Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1922-03-09

'DO your talking from there. If you've
anything to say
The delegation halted and Fullerton
took a paper from his pocket.
I'm serving legal notice upon you,
Broughton," he said, waving the paper
at me, "and have two witnesses here,
as the law requires. l represent the
Cinnabar Mining company Of Cripple
Greek. You IRE trespassing on our
property and am making formal
demand for possession"
$50 that's the new wrinkle, is it?"
laughed. II was hoping you might
spring something little more original.
How are you going to prove owner
ship?"
1.-THE burden of proof isn't on us;
It's on you" he ripped out. you
haven't a shadow of claim to this
mine. I've got your so-caled deed
right here"-and he shook that at us.
"It's forgery; clumsy, childish
forgery that wouldn't impose upon a
blind man! We can send you to the
rock pile on the strength of 1t IL we
want to!"
Since he had stolen the deed out of
my pocket, thought, of course, that
he was just bluffinS about its being
forgery. He must have known per-
fectly we'll that it wasn't. But Daddy
was whispering in my ear as he sat
behind me. Something like this:
"Gosh-all-Friday, Stannie, he's got you
goin'! He's made copy O. the deed
and throwed the 'riglnal away-burnt
1t up, r somethin'!"
"You have /, all your own way, Bull
lerton-or you think you have" told
him and i'll didn't get all Of the self
confidence into the words that tried
to, am persuaded that he didn't know
the difference. II might even concede
that you have everything but the mine
itself. If you want that, you may
come and take it; but you'll permit me
to say that when you break into this
shaft-house there will be fewer people
alive on Cinnabar mountain than there
are at the present moment. shall
quite possibly be one of the dead ones,
but before 60 out shall do my best
to make you another"
"All right" he snapped back
you're speaking for yourself, aud
that's your privilege. But how about
you. Twombly? This is no quarrel Of
yours. Suppose you 60 over yonder to
your cabin and stay out Of the fight.
Nobody wants to hurt you"
That put 1t pretty squarely up to
me, too, so turned to the old man at
my side.
"1t's good advice. Daddy" l said;
land this isn't your quarrel. You'd
better duck while you can"
Daddy Hiram made no reply at all
to me; didn't pay any attention to me.
Instead, he stood up >on the door-sill
and shook his fist at Fullerton.
II been lookin' for you and your
kind of crowd for a year back.
Charley Fullerton, and DRAWN pay
for dom i'll" he shrilled. "Stannis.
here, says II you want this mine yvu
can come and take 1t, and, by gum
mics, l say them same. Identical
words!"
"All right" said Fullerton again.
'.But it's only fair to say that we out
number you six to one, and we've got
the law, and few deputy sherlffs, on
our side. You two haven't as much
show as cat in hell without claws,
and when the circus is over, you'll
both 60 to jail, If there's enough left
Of you to stand the trip" Then, as he
was turning to 60 he tipped the deed
into the air so that 1t fell at our feet.
."You may have that" he sneered.
WED like nothing better than to have
you produce it in court"
1t didn't seem just fitting to let him
have the last word, SO l pitched q
small ultimatum of my own after him
as he herded his two scoundrelly look.
ing witnesses into the downward
road.
"One thing more, Fullerton" called
out. "Your flag of truce holds only
until you get back to your army. II
you or any of your men are in sight Of
Cinnabar property ten minutes after
you reach your camp, we open fire."
Since the truce was thus definitely
ended, we retired into our fortress and
put up the bars. AS we were closing
the doors and making everything snus
I asked Daddy what kind of human
timber Fullerton was likely to have
in his army, and If there were any
chance that his boast about having
deputy sheriffs in the crowd was to BIZ
taken at its face value.
! There's nothin' to the deputy brag
Ike Beasley is the chief deputy fol
this end O. the county, and he'd be
/, here himself IL that was posse com
4 mytaters down yonder. AS for what hi
/ has got, there's no tellin'. Most likel,
| he's picked up fistful O. toughs ant
out-O-works down in Angels. There's
! always plenty O. drift o. that kint
i hangin' round a mimi camp
| "Fighters?" / queried.
T. "Oh, yes; reckon Soft fightin
comes easier than workin'."
4 With the doors shut and barred
climbed up on our breastwork to bring
my eyes on level with one of the higl