Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1922-03-23
CHAPTER XVII.
Tit for Tat.

~ sVV
That word "thunderbolt" is hardly
q figure Of speech. The thing that hit
us couldn't be compared to anything
milder than thunder and lightning.
There was flash, a rending, ripping
roar as II the solid earth were split
ting in two, and the air was filed with
flying fragments and splinters. Air,
say, but the acrid, choking gas which
filled the shafthouse could scarcely be
called air.
"Dynamite-that's what they fetched
in that wagon!" gurgled the old man
at my side, and could have shouted
for Joy at the mere sound Of his voice,
since 1t was an assurance that he
hadn't been killed outright.
TITS only question of little time,
now, Daddy" prophesied. "What
you said yesterday-that Fullerton
would try to get possession without
destroying the property-no longer
holds good. He has evidently decided
that we've got to be ousted, even at
the expense of building new shaft
house and installing new machinery.
Why has he changed his mind, when
he knows that he could starve us out
In few days?"
II been thinkin' about that, right
p'intedly, Stannie. Shouldn't wonder
If sometimes in the wind-somethin
we don't know about"
'"Then there's another thing" I put
in. "Supposing. just for the sake of
argument. that our first guess was
right: that he did take Jeanie t.;
Angels three days ago and that they
were married there. You know your
daughter. Daddy, and I know her. a
little. Nobody but an idiot would sup
pose that she'd live with Fullerton as
his wife for single minute IL he
makes himself your murderer"
ut sure does look that-away to q
man up tree" admitted the stout
old fighter.
tim hanging on to the little hope
like dog to root, Daddy" con-
fessed. IF can only keep on believ-
ing that they're not married, I can put
up better fight, or be snuffed outfit
! have to be-with q good few less
heart-burnings."
But at this the old man, who, no
longer ago than the yesterday. had
seemed to lean definitely toward the
no-marriage hypothesis. suddenly
changed front. IN
"Don't you go to bankin' on any.
thing like that, Stannie, son." he said
in a tone Of deep encouragement.
Charley Bullerton's liar, from the
place where they make liars for a
Twin, and faint goin' to be no trick
a-tah for him to make Jeanne, and q
lot O. other folks, bIieve that we
blowed ourselves up with our own
dynamite. No, sir; don't you 60 to
bankin' on that"
''Then you do believe that Jeanne
went with Bullerton?"
Looks like there amt nothing else
left to believe" he asserted dolefully.
Look at 1t for yourself, son: she's
been gone three whole days. If she
hadn't gone with him-and the good
Lord only knows where else she could
have gone-d0n't you reckon she'd we
been back here long afore this? No,
Stannie; we been lettin' the wish 1t
was run away with the had to be- i
reckon we just got to grit our teeth,
son, and tough 1t out the best we can"
During this waiting interval, which
seemed like hours and was probably
only a few minutes, we were momen-
tarily expecting another crash. It did
not come; but in due course Of time
we heard stir outside and then
voices, and one Of the voices. which
was not Bullerton's said: 'I'll bet
that cartridge smoked 'em out good an
plenty. cap'n. Gimme tn az, Tom, till
we bust open the door an have 4
squint at EN-
Just at that moment a submerging
wave Of depression surged over me
and showed me down so deep that
think possibly If Fullerton had called
out and demanded our surrender
should have been tempted to tell him
that I was not SO much Of hog as
not to know when I had enough. But
the old man squeezed in beside me I'M
der the arched boiler plate was made
Of better fiber; he was game to the
last hair in his beard. With wild
Indian Yell he hunched his Winchester
into position and fred once, twice,
thrice, at the door. as rapidly as he
could pump the reloading lever.
A scattering fusillade was the reply
to this, but the aim was bad and the
only result was to set the. air of our
prison fortress to buzzing as If a
swarm of angry bees had been turned
loose on us. After this, the raiders
withdrew, SO we judged; at all events,
the silence of the dark hour before
daybreak shut down upon us again,
and once more we had space in which
to gather our minds" as Daddy put
1t. g5s
1t may be dastardly confession Of
weakness to admit it, but am free to
co hot ftSn