UNKNOWN

Northern Advocate, 9 December 1893, Page 2

UNKNOWN

tBOPrniOHTEc. IB3S. ar o. nrpLETDH a. eo. Publish ■□ •T SFECIAL AHRANQCMBNT WITH THEM.

[COXTINUED.J ■ " ie&r _ "' • "A gentleman,"- Miss Dallas replied fcrovokingly. The rebuke was Crushing. He writhed under it now at the recollection. - -'-- The sudden hoof beats of a horse caused him to look up. . So absorbed had he been in his reflections : that ; he had taken no heed of his surroundings. He found himself on the San Marcus highway at aome distance froin.tho. town. ; A horseman waa coming toward him mounted upon a powerful gray. The moonlight glanced upon the epaulets and other decorations of the rider. The cause of his evening's annoyance Btood before his eyes. Captain Jack Foraker was evidently the worse for his evening's gayety. He had spent the latter portion of the night in visiting the neighboring saloons and in monotonous patronage of the San Marcus bars. At length, being suddenly impressed with the necessity of presenting himself for roll call at the garrison, he had reeled to the stable, kicked the Bleepy hostler into consciousness and rolling his semi-inebriated' person into tho saddle started out of town an hour before sunrise. ; ' '■ ■ ■ It was this exhilarated individual, with difficulty bestriding his gallant gray charger, who encountered Henry Bruce a half hour later on the San Marcus road. It was this gentleman who, instantly recognizing him in the clear light of the moon, drew rein to intercept him, and it was he who accosted him angrily, albeit incoherently, having apparently some grievance for which he wished redress. Bruce* at once noting the condition of the redoubtable captain, turned his horse aside and endeavored to pass him without replying, but Foraker, perceiv^ ing his intent, p"ut spurs to his gray and oannoned into him with a force that compelled him to halt. "What do you mean by that?" demanded Bruce, with difficulty reining in the prancing Buckshot after the collision. "I've got suthin to cay to you, young feller," said the captain thickly, rising in his stirrups and leaning forward over the neck of his horse in an aggressive way. He emphasized his remarks with his heavy riding whip. "You insulted me tonight. I want you to und'shtan I'm a West Poin'r and a damned sight too good company for any girl you or any other tenderfoot eshcorts to a ball. You hear me?" he demanded with drunken directness, raising his voice. "Wass more, she ain't much on looks anyway, nor style either, and there wasn't any occasion for you to be so damned e'sclusive." Then, leaning over his saddle with an insulting air of giving very important advice, "You want to be dev'lish careful, young feller, or yoU get yourself into trouble— mind that." "Stand asidel" Bruce broke in sternly, reigning back his horse as if about to ride on. "Tryin to get away!" said the captain with a sneer, attempting to intercept him by keeping his gray in front of him with whip and spur — ' 'tryin to get away, are ye? I want you to und'shtan, young feller, you can't do that until I'm done with you. I want you to und'shtan" But here Bruce struck Buckshot sharply and attempted to dash by him. The captain saw his intent, and striking hi« spurs into his horse made an effort to stop him a second time by running into him. The effort proved futile. Buckshot had already got under way. Enraged at his want of success Foraker rose in his stirrups and as Bruce passed him struck him over the head with his heavy riding whip, summoning to the effort all the strength he could muster. The blow made Bruce reel in his saddle. For a moment he feared he should be unseated. The next, wheeling his horse about, he dashed against Foraker, closing with him in a mounted struggle for the whip. As the horses came together Bruce saw the captain shift his whip to his left hand suddenly and caught the ominous glitter of a revolver in the light of the moon. He had barely time to crouch in the saddle when the weapon was fired, the bullet whistling close above his head. Clearly the time for temporizing had passed. Forbearance was now suicidal. In an instant Bruce had drawn his own pistol, and as the captain raised his arm a second time he leveled it upon him. The two weapons exploded simultaneously — the flash from his opponent's revolver almost blinding Bruce tis the deafening reports rang out upon the still air. At the sound of the shots the horses sprang apart, and through the smoke that hung heavily between them Bruce could see the captain endeavoring with difficulty to keep the saddle. Hardly had he realized that he was himself unhurt when Foraker swayed suddenly in his stirrups and fell heavily to the ground. The gray trotted off a few paces and then stopped quietly to graze. Bruce threw himself from his horse and bent over the prostrate man. The captain was lying upon his face, his hand still grasping the revolver. A slight smoke issued from the damp barrel. As he turned the body over, something warm fell upon his hand, causing h<™ an indescribable thrill. It was blood — from a wound in the breast! The red drops were trickling fast over tho front of his uniform. Foraker was dead. Notwithstanding the justice of his action, Bruce rose to his feet with an overmastering feeling of awe. As he stood gazing down at the dead man, and the eyes bo lately opened upon him in hate stared blankly up into his, he tottered and felt faint. White aa was the face of

