Storyteller DIPLOMACY AND A HOLD-UP.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 45, 4 February 1911, Page 4 (Supplement)

Storyteller DIPLOMACY AND A HOLD-UP.

Mr. Burroughs se* his glam down <m -the table with a bang that was intended to emphasise his remarks, and glared around at his associates in Stemtalber’e comfortable place defiantly.

"Nonsense!” he declared vociferously. ‘ There is no reason in the world why an able-bodied man sboukl tamely submit to being robbed by a hold-up wan when be could save bis watch and Jiis money nine times. out of ten bv netting up a battle! I've gone around this town at all hours of the night ■for the last twenty years, and nobody has ever tried to hold me up. but you ran take it from me. the fellow that tries to get my watch and my money will have to fight for it! There was a discreet silence for a few seconds until Matteson, who had Sitrodmed the uncomfortable subject over the farewell round of beer, reported with a snort of disdain.

"Oh, rats, Burroughs,’* he exclaimed, ■"what are you talking about? It’s easy enough to sit here inside four walls ond tell us what you’d do, but it’s a different proposition when you’re looking into the mouth of a big cannon, with come burly just out of the penitentiary behind it. telling you to shell out. I guess you’d dig down just si quick as any of ua if you vent up egainst that game?” "Yes. that’s the trouble,” interjected Bisley, the mild-mannered little ■giocor. “You know, they don’t make an appointment with you for a certain ■c-crver and then ask you to empty your pockets. It’s always on a dark road •with no one in sight that you suddenly meet the highwayman with a revolver in his hand' and there you are.” “Ant! it’s alwavs a big gun, too,” submitted Stemhalber, with an apprefr*nmre shiver.

Burroughs smDed at the party in his irritatingly superior manner. "Gun or no gun,” he persisted, 1 say is that every hold-up man is a coward at heart, and if the man fl-3 is trying to rob would even make a lilnff at putting up a fight, your footpad would run like a scared rabbit. Suppose be has got a gun! He isn't going to take a chance of committing murder for the sake of an old silver ■watch and a couple of dollars! Knock the gun aside, trip him up—kick him in the shins and punch him in the nose! <So right at him like a man—he’ll run mH right!” "It sounds easy,” suggested Matteson .sarcastically, “bn* I’d give a hundred <•> be up a tree some place. Burroughs, and see you going into action against real live hold-up man with a big .44 da his hand.”

Burroughs sniffed and finished his Jeer without venturing a reply, and Watteson winked at the crowd while lua adversary’s attention was thus distracted.

"ISay, yon fellows hit on a swell snb.’“d »1> this evening, didn’t interrupted Hackett, who had field aloof from the controversy. “Ton fusow that patch <rf open prairie I’ve to cross to gat homo, with a ditch «eng the west aide of it. and bushes wad weeds six feet high! I suppose TH wee bold-up men lumping out at me wjwrytone the wind moves one of those *&nup to-night! I think we’d all wetter.be on our way before Steinwnlber has to turn us out and close ’ -«p. ■ ; •• ' don’t net paniostricken,” Burwoughs adnwd jauntily. “A Ktt’e chat Ctothie isn’t going to bring a flock of wontoto down eta us. You remind' me «f the people who are afraid to make wills for fear they’ll die the next ■weak. - Wfob Ive got a lonelier road none than any of you—through that **»ip of woods outside the town, where yaw never meet a soul after seven or a clock at night! I’ve been makyg the trip for four years now at all Nn I nmr think of hold-up wb. Bui* belMnre mt. if I do btunn 11 »«>’* lot him give an im£ totigw of taking candy from a baby!JL k !* >ir J there, all right!” ■»?**** Burroughs!” said IMmmi. w lou re a game bird, old hjrt just the same I hope von t collide with the man behind the ' K * B «■ y®° r W3 y home. Good night. feP®*.". 1 think I’ll run away to any houseTwenty minutes later Steinhalber’s gnaee was in darkness. and Mr. Burxtfogbawas picking his way carefully the dark patch of woods on Jtoedge of tiw town, a waning moon smutty Hghtwg the familiar trail that to hm tome, nearly a mile distant. He was humming a jaunty air, ominng sardonically over the faint his boon companions, when a voice in the darkness ahead startled wim. “Throw up your hands!” it said Mr- Burroughs peered sharply into Xhe gloom, and saw, less than six feet Worn, bun a bulky figure, holding an toimistakable revolver. His hands inwtantly reached for the lowest branches ■« the trees on either side of the trail, and remained waving helplessly above bead

