THE SHERIFF WHO NOMINATED HIMSELF.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12935, 15 October 1907, Page 4

THE SHERIFF WHO NOMINATED HIMSELF.

B* Buhke Jenkiks. "Stranger, your name, eahP'' '•Caldwell," I answered; -'nephew to Colonel Caldwell." "What 1" exclaimed the spokesman oi the crowd. "Honoured to make your esteemed acquainance, 63h. iw will pardon my apparent pruequeness, but we must know our friends in these here parts. We're electing a sheriff, you see, and according, we cant be too oareful." . I nodded my appreciation ot the force of such caution, and without more ado mingled freely with the •«- sembled mountaineers. One after another, candidates -were named only to be met with such oora. ment as, "He's .too narrer-chested." "Ain't $ot but one eye, «md can't shoot straight with that!" "Got too piany chillurf to leave/ etc., eto. Finally a raw-honed hunk or angularity unwrapt himself from o noilkeg, and I beheld before mc one vrbo was destined to become a staunch friend, "Dog" Hankly. "Feller citzuns," drawled Dog, "I reckon as how you fellersll come to the right conclusion finally. Now, I know it ain't just the regular thing for a man to nominate hisself, but seeing as how I know myself pretty tolerable well, why, I juss name you Dog Hankly fer sheriff of this here county." The hilarity that met this outburst wa6 general and instsntanoous. '•Why, Dog, you'd 6hy at yer own ehadder," cried one. "How 'bout the Widder Perkins's rollin'-pin that time you popped the question? Why, that same female had you paralysed, Hanky." This came from « five-footer of bristly moustache. "Dog, old feller," broke in another patronisingly, "you're plumb all right at trainin' dogs, givin' the devil his due, but shore, now, you know right well enough you don't possess tho sand to make the mortar for a sheriff of this locality. 'Taint a tea-party, fireo'clock neighbourhood."

"Friends," and Dog drew himaelf up almost to strnightiie&s, ''I'm none good at tho speechifying. If I wna I'd go on ter chow you how it ain't no sign a ,feller ain't got grit even if he is afraid or his shadder, or, woree yet, shemale critters. But it strikes ro« that wunst I writ twelve times in my copy-book thi« here line: 'Actions speak louder than words.' This same bain' some true, I'm here ter say that, • tho main object o' this here- election ter git a man who can hoJd his own ■ •iiinst Kinston ond his gang, I'm : • dv ter do that came."

"Aw, come, now, Dog, we've wastod timo enough." broke in somo one. "One soiiint at Kins-ton's hip-pocket'd giro you fever V ager fer a week."

"I mean jiist what I say!" emphasised Dog, bristling somewhat. "And to show I do, why. I— V\\ take Kin6ton hisself when he stalks around town to-morrer, if you'll give mo the Marrant.''

Tho joke of ell this wbs too much for the crowd ; so, with loud acclamations and much guffawing, they invested Dog Hankly with tne necessary power, anrl awaited impatiently tho com inn; proof.

Even 1 delayed, my viwt to a mino to witness the outcome of this boast of Hankly's as to his handling Kin6tom, the do-rperado whoso notoriety had readied far beyond the bounds of this little county. For nonchalanoo in cold-blooded murder, Kinston hod branded himself king. Hy ten o'clock ire were all on hind, grouped about tho store, before. Avhicb, ran v low porch without a rail. Neither Kinston nor Ilonkly had shown up yet, and accordingly, everything was feverish conjecture and expectancy.

Finally a dust cloud down tho pike spoke of another arrival. From the cloud emerged Kinston of the steely orb.

