The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1922-03-16
open so that. the breeze might blow

!, open so that. the breeze might blow
through and air the place out bit.
Closing and barring the doors after
the sulphur stencil had been reduced
to mere matchbox Odor, we estab-
nshed our night-watch, Daddy Hiram
taking the first trick under a solemn
promise to call me at the end of n
couple of hours. This time he behaved
better, rousing me Il little before mid.
night: He reported everything quiet,
ana pointed to the sleeping dog rs evil
dcnce that there were no intruders
within smelling distance.
r. "Been that-away ever since you
turned in" he said, meaning, as / took
1t, that the dog had been resting easy.
hfou can just keep an eye on Barney.
II anything goes to stirrin', he'll know
1t afore you WILL"
80 Nothing did stir; and after Daddy
mad gone to wrap himself I'm his damp
blankets, l had my work cut out for
me Keeping awake; in fact, shouldn't
|: want to swear that was fully awake
during all Of the one hundred and
twenty minutes that my sentry-so last
ed. No matter about that. Bullerton
didnt spring any more surprises on us
during my watch; and when / turned
the fortress over, to Daddy at two
O'Clock l. was able to pass the "all
quiet: report back to him and 60 to
the blankets with an easy conscience.
mad Just dropped asleep, as It
seemed to me-though in reality / had
slept like a log for more than two
h0nrS-Nhan
shake me awake.
"Somethin' dom" he announced
quietly, and when sat up I saw that
the collie was moving uneasuy from
one do2r to the otheg. stopping now
and then to stand m6f..nIess with his
ears cooked and his head on one side
*'"Barney hears something" / ven
tured; and moment later Daddy
broke in:
"Huh! It's plain enough for nv old
ears, now; It's wagon colatn' across
the bench"
Now the presence of a wagon on orr
bench at this early hour in the morn.
ing might mean either one of two
Numerically opposite things: Our
deliverance; or the upcoming of re.
endorsements for the raiders. We we're
not left long in doubt. Shortly after
the. rack-rack Of the wagon wheels
st9pped we heard footsteps. and the
ha1r stifened on Barney's back. Next
we heard Bullerton's voice, just. out
side and apparently under our window
openings. -
sBroughton :" the voice called: "can
youf hear me?"
!. $50 well that you'd better keep out
OF range" snapped back.
All right-listen. You've got TO get
out, Rroughton-that's fiat. I haven't
wanted to. go to extremes. For per
fectlN obvious and COMMONPLACE req
sons / don't want 10 have to Kill YOU
TO get rid Of you. But we are not 60
Ing: to gentle YOU any more. You've
. already hurt four of my men. and two
or the four are crippled. The next
time. we hit on, it'll be for finish"
Ses,7 said I. you brought the
| new club UP in wagon, didn't YOUR"
He igRored this.
I'VE could starve you out II we
chose to take the time. L know pretty
weR what you've got to eat-or rather
what you haven't got. It's your privi.
iege. TO-. take your life in your own
hands, Broughton; that's up to you.
But how about the old mann"
THE old mans a-penty good and
able to speak for hisself!" yapped
Daddy. "You do your du-ndest,
Charley Bullertonw
"AA right, once more. You'll hear
from Gus directly, now; and as 1 said
before, we've quit gentling you. That's
my lest word"
For a time after this the silence
and the darkness, since 1t was the hour
before. dawn, were thick enough to be
cut Win an d1. But the ios was
more :restless than ever, and we knew
that something we could neither see
.nort hear must be going on. After a
I while H. asked the question that had
been worrying me ever since had
heard the wagon wheels. -
"Whst did they bring up in that
wagon, lDaddy-a Gatling?"
.?;1he. Lord only knows, StannIe-and
he Won't tell" was the old prospector's
reply, made with no touch of irrever-
eace ! and the words were scarcely out
9f his mouth. before thunderbolt
struck the shatfhouse.