorite
holt on him an down he went All
! this time I was tryin' to git his re-
yolver away from him. Just as /
} got it, the secret-service men came
dashin' up an'-What say, Deacon
Well, If the rest Of the crowd amt
tired o. hearin' the story, I don't
mind te1lin' 1t all over"
Harry Squires, perched on the rail-
ing, assured him that the crowd
wouldn't mind in the least.
1.-THE real beauty OF the story, An.
derson," he added dryly, lis that ~