The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, May 08, 1908, Image 3
1 The Spoilers.
| By REA E. BEACH.
I Copyright. 1905, by Rex B. B*ach. I
fi |l
j;
i
^' [.Continued trom page 2.1
* ' * ?:,:us
)1> broke Into rapid speech, allowing
Cr no tline for Interruption.
'I've held back and held back because
I'm do talker. I can't bo in my
gfctess. But this la my last chance,
and I want to put myself right with
you. I've loved you ever since the
Dawson days, not in the way you'd
expect from a man of my sort perhaps,
but with the kind of love that a woman
wauts. I never showed my hand,
for what wa; the me? Tint man outheld
inc. I'd have t4uit farp yars back
only 1 wouldn't leavo th s country as
loug as yon were part of It, and up
liere I'm only a gambler, tit for nothing
else. I'd made i; my mind to let yon
have him till something happened a
couple of mouths ago. hut now it can't
go through. I ll have to down hipi.
It Isn't concerning you. I'm not a
welcher. No. it's a tiling I can't talk
about -a thing that's made me into a
wolf, made me skulk and walk the
alleys like a dago. It's put murder
Into my heart. I've tried to assassinate
him. I tried It here last uiglit
but I was a gentleman once till the
^ards came. He knows the answer
1 * now, though, and he's ready for me. so
one of us will go out like a candle
! when we meet. I felt that I had to
tell you before I cut him down or before
he got me."
^ You're talking like a madman.
Kid." she replied, "and you mustn't i
turn against him now. He has trou
VIVS euuuiiu. 1 IHICM vaicu
for me. What a taugle it is, to be
sure. You love rue, I love him, he
loves that girl, aud she loves a crook.
Isn't that tragedy enough without
your adding to it? You come at a
bad time, too, for I'm half insane.
There's something dreadful in the air
tonight"
"I'll have to kill him," the man muttered
doggedly, and, plead or reason as
she would, she could get nothing from
him except those words till at last
she turned upon him fiercely.
"You say you love me. Very well,
let's see if you do. I know the kind
of a man you are. and I know what
this feud will mean to him, coming
Just at this time. Put It aside and I'll
Quarry you."
* The gambler rose slowly to his feet.
"'You do love him. don't you?" She
'bowed her face, and he winced, but
continued: "I wouldn't make you my
wife that way. I didn't mean it that
* -way."
At this she laughed bitterly. "Oh, I
see Of course not. How foolish of
me to expect It of a man like you.
I understand what you mean now,
?nd the bargain will stand just the
eame, if that is what you came for.
I wanted to leave this life and be good,
to go away and start over and play
:he game square, but I see it's no use.
'.'11 pay. I know how relentless you
re, and the price is low enough. You
. an have me?and that?marriage talk
?I'll not si>eak of again. I'll stay
what I am for his sake."
. "Stop!" cried the Kid. "You're
wrong. I'm not that kind of a sport."
lis voice broke suddenly, its vehemrnce
shaking his slim body. "Oh, Cherry,
I love you the way a man ought
to love a woman. It's one of the two
good things left in me, and I want to
take you away from here where we
can both hide from the past, where
we can stare new, as you ^ay.
"You would marry me?" she asked.
"In an hour and give my heart's
blood for the privilege, but I can't
stop this thing, not even If your own
dear life hung upon It. I must kill
that man."
She approached hlin and laid her
trms about his neck, every line of her
jody pleading, but be refused steadastly,
while the sweat stood out upon
L~ 'J brow.
She begged: "They're all against
m, Kid. He's fighting a hopeless
p t He laid all he bad at that girl's
'et, and I'll do the same for you."
Che man growled savagely. "He got
? reward. He took all she bad"?
'Don't be a fool. I guess I know.
>u're a faro dealer, but you haven't
j right to talk like that about a good
? iman, even to a bad one like me."*
'.nto his dark eyes slowly crept a
ngry look, and she felt him begin to
L tb0 lpast b't* undertook to
I paused, wet his lips,- then careI
illy chose these words:
B "Do you mean?that he did not?that
H le is a?a good girl?"