•s-.i ' . ;, j£ whiter and i ia tho cold, • .. l bdviuenly to pos- ... i earth tiiu. k-y. Bruco gazed vacantly uL jut him nud realized that it was monii^Sv A- f*rint flush was visible in til? Clot. ! It Vu.) nt» r ms») of guilt, but the sickeiihi^ iPaliZiuZiuiicr having sent a human beirt pj to his long account, that made his heart heavy as he mounted again and rode slowly back along the level roaxl. It was the horror of the thing. So far ts the act itself Was concerned it was clearly justifiable, tt had been done in telf defense. His mind was made up as to what he should do. He would ride back to San Marcus, seek out Sheriff Mosely, acknowledge the shooting and the circumstances and give himself up. For a moment his courage misgave him as he realized that there had been no witness to the encounter and that his justification must rest upon his own unsupported statement. He was pondering this fact With deep and increasing misgiving as he rode forward whin a familiar voice hailed Lim just ahead so abruptly as to startle him and cause him to stop short. Four mounted men had halted on the highway in front of him. It was now broad daylight. Bruce recognized the familiar figure of Die Mosely in tho man who had addressed him. His deputies; Jake Sharp and Humly Jim, were assisting him as mounted escort .in. conducting 'the horse thief Lem Wickson to the military jail at Bradford post. "How now, pardner?" remarked Mr. Mosely genially, slipping one foot free from the leather stirrup and throwing his leg easily over the pommel of his saddle. "Yer takin rather an early constitutional, ain't ye, fur one who's been up pretty near all night? I ain't specially fond of ridin before breakfast myself, but Lem here was bo anxious about gettin into comfortable quarters I reckoned we'd better humor him, so we've started for the post. P'raps you'll reconsider on thet position of yours last night and be willin to celebrate thet pistol trick with a leetle genooine opedeldock." He produced the well known flask as he spoke and extended it hospitably toward him. . Bruce could hardly force a smile at the sheriff's facetiousness. However, he took the flask and drank a swallow of its contents. It braced his nerves. In a few words ho recounted what had happened. "Ye don't say!" remarked Mosely when he had finished. "So ye called Foraker in, ch — jest natch'ally dropped him right in his tracks when he had a bead on you fust? Well, now, pardner, I congratulate you. Ef you'd like a recommend to jine 'the Rangers' any time you're up our way, I reckon Iko Mosely will be on hand with the necessary papers. I tell you what, boys," he said, turning round hi the saddle suddenly and addressing the two deputies, "thet's rather sarcastic on a West Pointer, rakin a soger out of his boots when he was fust with his weapon!" Jake Sharp and Humly Jim, seeing that the great man was disposed to be jovial, received the reflection with ghastly merriment.

"How's thet?" ejaculated Mosely, turning again to Bruce as the latter repeated his intention of giving himself up. "You're thinkin of coming 1 along with us? I reckon we've got aljout all we kin take care of today," winking craftily at the deputies. "Leu:, hero's a big contract to handle, and it's pretty good and free country all around about here. My eyes sorter failin me after last night's business and my hearin bein onsartin, I don't lmow'ez I hey any knowledge of this onexpected meetin out here on the road. I reckon, ef I should ever get to hear of any sech encounter, it might be necessary fur me to take some action, but ez the case stands jest now, ye see, I'm not aware thet anything out of the or'nary hez occurred." In spite of the sheriff's humorous reception of the event of the early morning, Bruce still persisted in his plan of giving himself up, urging that this was the best and most honorable way of clearing himself from the imputation of foul play. To this the genial Ike cheerfully opposed the folly of any one's putting himself in the clutches of the law for killing his adversary in a fair fight, and the risk of exposing himself to the infuriated soidiery at the post, who would naturally feel a partisan resentment at the death of their chief. Finding at length that Bruce was determined, Mosely reluctantly acquiesced, but insisted that he should accompany them as if merely a traveling companion and not under arrest. Bruce was about to reply, w . iit suddenly dawned upon him that he was riding Buckshot, and that he might be suspected of having stolen the horse —an act generally regarded by Lone Star tribunals to be less justifiable than actual homicide. He explained his position to the sheriff. "Don't let thet worry you," replied that worth}', quickly cutting the Gordian knot of the difficulty with official promptitude. "Ef you're. bound to make me arrest ye, thet matter's easily settled. Freeze to the critter, pardner, for the rest of this trip. The state allows me to provide the means of bringin in my prisoners, understand? It won't bother Jerrold much. I reckon I'll attach the animal fur your partickler benefit." .