The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1921-11-17
oOpynshh irvine BashsIsr
CHAPTER xvlII--continued.

Iney saddled their horses ana
mounted and rode up to the door. Aft.
er their Acknowledgements and fare
wells Brimstead came close to Sam
son and said In confidence: II enjoy
bein' q millionaire for few minutes
now nm then. It's as good rs goln'
to circus an cheaper"
'The feelings of a millionaire nre
almost as good as the money while
they last" said Abe Lincoln with
laugh.
At early candlellght they reached
the sycamore woods very hungry. 1t
was beautiful grovelike forest on
the shore Of a stream. The crossing
was a rough bridge of corduroy. A
crude log tavern and q cruder store
stood on the farther shore Of the
creek. The tavern was q dirty place
with a drunken proprietor. Three
ragged, shlftless farmers and a half
breed Indian sat in its main room in
varying stages of inebriacy. A we'll
dressed, handsome young man with a
diamond in his shIrt-front was lead
ing a horse back and forth In the
stable yard. The diamond led Samson
to suspect that he was the man Davis
of whom Mrs. Brimstead had spoken.
Our travellers, not liking the look of
the place, got some oats and rode on,
camping near the farther edge of the
woods, where they built fire, fed and
tethered their horses and sat down
and ate from the store in their saddle
bags.
Then with their knives Abe and
Samson cut big armfuls Of grass from
the near prairie for the horses and a
bed upon which the three man lay
dowE for the night.
Samson had that gift of sleeping
with one eye open" which the perlls
of the wilderness had conferred upon
the pioneer. He had lain down on
the side Of their bed near the horses.
which were tethered TO trees only a
few feet away. He had gone to sleep
with his pistol under his right hand.
Late In the night he was awakened
by an unusual movement among the
horses. In the dim light Of the fire
he could see a man An the act of
bridling Abe's horse.
"Hold up your hands," Samson
shouted as he covered the man with
his pistol. III ye stir foot I'll bore
a hole in ye."
The man threw up his hands and
s.SOd still.
In half a moment Abe Lincoln and
Harry had got up and captured the
man and the loosed horse.
This is part of the entry which
Samson made in his diary a week or
so later:
"Harry put some wood on the fire
while Abe and l led him up into the
light. He was one Of the dirty white
men we had seen at the tavern.
"T1l give you four hundred dollars
for boss in good Michigan money
he said.
aft ye can't steal a horse you're
willin' to buy one, says.
"'No, sir. ] only come to buy, says
he.
II Topped him sudden and asked
him why he was putting on the bride
HE owned up then. Said a man
had hired him to steal the horse.
"That man has got to have a hoss,'
he said. He'll give ye any price We
want to ask. If you'll give me a few
dollars I'll take We 20 him.
"'You go and bring him here ana
I'll talk TO him. said.
II let the Teller go. didn't sup
pose he'd come back, but he did.
Came a little before sunrise with that
well-dressed Teller we saw at the
tavern.
"'What's your manner l says,
HE handed me card on which (
read the words Lionel Davis. Real Es-
tate, Loans and Insurance. IA South
Water Street, Chicago. ILL.,
"grheres one branch O. your BUSH
ness that isn't mentioned on the card,
says.
What's thatr says he.
'Horse-thief.' says L You sent
that Teller here 10 steal horse and
he got caught
"'Well told him II he'd get me a
good horse I'd give him five hundred
dollars end that didn't care how he
got him. The fact Is I'm desperate.
III give you thousand dollars for one
OF your horses
"'You couldn't buy one OF 'em at any
price / said. There's two reasons !
wouldn't 90 business with horsethief
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