W "Absolutely."
S He sat down weakly and passed a
'inking hand over his face, which had
gun to twitch and jerk again as it
>,I,rl, i Ilia rontrponcp
rw HU UU lUil l UlfeUl KUVU ? .>.-0
Vnf- "'I
may .as well tell you that I know
's more than that. She's honest and
^ i principled. I don't know why I'm
' this, but It was on my mind
' I was half distracted when you
e. She's lu danger tonight, though
this minute. I don't dare to think
may have happened, for she's
Ro verything to make reparation
port.- ?d his friends."
I ^ gone to the Sign of the Sled
I h Struve."
I . I" shouted the gambler, leapB
, feet. "Alone with Struve on
I like this'/" He shook her
| trying: "What for? Tell me
~She recounted the reasons for^o'en's |
adventure, while the man's / ~
came terrible. ?I
"Oh. Kid. I am to blame ft i
her go. Why did I do it-3- T*
afraid."
"The Sign of the
Strove, and the fellot
rogue." The Bronc*
dock, his eyes bloods
those of a goaded, fly y*.
"It's 8 o'clock now teu mil*,
hours. Too late!"
"What alls .vou?" she questioned,
baffled by his strange demeanor. "You
called me thq one woman just now, and
yet"
He . g toward her heavily.
"She* " :ter."
"I er? Oh, I I'm glad. I'm
glao Jon't stand there like a
woout. 'or you've work to do.
Wake, *t you hear? She's In
peril!' '? whipped him out e"
bis st mt he drew blmse'i.
aomewi control. "Get Into
your co. *{. Hurry! My pony
will take V She snatched
his garment fr?. '-hair and held It
for him while the . buck into his
veius. Together thc\ <d out Into
the storm as she and %oe,
and as lie tlvng the soldi
skin, she said:
"I understand it all now. Yo
tlie talk about her and (Jlenister,
It's wrong. 1 lied and schemed and
Intrigued against her. but it's over uow.
1 guess there's a little streak of good
In uie somewhere. iscer an.
He spoke to her froiu the saddle.
"It's more than a streak. Cherry, and
you're my kind of people." She smiled
wanly back at him under the lantern
light.
"That's left handed. Kid. I don't
want to be your kind. I want to be
his kind or your sister's kind."
Upon leaving the rendezvous GlenIster
and his two friends slunk through
the night, avoiding the life and lights
of the town, while the wind surged out
of the voids to seaward, driving Its
wet burden through their flapping slickers,
pelting their faces as though enraged
at its failure to wash away the |
purposes written there. Their course
brought them to a cabin at the western
outskirts of the city, where the"
paused long enough to adjust something
beneath the brims of their hats.
Past them ran the iron rails of the
narrow gauged road which led out
47 don't trant to be your kind. 1 tcant
to be hix kind."
across the quaking tuudra to the mountains
and the mines. Upon this slender
trail of steel there rolled one small,
ungainly teapot of an engiue which
dally creaked and clanked back and
forth at a snail's pace, screaming and
walling its complaint of the two high
loaded flatcars behind. The ties beneath
it were spiked to planks laid
lengthwise over the semi-llquld roadbed,
in places sagging beneath the surface
till the humpbacked, short waisted
locomotive yawed and reeled and
squealed like a drunken fishwife. At
night It panted wearily Into the board
station and there sighed and coughed
and hissed away Its fatigue as the
coals died and the breath relaxed lu its
lungs.
Early to bed and early to rise was
l>erforce the motto of its grimy crew,
who lived near by. Tonight they were
just retiring when stayed by a summons
at their door. The engineer
A'' I* rt/lmlf nrhar
''J/TTUCU 1W IV QUUiiL n uav a^/pvutvu w
his astonished eyes to be a Krupp cannon
propelled by a man In yellow oiled
clothes and white cotton mask. This
weapon assumed the proportions of a
great one eyed monster, which stared
with baleful flxlty at his vitals, giving
him a cold and empty feeling. Away
back beyond this Cyclops of the Sightless
Orb were two other strangers likewise
equipped.
