HE Stars and Stripes Irf a dirty
rag. " said Gambler Hunt.
"Apologize for that , " demanded -
mandod the chovroncd ser
geant.
"No , " said Hunt.
Sergeant Hoog loaned for
ward and slapped the gam
bler's face. There was a
flash , the sharp crack of a
"six-gun , " and the sergeant
lay a crumpled heap on the
barroom floor.
Sergeant Hocg was taken
to the hospital at Fort Willa
mette , a mile away. Gambler Hunt was placed
In the now county Jail under the courthouse on
the plaza , In charge' of the county sheriff. And
the town of Willamette went its way , but with a
difference. No gamblers sunned themselves and
trimmed their finger nails In front of the Main
street saloons. No soldiers traveled Jo and
from the fort across the dusty flat. The Twen
tieth United States cavalry deserted the town
and attended" strictly to its own affairs on the
military reservation.
Stillness hung over the town , the tense still
ness that spoils danger and waits for an event.
No crowds gathered. Citizens talked of the shoot
ing with an unspoken question In their eyes as
they looked 'out toward the fort The sheriff was
uneasy. "If that man Hoeg dies " he said , and
*
shook his head. >
Out at the fort military routine ground along
without a ripple stables , guardmount , drill , pa
rade and If the men were dangerously angry
they gave not a hint ot it. The post commander.
who was also colonel of the Twentieth , eyed
them proudly. "They are taking It well , " ho
said to his officers. "I know them. They are
veterans , and o'jey orders. The law will take
care of that man Hunt. " The ofllcors agreed.
Not a threatening or angry murmur reached offi
cers' row from the barracks. As a matter of pre
caution all passes were stopped and orders Issued
that no enlisted man should leave the reservation
except on duty.
' It was all that could bo done. The men meant
no mischief , but suppose they did ? The strongest
guard would bo a rope of sand around the cluster
of frame buildings called "fort. " The ono only
way to prevent any possible trouble would bo
to take the troops out on a "hlko" practise
march , it was called then somewhere away from
the place for a time. But the colonel would have
had to ask orders from the war department to
do this. And when the war department heard
the reason for the request it would have thrown
an official fit , and probably have convened a
board of doctors to Inqulro into the sanity of
Cf- the post commander at Fort Willamette. It la
> . not probable , however , that such a thought en
tered the votnran colonel's head. Ho know his
mon. They w re veterans , proud of the flag they
served and the cloth they wore.
Next day word carao to the town that Ser
geant Hoeg was dead. The sheriff went to see
the prosecuting attorney. "That Hoeg man's
dead. I don't lllco this business a heap , " he told
the prosecutor.
"What's the matter ? The town's quiet. "
"So's the fort Too plenty much quiet If the
soldiers was buckln' round In town , or even out
at the fort there , I wouldn't mind. But they're
qnlot flghtln' quiet. They're keopln' away
from town , aud when they do como " The sher
iff wagged hijj head dismally.
"Very well , " said the prosecuting attorney.
"We'll go out to see the post commander and ask
him to put ap extra guard on aud keep his mon
away from the town until things qulot down. "
The prosecuting attorney was young , but he
should have buown better. Ho had been a sol
dier himself , had studied law whllo wearing a
blue uniform at this same Fort Willamette. For
civil authority to glvo or suggest orders to an
officer In the regular army Is to Invite flat snub
bing. He should have known , but ho bustled con
fidently out to the fort. The sheriff followed , pro
testing. "Wo'ro goln'.to the snubbln' post , " ho
eaid.
The old fort smiled peacefully in the after
noon sun. Blue-shirtod troopers lounged In the
shade of barrack porches and corrals. The
guard dozed'on the benches in the guardhouse
sallyport A casual officer sauntered along the
board walk down officers' row. The canteen was
deserted. "Too plenty much quiet , " commented
the sheriff.
At headquarters the colonel received them
courteously.
"What can I do for you. gentlemen ? " he
asked.