on, shell out your monev, Q” whatever else you're got on von’’ 1 commanded the master of the situa<»on. Mr. Burroughs, ever prone to argue. "Mold not help fointinsr out the illogical position assumed by the robber. "1 can't very well give you my watch my money while I have my hands ■in the air,** he raid humbly. "and if 1 start io take them down that gun enight go off accidentallv.” *‘AJ! right," the hold-up man s-ig-■fKstvd more genially, "you just stand -still and I*ll get ’em.*’ And he mov«ed close to the amaxed Mr. Burroughs, fielding the impreasive-look-’ng revolver mithin half an inch of hi* nose, and 'proceeded to help himself to Burroughs -wallet and watch "I suppose you aint got much on yon,** he volunteered as h® stowed the valuables away. ‘ I ain’t found a •guy in thia town yet with more than •a ten-spot in his clothes." Mr. Burroughs felt ’ike apologising •for |ho apparent covert v of his fellow "townsmen. b»it he "I think there is about fifty dollars ■in that wallet," he sa : d. "And that 'Watch co t me a hundred and fifty ooly ihrce years ago." ‘*WhatP" chuckled the footpad, ns he •drew bark a s*ep .and regarded hi<victim, with what Reined to be admiration in the eemi-darkness. "Did 1 Sian* round up a live ore? You a nt atringm* n e, are von. cal?" “f assure you it’s the truth." said Mr. Burroughs anxiously, "and new that our little transaction is over, so far a» your side of it is concerned. I’m •point to n-*k yon to do me a favour.’’ '■What is it asked the mollified voltber. "Id do a whole lot for any guy that goes around at this hour of the wight with fiftv bucks in his jeans." Mr. Burroughs hesitated in some «n----t>inraaument. but the hold-up man was evidently in such a genial state of mind •that he was emboldened to proceed. "Well, the fact is." he began "that. 1 have- boasted a bit to my wife and to some of the boys around town what 1 Would do if—er—anything like this hu«M»d to me, and I really dts*t Hew to go home and admit that

Ibl. gjBIMS* you .. ;•- ** •I’a ; » .., : ■ <•■ ' > ' -;'»<•« iJjjS V : S "WISM -That you got stock npwithoni Mting up a fight?” suggested the footpad with a laugh ‘•Exactly,” smiled Mr. Br.rroughs. **l would like to show some evidence of a struggle,, if it’s all the same to you.” . , ~ “I might give yon a bat in the eye, ventured the robber, taking a step toward him. ... •No, no!” Mr. Burroughs interrupted hastily, “but I was wondering tf you would mind firing a shot through w>v hat—just for the looks of the

thing, yon know. I could show n*y friends and—er—my wife what a close call I had before I surrendered to my or-j«nent.” . . “That would be all ngbt. pal, admitted the friendly thug, “if it would not bring a bunch out here to see what the •’hootin' was about.” “Oh. you’re perfectly safe on that ground." explained his victim tagerly. “Noboay lives within a mile of here exccpt myself, and a shot wouldn’t be heard out of these woods by anybody at this hour of the night. Here, 111 pat my hat on the ground at the foot of this tree, and you can take a shot through it.” He hastily arranged his derby hat m a spot of moonlight, and.the footpad approached it dubiously. “Well, I’m takin* a chance bv makin’ all this noise ont here,” he declared, “hnt ycu’ra a prettv good feller, and I'll square yon with the missus if I can.’’ So saying, he knelt down and F»ed through'Mr. Burroughs’s new hat, Tbo report of the revolver was not alarming, and before the smoke had blown away Mr Burroughs was slipping out of his coat

“That’s the idea,” he said gaily. "Now, a couple through the coat—one through the shoulder to show how I bfcly escaped by dodging,” and he hung* hrs coat on a projecting knot beside trim and stepped back expectantly. Hie footpad hesitated again. “Say, pal, we don't want a string of shots out here,” he objected. “Some gilly is sure to hear ’em.” “No chance on earth,” persisted Mr. Burroughs. “I tell you nobody lives within a mile of here, and if someone did hear a shot vou could be miles away before they knew where it came fiom. Now. another bullet right here —through the shoulder. “I know I'm a sucker to do it,” grumbled the robber, “and if it was not for tlx fifty and the big swell souper 1 wouldn’t take a chance. But here goes,” and lie blazed away at the coat. Mr. Burroughs capered about in high excitement.

“I don’t like to impose upon you,” he said, ‘‘but one more shot through the. coat would make them look impressive—right here, through this sleeve. You don’t know what it means to me,” h" added anxiously. The fcotnad looked around and listened for a few seconds. Then he sigliCd heavily and aimed at the coat-sleev4. “This ought to square it, all right,” hv commented, as he pulled the trigger. There was an answering dick but ao report, and he turned to Mr. Buricnehs with a laugh. “What do you know about that?” he said cheerily. “I can’t fix you up oi lhe last shot, old pal. I only had two shells in the gun when I started out. You’ll have to get along with them two bullet holes you’ve got.” “Are you sureP” asked Mr. Bur--2?. n v MI ■ anxiously, “I did want the third one so much!”. *Am I sere?” retorted the hold-up r mis' with .a' chuckle. "It’s a’ cinCh Listen to this!” And he rapidly pulled the trigger again and again. Jetting the hammer fall upon the empty shells and vacant chambers until tile cylinder bad_ revolved once around. .Mr. Burroughs stood close behind his good-natured thug, and listened cerefußy until he -heard the gun stop seven times without a report, and theta things began to happen very suddenly; His right arm shot out with all tue force engendered in it by his constant gymnasium practice, and his heavy flit caught the unsuspecting hold-up man immediately under the ear. As he weak down Mr. Burroughs fell over him, pinioning him by the throat with one hand, and with the ether rescuing the emoty revolver from where it had . dropped between them. Before the robber could realise it the butt of the gun came down on his bead. Mr. Burroughs wasted no time when the enemy had succumbed. With -n grim smile he removed his own watch and wallet from the pocket into which he bad seen the robber slip them, and then stood up with the revolver in his hand. His first impulse was to drop it beside the insensible marauder, but on s»-cond thonght be rammed it into his pocket and gathered in his hat and coat.

“It will he a good souvenir,” he mused, as he strode off toward home, “and besides, if I didn’t have it for evidence Matteson would swear I burned these holes in my clothes with a hot poker.”—Frank X." Finnegan, in the “Scrap Book.”