The fireman arose from his chair,
dropping an empty shoe with a thump;
but, being of the west, without cavil
or waste of wind be stretched his
hands above hlfc head, balancing on
one foot to keep his unshod member
rrora me uump noor. av unu uuuuwkled
his belt, and now, loosened by the
movement, bis overalls 6eemed bent on
sinking floorwnrd In an ecstasy of
abashment at the Intrusion, whereupon
with convulsive grip he hugged them
to their duty, oue hand and foot still
elevated as though In the grand hailing
sign of some secret order. The other
mau was new to the ways of the north,
so backed to the limit of his quarters,
laid both hauds protectingly upon his
m'ddle and doubled up, remarking fervidly
t
"Don't point that damned thing at
my stomach."
"Ha, ha!"' laughed tho fireman, with
unnatural loudness. "Have your Joke,
boys."
"This ain't no Joke," said the foremost
figure, Its breath bellying out the
mask at Its mouth.
"Sure It Is," Insisted the shoeless one.
"Must be. We ain't got anything
worth stealing."
"Get. Into yjttiUL clothes., and. come
along. \\
obeyed ant.
engine and
a full head
or suffer a.i>reina*
>"orr.pt elision fro1
plied mechanics* *
efforts two of
till
r?iu? //
til
rum
plalr
awj
SI
lav
G*
r io
n:..
'~iy
sli in,
A"
and a<
light f
snat'
orti
nlo
murmur l
til upon thiIheir
lives and t uazard
of the hills, jught
It right.
"We've madoj^." y figui, whether
we win or los<?"iu i* V^aid Pextry.
Hoy replied, "My l vis made aud
won." ? * ^
"What does that ir
"My hardest batt nothing to
do with the Midas-1^ {nines of Anvil.
I fought and < j. \l myself."
"Awful wet nignt for philosophy,"
the first remarked. "It's af. 'to sour on
you like milk in a th Vrstorm.
S'pose you put overalls an' d boots
on some of them Boston idea0 in' lead
'em out where I can look 'em ^r an'
find out what they're up to." ,
"I mean that I was a sav)
met Helen Chester and she
man of me. It took sixty d
think she did a good job. I
wild things just as much as evt.,
I've learned that there are duties a fellow
owes to himself and to other people,
If he'll only stop and think them
out. I've found out. too. that the right
thing is usua'ly the hardest to do. Ob,
I've improved a lot."
"Gee, but you're popular with yourself.
I don't see as it helps your looks
any. You're as homely as ever?an'
what good does it do you, after all?
She'll marry that big guy."
"I know. That's what rankles, for
he's no mere worthy of her than I am.
She'll do what's right, however, you
may depend upon that and perhaps
she'll change him the way she did me.
Why. she worked a miracle In my attitude
toward life my manner"
"Oh. your manners are good enough
ss they lay," Interrupted the other.
"You never did eat with your knife."
"I don't believe in hnraklrl," Glenister
laughed.
"No. when It comes to Intimacies
with decorum, you're light on the Job
along with any of them easterners. I
watched you close at them 'Frisco
hotels last winter, and, say, you know
as much as a horse. Why, you was
wise to them tablewares and pickle
forks equal to a head waiter, and It
give me confidence Just to be with you.
I remember putting milk and sugar in
my consomme the first time. It was
pale and in a cup and looked like tea.
but not you. No, sir! You savvied
plenty and squeezed a lemon Into
yours, to clean your fingers, I reckon."
Roy slapped bis partner's wet back,
for he was buoyant and elated. The
cAncj.* nf npflrlnsr dnntfer Dulsed through
him like wine.
"That wasn't Just what I meant, but
It goes. Say, If we win back our mine,
we'll hit for New York next, eh?"
'*Xo. I don't aim to mingle with no
higher civilization than I got In
'Frisco. I use that word 'higher* like
It was applied to meat. Not that I
wouldn't seem apropos. I'm stylish
enough for Fifth avenue or anywheres,
but I like the west Speakin' of modes
an' styles, when I get all lit up In that
gray woosted suit of mine, I guess I
make the jaded sightseers set up an'
take notice, eh? Somethln' doln' every
minute In the cranln' of necks, what?
