Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1924-04-19
CHAPTER XIII
Deaths Harvest.

the quick termination Of the trial, with
its expected, though illogical verdict
Of mot guilty" He saw Judge Davis
lifted and carried out by his support
ers; saw De Witt, his face twltching
neryously at the verdict, stride from
the courtroom; then he was pushing
his own way outside among the ex-
cited. buzzing groups, and perceived
old Seaton moving slowly among the
crowd, which parted to make way for
the man whose tragedy affected them
with horror.
"Where are you going, Daddy?"
asked one man, trying to stop him.
I'm going to find my gal" mumbled
Seaton. shes been all I've had.
Maybe I amt her father, but Pm going
to her"
Slowly he walked away, and nobody
attempted to stop him. Winton, after
moment of doubt, realized ~, 1t
would be useless for him to interfere.
He watched Seaton's departure with
a mind tina, was too numbed to enable
him to understand the fullness Of his
success. There was no doubt that the
legality Of the syndicate's acquisition
Of his shares could now be questioned.
He could regain the majority and
keep control. If Seatons acquittal
were followed, as It must he. by De
Wits arrest and his conviction.
But there was more than that. Win
ton began 10 realize, In dazed sort
OF way that the disclosure had given
him Sheila, He knew she loved him.
in spite Of all her bitterness in the
past. He would go to her. make her
his wife and take her home TO his
own country, where the past should
never trouble her.
He was broodng over tbs when e
heard two revolver shots ring out IN
quick succession. Looking up. he dis
covered that he was alone. The crowd
was running toward the south side
of the square. where there seemed to
be some commotion. Winton saw 2
struggle in progress; the heaving
shoulders of a horse appeared above
the crowd and suddenly the horse and
its rider or erged al a furious gallop,
scattering the crowd right md left.
Through the gap thus formed Win
ton could see a man lying upon the
ground. resting on his elbow. His
hand clutched a revolver.
The rider was De Witt. Amid the
wells OF the mob he dashed in a cloud
Of dust across the market square and
turned down the street leading to the
new suburb. The horse bounded
across the rivulet topped the ridge Of
the diamond ground, and disappeared.
The fallen man was being helped 70
his feet. He staggered in the arms
Of his supporters, and the blood vas
streaming from bulIet-wound In lis
shoulder.
Winton gathered what had occurred
from the excited conversation that
followed. The sherlG had attempted
TO arrest De Witt OK the strength of
court order hastily secured. De
Witt. who had had a swift horse ready
outside. in the anticipation of Just
such contingency. had shot the
sheriff and galloped away.
So swift was the maneuver that
Malopo found itself tstalIy unable 10
cope with the situation. There was
wild talk of forming X posse to pur-
sue the outlaw But De Wits hor~s
was the fastest in Malopo. and as in
the case of Van Worst, pursuit seemed
impractiCahIe
While an impromptu mass meeting
was belns held Winton made his way
back &c the claim He understood
now all that the verdict meant TO him,
and the thought of Sheila filled his
heart
1t was growing dark. Early the next
morning he meant to ride out into the
hills and bring her back with him.
and they should never be parted
again. He thought with infinite pity
Of her sufTerlngs, with tenderness Of
her loyalty 1t seemed most nit that
HIS lips should be the first to tell her
what would remove the dark cloud
from her forever.
AS Winton turned into the road that
led toward his claim there came the
sudden sputtering of heavy drops, and
then a deluge. He covered the last
hundred yards at racing pace but
lie was drenched to the skin before he
reached the cottage.
After the long months OK drought
the rains had broken. The 1der
growled IN the distance; the b amt
lightning n2SheA liz W the hea> enA