Graham guardian., 1922-02-21

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to u mere matchbox OdOr, we estab-
lished our night-watch. Daddy Hiram
taking the first trick under a solemn
promise to call me nj the end of
couple OF hours. This time he behave
better, rousing me little before mid
night. He reported everything quiet
and pointed to the sleeping dog as evil
dence that there were no lntruders
within smelling distance.
'Been that-away ever since YOU
turned in," he said, meaning. as ! took
II, that the dog had been resting easy.
"You can just keep an eye on Barney
If anything goes to stirrin, he'll know
II afore you will"
Nothing did stir; and after Daddy
had gone to wrap himself in his dams
blankets, 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-go last
ed No matter about that Bullerton
didn't spring any more surprises on us
during my watch; and when | turned
the fortress over to Daddy at two
o'clock j was able to pass the "all
quiet" report back to him and go to
the blankets with an easy conscience.
| had just dropped asleep, as II
seemed to me--thOugh In reality had
slept like log for more than two
hours when Daddy Hiram came to
shake me awake.
"Somethin' DOM" he announced
quietly, and when ] sat up saw that
the collie was moving uneasily from
one door TO the other. stopping now
and then to stand m0t..nless 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 my old
ears, now; It's wagon comm across
the bench"
Now the presence OF a wagon on our
bench at this early hour In the morn
ing might mean either one Of twa
Numerically opposite things: Our
deliverancc: or the upcoming of re.
Inducements for the raiders We were
not left long IN doubt. shortly after
the rack-rack OF the wagon wheels
stopped we heard footsteps. and the
hair stifened on Barney's back. Next
we heard BullertOn's voice, just out
side and apparently under our window
openings.
"Broughtonw the voice called; "can
you hear meT
$50 we'll that you'd better keep out
of ranger snapped back.
"All right-llsten. You've got to get
out, BrOughtOn--that's fiat. | haven't
wanted TO go to extremes. For per-
fectly obvious and commonplace rea.
sons I don't want TO have 10 kill you
to get rid of you. But we are not go
ing to gentle you any more. You've
already hurt four Of my men. and two
of the four are crippled. The next
time we hit you it'll be for finish"
"Yes," said I. "YOu brought the
new club up In q wagon, didn't your"
He Ignored this.
"We could stnrye you out If we
chose to take the time. know pretty
well what you've got to eat--Or rather
what you haven't got. It's your privi-
lege TO take your life in your own
hands, Broughton; that's up to you.
But how about the old MANI"
"The old mans a-plenty good and
able to speak for hisself!" yapped
Daddy. you do your durndeNt,
Charley BullertonI' -
"All right, once more. You'll hear
from us directly, now and as ! said
before, we've quit gentling you. That's
my last word"
For a time after this the silence,
and the darkness, since It was the hour
before dawn, were thick enough to be
cut with an aN. But the dog was
more restless than ever, and we knew
that something we could neither see
nor hear must be going on. After a
while ! asked the question that had
been worrying me ever since | had
heard the wagon wheels.
"What did they bring up in that
! wagon. Daddy-a GatlingT
'The Lord only knows, Stannie--and
he won't tell" was The old prospcctor's
reply, made with no touch of irreyer.
ence; and the words were scarcely out
Of his mouth before thunderbolt
struck the shafthouse.