Nothln' gaudy, but the acme of neatness
an' form, as the feller said who
sold It to me."
Their common peril brought the
friends together again, into that close
bond which had been theirs without
Interruption until this recent change
In the younger had led hlra to choose
paths at variance with the old man's
Ideas; and now they spoke, heart to
heart, in the half serious, half jesting
ways of old, while beneath each whimsical
irouv was that mutual love and
understanding which had consecrated
their partnership.
Arriving at the end of the road, the
vigilantes debouched and went into the
darkness of the canyon behind their
leader, to whom the trails were familiar.
lie bade them pause finally ar.d
gave his last instructions.
"They are on the alert, so you want
to be careful. Divide into two parties
and close in from both sides, creeping
as near to the pickets as possible without
discovery. Remember to wait for
the last blast. When it comes, cut
loose and charge like Sioux. Don't
shoot to kill at first, for they're only
soldiers and under orders, but if they
stand-well, every man must do his
work."
Dextrv appealed to the dim figures
forming the circle.
"I leave it to you, gents, if it ain't
better for me to go inside than for
the boy. I've had more experience
with giant popder, an' I'm so blamed
used up an' near gone it wouldn't hurt
jf they did get me, while he's right in
prime"?
Jlenister stopped him. "I won't I
;1d the privilege. Come now?to
.. ^ur plnres. men."
They melted away to each side while :
the old prospector paused to wring his 1
^rtner's hand.
"N ruther it was me. lad. but if
get you?Cod help 'en'!" He
lbled after the departing shadows. 1
ciug Koy aioue. ?uu ins uuhi-u
ers, Olenister ripped open Uie i
.wder cases and secreted the contents
upon his person. Each cartridge held
dynamite enough to devastate a vil"
?and. he loaded ttawn Inside his
"Mde his shirt and everyae
had room, till he was
?nd cased In an armor one<Mi
part of which could have !
' iin from the face of the earth
y as to leave no trace except,
, a pit ripped out of the mouae.
Tie looked to his fuses and
that tbey were wrapped In oil
. then placed I hem In his hut
jg finished, he set out. walking '
;i difficulty uuder the weight he , 1
.led.
j'hat his choice of location had been
ell made was evidenced by the fact
hat the ground beneath his feet slop- j
_d away to a basin out of which buboled
a spring. It furnished the drinkng
supply of the Midas, and he knew .
very inch of the crevice It had worn
down the mountain, so felt his way .
cautiously along. At the bottom of the
hill where it ran out up?u the level it
had worn a considerable ditch through
the soil, and into this he crawled on j
hands and knees. His bulging clothes
handicapped him so that his gait was
slow and awkward, while the rain bad j
swelled the streamlet till it trickled
over his calves and up to his wrists,
chilling him so that his muscles cramped
and his very bones cried out with
it. The sharp schist cut Into his palms
till they were shredded and bleeding,
while his knees found every Jugged
hit of bedrock over which he dragged
himself. He could not see an arm's .
length ahead without rising, and, having
removed siicke- far greater'
I
freedom of movement, the rain beat
uj>on his back till he was soaked and
den and felt streamlets cleaving 1
"Sjwurd between his ribs. Now and |
he squatted upon his haunches,
g his eyes to either side. The 1
banks (vere barely high enough to (
shield him. At last he came to a bridge ,
of planks spanning the ditch and was ,
about to rear himself- for another look
when he suddenly flattened into the ]
stream bed, half damming the waters (
Willi IJ1S UUU,V li naa iui una uc uau
so carefully tapped his fuses. A man '
passed over blm so close above that he i
might have touched him. The sentry paused
a few paces beyond and accosted
another, then retraced bis steps
over the bridge. Evidently this was
the picket line, so Roy wormed his
way forward till he saw the blacker
blackness of the mine buildings, then
drew himself, dripping, out from the
fcank. He had run the gantlet safely.
