Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1922-03-16

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scrap had torn In the door, we could
see what we had done. 1t was a-plen-
ty. The blacksmith shop had disap-
peared. leaving nothing bat scatter
ing Of wreckage. The heavy anvil had
been thrown from Its block and the
forge looked as If giant had kicked
1t. Out by the boiler-shed a rack Of
cordwood had been toppled over and
under 1t man was struggling to free
himself. When he saw the imprisoned
enemy that mild-mannered, soft-spoken
old soldier that I was shut up with
would have opened the door and shot
the struggler If hadn't stopped him.
This blowing up Of the shop settled
the shower-bath business for us def
initely. With the impeachment out of
the way we had clear view on this
third side; could command the row
Of miners cabins, as we'll as the boil
ers in their open shed. When l got
through persuading Daddy Hiram that
we couldn't afford to murder the
wounded, the fellow who had been
wrestling with the woodpile had made
his exit and there was nobody in
sight. Shortly afterward bullet,
fired from somewhere in the forest
background, whanged upon our roof,
and there were several to follow; but
aside from punching few more holes
in the iron they did no harm.
"Looks like the Hercules is the one
thing they're most skeered Of" said
Daddy, with his queer little suffering
chuckle. "Now maybe they'll leave us
have time to get ourselves dried out
q mite"
Totting up the results of the shower
bath we'd had, bread famine prom
Used to be the worst Of them. The few
cans Of beans, tomatoes and peaches
the campers standbys-were I'M
hurt, Of course, and the muddied bacon
could be washed with water drawn
from the flooded shaft. But the flour
In its sack was merely blob of paste
and was beyond redemption and the
cornmeal was the same. In view Of
the results I wondered If Fullerton
hadn't shrewdly calculated upon wash
ing our commissary out Of existence
when he planned his overgrown lawn
sprinkler. But maybe that was giving
him credit for more ingenuity than he
really had.
Through what remained Of the after
uoon the rifle firing continued, coming
sometimes from one angle and some
times from another, but always cam
nily from a safe distance and always
under cover Of the surrounding forest.
Daddy Hiram, grimly optimistic. ex-
tracted swalloy or SO Of encourage
ment out Of th9 persistent pot-shoot-
ing.
Dunno as you've ever noticed it.
stannie. but If you'll only let hog
alone long enough he'll shove himself
under the bob-wire fence far enough
to get caught" he said. Charley Bull
lerton. now; he's plum forgot that
Tropia's less n FIVE miles away and
that sound carries mighty long dis,
tances in these mountains in clear
weather."
"What difference does that maker
I asked.
1t may make heap O. difference.
Looks to me like somebody
Fuller, r Jim Haggerty, the section
boss. r some Of 'em down yonder d
begin a-wonderin', after spell, what
In tarnation all this here blastin' and
rifie-poppin' up on old Clnnabar is a
p'intin' at and come and see"
do you think the racket will carry
that far?"
1T sure will. One night afore Trio
pia had gone as dead as she is now, a
bunch O. cowpunch's got into an argy-
ment at Blue-nose Bills place and we
heard the crackin' and poppin' up
here-Jeanie and me-like it was Just
over yonder In Greaser gulch."
"Well7" said l, "if your nephew or
any Of the others hear 1t, what .then1r
As I asked the question one Of the
low-aimed shots tore through the side
Of the building, struck the iron frame
Of the hoist, flattened itself and
dropped into the old mans lap. Pick
ing up the hot bit Of lead to dandle
1t from hand to hand he went on much
as II picking up bullets that were fired
at him had been his daily recreation.
Curiosity killed the cat, Stanine,
son. You let some one o. the folks
down yonder in Tropia say, BY gol-
I wonder what all that shootin's forr
and the next thing you know, some.
body1l be moggin' up here to ind OUT
Along about dusk some member Of
the besieging party tried to make q re-
connaissance. happened to be keeping
the lookout on the cabin side Of our
fortress and saw q man lodging among
the pines back Of the house. When
reported to Daddy he took a snap shot
ut the place pointed out to him and
there was wild yell and a stir in the
!, young pines as though a hog were gal
Looping through them.
Just to let 'em know that we're
still alive and kickin'," said the old
man, with another OF his quavery
chuckles. Il reckon maybe that's
n. a. - p.