The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1922-02-24
Copyright by Charles serihnsrs Sons

what kind Of guns they had. After
they had taken possession Of the small
open pace, two of them set TO work
TO build Il cooking fire.
AT the halt in the glade one Of the
party-Bullerton, we guessed it was
broke q branch from q pine, stripped
the tNvigs from it, and made it a flag
staff for his white handkerchief. I'm
der this flag Of truce he and two OF his
men came on, leaving their guns be-
hind. There was "A climb of about
thirty feet, maybe, coming UP from
the bench TO the ledge upon which the
mine buildings stood. so we got a fair
~ good look ut The peace party before
il came within talking distance. Bull
!crton still had a slight touch Of the
Wry-neCE, and the devil-may-care
~jaUnlimesS which had been his chief
characteristic as a guest of the Twom-
blys had been wiped from his face and
manner like a picture from a black
board.
As The three of them topped the rise
in the ore road ] reached behind me
ana got one of the Winchesters.
"That's near enough, :" | called out.
"Do your talking from there, if you've
anything to say"
The delegation halted and Bullerton
took Il paper from lis pocket.
I'm serving legal notice upon you,
Eroughton," he said, waving the paper
at me. land | have two witnesses here,
rs the law requires. | represent the
Cinnabar Mining company of Cripple
Creek. You 2gG trespassing on our
property and l am making a formal
demand for possession"
$50 that's the new wrinkle, is it?" |
laughed. Il was hoping you might
spring something a little more original.
How are you going TO prove owner
ship?"
'The burden of proof isn't on us
it's on you" he ripped out. You
haven't u shadow OF claim &c ta!s
mine. I've got your so-caled deed
right here"-and he shook that at us.
ITS a forgery; a clumsy, childish
forgery that wouldn't impose upon a
blind man! We can send you TO the
rock pile on the strength OF ii if we
want tO!"
Since he had stolen tie deed out Of
my pocket, | thought, Of course, that
he was just blufling about its being q
forgery. He must have known per-
fectly well that it wasn't. But Daddy
was whispering in my ear AS he sat
behind me. Something like this
"Gosh-all-Friday, Stannic, he's got you
goin'. Hes made Il copy o the deed
ana throwed the 'riglnal aWay-burnt
it up, + somcthin'."
you have il all your own way, Bull
lcrt0n-or YOU think you have" | told
him; and if ! didn't get all Of the self
confidence into the words that | tried
TO. | am persuaded that he didn't know
the difference. Il 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 C%innabar mountain than there
are at the present moment. / shall
quite possibly be n Of the dead ones,
but before l go out l shall do my best
to make you another"
"All right" he snapped back;
you're speaking for yourself, and
that's your privilege. But how about
you, Twombly? This is no quarrel Of
yours. Suppose you go over yonder to
your cabin and stay out OF the nght.
Nobody wants to hurt you"
That put it pretty squarely up to
me, too, so | turned to the old man at
my side.
Its good advice, Daddy" I said;
land this isn't your quarrel. You'd
better duck while you can"
Daddy Hiram made no reply ut all
to me didn't pay any attention TO me.
Instead, he stood up on the door-sill
and shook his fist at Fullerton.
Il been lookin' for you and your
kind OF a crowd for a year back,
Charley Fullerton, and drawin' pay
for dom it, he shrilled. "Stannie,
here, says if you want this mine you
can come and take it, ana, by gum
mics, | say them same identical
wOrds!"
"All right" said Fullerton again.
But it's only fair 10 say that we out
number you six TO one, and we've got
the law, and q few deputy sheriffs, on
our side. You two haven't rs much
show as a cat in he'll without claws,
and when the circus is over, you'll
both go to Jail, IL there's enough left
Of you to stand the trip" Then, as lie
was turning to 20 he dipped the deed
into the air so that ii fell ut our feet.
You may have that" he sneered.
WED like nothing better than 10 have
you produce 1t in court"
1t didn't seem just fitting 10 let him
have the last word, so ! pitched n
small ultimatum of my own after him
as he herded his two scOundrelly look
ing witnesses" into the downward
road