Since evicting the owners, the receiver
had erected substantia! houses in '
place of the tents he had found on the
mine. They were of frame and corrugated
iron, sheathed within and suited
to withstand a moderate exposure.
The partners had witnessed the operation
from a distance, but knew nothing
about the buildings from close examination.
A thrill of affection for this place
warmed the young man. He loved this
old mine. It had realized the dream of
his boyhood and had answered the j
hope he had clung to daring his long 1
fight against the northland. It had
come to him when he was dishearten- *
ed, bringing cheer and happiness, and '
had yielded itself like a bride. Now It
seemed a crime to ravage it.
He crept toward the nearest wall
and listened. Within was the sound 7
or voices, tnougu tne wmaows were
dark, showing that the inhabitants
were on the alert. Beneath the foun- ^
datlons he made mysterious prepara- .
tions, then sought out the office build- '
ing and cook house, doing likewise. ^
He found that back of the seeming re- t
pose of the Midas there was a strained
expectancy.
Although suspense had lengthened |
the time out of all calculation, he j
Judged he had been gone from his com- j
panions at least an hour and that they | i
muse De m piace oy now. n mej were ,
not If anything failed at this eleventh ^
hour well, those were the fortunes of t
war. In every enterprise, however ^
carefully planned, there comes a time
when chance must take Its turn. I
He made his way Inside the black- I
smith shop and fumbled for a match, j
Just as he was about to strike it he
heard the swish of oiled clothes pass
lug and waited for some time. Then, ,
Igniting his punk and hiding it under f
his coat, he oi>ened the door to listen. <
The wind naa aiea aown now, auu mo *
rain sang musically upon the metal \
roofs. ! f
lie ran swiftly from house to house, | *
and, when he had done, at the apices J
of the triangle he had traced three {
glowing coals were sputtering. I
The fiual bolt was launched at last. 3
He stepped down into the ditch and ' <
drow his .45, while to his tautened ! {
senses it seemed that the very hills i
leaned forth in breathless pause, that: 3
the rain had ceased and the whole i
night hushed its thousand voices. He ^
found his lower Jaw set so stiffly that <
the muscles ached. Leveling his wea- 3
pon at the eaves of the bunk house, he t
pulled trigger rapidly, the bang, bang. ^
bang, six times repeated, sounding dull t
and dead beneath the blanket of mist, ;
that overhung. A shout sounded be- \
hind him, and then the shriek of a <
Winchester ball close over his head. I '
He turned in time to see another shot \
stream out of the darkness, where a ^
sentry was firing at the flash of his J
nun- then. .bent, himself double and *
plunged down the ditch.
With the first impact overhead the
men poured forth from their quarters
armed and bristling to be greeted by /
?9? Scoffs Emutsic
fT nursing mothers by inc
9 nerve force.
It provides baby
and miAeral food f<
ALL DRUGGIST
i volley o? guniBoIi, The thud of buTlets
and the dwindling whine of spent
lead. They leaped from shelter to
3nd themselves girt with a fitful hoop
>f Are. for the Strauglers" had spread
In the arc of a circle and uow emptied
their rifles toward the center. The
defeuders, however, maintained sur- '
prising order considering the suddenness
of their attack and ran to join |
the sentries, whose positions could be
determined l>y the nearer flashes. The
voice of a man In authority shouted
loud commands. No demonstration
L-ame from the outer voids, uothiug'
but the wicked streaks that stabbed }
the darkness. Then suddenly behind j
McXamara's men the night glared'
luridly as though a great furnace door!
had opened and then clanged shut,
while with it came a hoarse thudding
roar that silenced the rifle play. They
saw the cook house disrupt itself and
disintegrate into a thousand flying
Hrrtlmrsi ntial Kt'lctml Of till
which soared upward and outward {
over their heads and into the night, i
As the rocking hills ceased echoing j
the sound of the vigilantes' rifles re- i
curred like the cracking of dry sticks,
then everywhere about the defenders
the earth was lashed by falling debris,
while the Iron roof rang at tne fusillade.
[Continued next week.]