With his characteristic precision, he eyed every man beforo dismounting; then he threw thcybrklle-lines over his jKiny's head, reached easily to his hip, fclung forward his hokter, and came, with an easy stride, among us. He was granted hi« usual little "circular space of safety," as he called it, and finally, planting his back against the side of tho house, he lounged into easy attitude and bit off a chew. Not a sign of Dog Hankly yet! "Bet he won't show up at 'all!" grunted the five-footer disgustedly, in an aside. ■

"Take yer!" answered another, "fer dog my cats if there ho ain't.*' From his low shanty across tho ro«d emerged Dog in all tho casualnees of a smaJl errand. He was picking his teeth with a feh-bpne. Half-way across the road he threw away the bone, straightened a little, and wad© aa utmrenrituj litie, for Kins-, ton, on tho porch. Breathless is no word for the state of our suspense. At first Kinston eyed him, casually, as was h« wont. * Then, Hankly'a direction deflecting l*v not a hair, he took on a quickened interest and toyed casually with tho pistol grip. Dog strode on forward with no waver.

Ip jrnnped Kinston. "Far enough, youP ho cried, j "Whirl ypur circle, or I'll let in dav--1 light P

He hrnndished that pet of his. On came Dog. "Br-r-rh!'' prowled the pistol. On on mo Dog. '■Whang!'•' zipped tho next shot. On came Dog. Six times that iron coughed, ivith. no swerving on Dog's part. Then a wild fear crept into Kin- | son's face. Ho threw the discharged weapon at Hankly's head; Hankly ducked, and past him pped Kinston iii a pretty dodge. He gainod his horse, mounted, and clattered out of town. We wore all too paralysed to speak. Even Dog Hankly did not sco fit to hreak tho silence. Instead, he strollod on back to his cabin. Wo saw him pass on out to his shed, nnd fifteen minutes later he onoe more hit the road. This timo ho was nionistod, and by a long rope leash ho lod the last hound which he had been training for my uncle, Colonel Caldwell. Tho next afternoon, at about three o'clock, a small boy brought startling intelligence. Two men, a horse, and a dog were* coming up the road. We filed out to witness event*. Dog Hankly sat astride his cavils©; from the saddle pommel stretched a rope, and at the other end strode Kinston, the mighty fallen, securely bound. Well, did they make that lank Dog Hankly sheriff? Did they apologise in a tiiiperbundaiioa ,of profuscnefs? 1 should smile. And Dog and I grew old together, for business and. health kept mo long in that region. i Men came from miles around to eeo and meet tha man who had stood tho firo and made the capture of Kinston, the outlaw. i Late one autumn afternoon, aa Dog i and I sat chatting on his back porch, [tho topic turned to that "opportunity" which is supposed to knock onoe at I man's door. "Somethin' in it!" grunted Dog musingly, "if yer couple it with luck and a littlo ingenuity." "I don't exactly catch your drift," I answered. He looked sharply around to see if any one was !>s*, and then, leaning over, said: "I'll jist bust if I don't tell woroo ono lioav 1 got this here reputation pf mine/ "Your reputation about that Kinston your being tho bravest man in the Old North State P" "Exactly'" he ansivcrod. "Well, I sure won't toll," I pledged. "Yer soe," said Dog, Vhen Kinston sprang by mc and got away I £ot p umb d wgustcd, and mad© W? m y min<} to take that hound I'd been training ovor to your undo to change my spirits. "Now, I got along by the spring down there at Doe's Crossing, and thought I'd tako a drink. According, I approached tho bushes around tho water, and whal)'*hotikl*l hoar but a voice come out of that shrubbery"'Don't..shoot, Hsmkly,' it said; 'I'll come : peaceable,' r>Thcn, air, out. crawled Kinston,-soratohed with briars artd clean out'of *heiirt? I played the card which had fallen right in my hand—bound him up some secure, and broucht him along. Yer see, I'd kind, of 'got his goat' by walking up to that there bloody gun of his." "That's just it," said I. "Surely, facing that fire was brave!" 'Well, not exactly as might be «up>i posed," exclaimed Dog. "Yer eee>, the day of the election I had eecu Kinston buy two quarts o' booze. So, that night, the night before the gun* play, 1 slips off to his cabin in the woods, rolls him over in hia dead drunk, and takes the bullets out of that old muz-le-loading revolver of his. "Phew!"' sighed Dog, in relief. I'm glad to get that out of my system after all these years!"