Hereafter we positively refuse
to publish any communication
received at this office later
than Tuesday, noon, except lo:al
and personal items, which
svilljnot be available later than
Wednesday, noon, for the current
week. By trying to be ac:ommodating
we are thrown late
ivery week and we are tired of
it.t This notice applies to
EVERY BODY.
4-25-tf.
Don't
V\'<ait!
TILL YOUR PROPERTY
IS DESTROYED, BUT INSURE
NOW,
Against Loss
Bv Fire nr fvnlnne.
If }rou want the best, get your
insurance in a strong "Old
l<ine" company. 1 represent
;everal of the largest Fire and
Cyclone Insurance Companies.
L. H. FAIREY
At Bank of Kingstree.
-24 tf.
\lways That I can save
Remember you money on
5ASH, DOORS AND BLINDS
AND OTHER
BUILDING MATERIALS.
Wholesale Prices Direct from
Factory. Everything Guarani
. J._ c
:eea to come up 10 opeciuca- j
;ions.
9. J. EPPS, Kingstiree, S. C.
{epreseoting Cheraw Door & Sasb Co.
IliriSTpiiri
'* Applied by skilled mechanics J
> la ft fair nviflP. Cj'hean 3
* mixtures slopped on by cheap 3
* painters are dear at any price. J
* We expect to receive a reason- 3
* able equivalent for our labor. 3
* But we give an honest dollar's r
' worth for every dollar we get, r
* and we endeavor to permanent- 3
* ly satisfy our customers. )
\ ALFRED WELLS,
i }
* Painter and Paper Hanger, )
| KINGSTREE, S. C. \
* Leave orders with J
( Kingstree Hardware To. 1
_ !
?n strengthens enfeebled O
' with the necessary fat 2
>r healthy growth. Y
S: 50c. AND SI.OO. X
BUILDING
DONE
At
m
Y our
Own
Price.
C. L HARRIS,
General G>ntractor
and Builder - - Creelyville,
South Carolina
1 -16-tf.
Kingstree
OAMP NO- 27.
i(l&,\\ indui KianxM
1st and 3rd Monday
IS in^ each
Visiting choppers corV,
j^XJv/ diilly invited to coma
w<TXjcQ^ jHr/ up and sit on a stamp
vcTFli or hang about on tha
r limbs.
PHILIP STOLL,
9 27 12m. Con. Com.
Registration Notice.
Theofflce or the Supervisor of Reg4istration
will be opened on the first
Monday in every month for the parpose
of the registering of any persoa
who is qualified as follows: Who
shall have been a resident of
the State for two years, and of the
county one year, and of the polling precinct
in which the elector offers to
vote four months before the day of
election, and shall have paid, six
months before, any poll tax then due
and payable, and who can both read
and write any section of the constita*
tion of 1895 submitted to him by the
Supervisors of Registration, or who
can show that he owns, and has paid
all taxes collectable on during the
present year, pioperty in this State
assessed at three hundred dollars or
more. J. Y. McGILL,
Clerk of Board.
Read the Farmers k Merchants
Bank's ad. this issne.
M m a m m 1 jTm
Frw *drlo*, bow to obtain patent*, trade niit^l \
copyright*, etc., IN ALL COUNTRIES. .
Business direct with Washington saves
money and often the patent.
htsat and Infrfnfsmant Prattles Exclu?J*sly. fl
Writ* or com* to a* at K
iu sua stmt, m cmiua suu* Tntmi oam.B
WASHINGTON, P. C. _J
H l ' 11 B' RQfl
i ~~ T
CJnsurance.
Fire Insurance,
Tornado Insurance,
Plate Glass Insurance
Life Insurance,
Health Insurance,
Accident Insurance,
Burglary Insurance.
We represent only
Companies of unquestioned'
reliabilitv!and
* * m
a policy is as good as
a gold bond.
We'll
n 1 \7
Bona i ou,.
As Cashier, Treasurer
or any position
of trust in any of the
largest companies in
ji America.
The Williamsburg
Insurance & Bonding
flgenGy,
OFFICEOVKRL STACKLEY's
STORE,
Kingstree, - S. C.
\ i