"Wo are afraid your men will lynch Hunt. "
"My mca have been forbidden to leave the
reservation until further orders. They obey or-
"Wo have heard rumors. You must put a
strong guard around "
' I command this post , gentlemen. Good after
noon. "
Civil authority wont buck to town In a hurry ,
the prosecutor angry , the sheriff apprehensive.
For the sheriff felt that ho know the situation
better than did the colonel. The Twentieth cav
alry had not been stationed long at Fort Willa
mette. Tlicy had come fresh from scouting and
Indian clinging In the southwest in joyous antici
pation of the comforts of a qulot post and of a
civilized "sure enough , " real town , not a group
of 'dobo uliacks In a desert The enlisted men
found n state of things they weren't used to and
didn't llkij. Willamette had long since forgotten
the days when the fort was a protection , and
looked on It mainly as a source of revenue , while
' * the enlisted men wore merely more or less of a
/
nuisance. Like all other western towns in the
' 80'a anil ' 90'u Willamette was "wide opon. "
Gamblers and gambling were a strong element In
Its life. From the suave and solid man of fam
ily who owned his homo and business property ,
and dealt parental discipline- day and faro at
night , to the casual "tin horn , " the sporting fra-
ternlty TAB always In evidence. The Eighteenth
cavalry , -which had preceded the Twentieth at
the fort , had learned to let the gamblers alone.
Whenever a row occurred between the sport and
the soldier the town marshal grabbed the soldier
first and last generally. Thep the unlucky sol
dier was whlpsawed fine and jail in town
guardhouse and court-martial when he went back
to the post. "Fighting B" and "Drunken G" and
"Crazy 1" troops of the old Eighteenth grow dis
creet if not wise. They avoided trouble and the
gamblers grew to think they owned the town.
The Twentieth knew nothing of this and Its en
listed men were neither discreet nor wise. The
result of several clashes with the town "tin
horns" and sports had already made them feel
that they were not getting an even break. More
over , had not a man just been pardoned by the
governor after receiving a 20-year sentence for
a deliberate , foul and unprovoked murder ? The
case was an offense to justice still rankling In
the minds of soldiers and civilians alike. Everyone
ono said It was safer to kill a man than steal a
cow. The sheriff knew all this and feared that
this murder of Sergeant Hoeg , ono of the host-
liked men in the regiment , would bo more than
they would stand. On his return from the post
he deputized twelve good men and placed them
as guards in the Jail. Gamblers eagerly volun
teered , but ho would have none of thorn.
The town buzzed now. Soldiers were going
to attack the Jail , It was said. J3ut not a blue
uniform was seen on the streets. When taps had
sounded across the flat , the fort was silent , with
only the sentries pacing back and forth in the
moonlight. Just the same , Sheriff McFarland
posted his men In the Jail and waited. Near mid
night a whisper went round the saloons : "They're
coming. " The walks around the plaza filled with
an expectant crowd. The Jail in the basement of
the courthouse was dark , but everyone know that
behind It was Hunt , guarded by the sheriff and
twelve determined / mon with Winchesters. An
attempt was made to notify the fort , but wires
were cut nnd messengers were a'll too slow.
Across Poverty flat , down Main street , into
the plaza swung a body of men , In army over
coats turned wrong sldo out , campaign hats , car-
blno at shoulder , Colt's forty.fivo at hip. It was
the army-trained machine In action , swift , silent ,
certain. It circled the plaza in column of fours.
Sentries took post at a curt word of command.
The crowds fell back before threatening carblno
muzzles. Up the broad stone walk , "Right front
Into lino. Halt , " and a grim platoon faced the
Jail door with carbines at the ready.
The leader stopped out briskly and hammered
with a pistol butt.
"What do you want ? " asked the ahorlff from
Inside the door.
"Wo wont Hunt. "
"Now , boys , you don't " began the sheriff.
But the leadei's voice cut in , clear , determined.
"No talk , eherlff. Open that door or we dynamite
namito it. "
Dynamite ! The sheriff weakened. Ho looked
up at his men standing with ready Winchesters
at the head of the corridor stepe , where they
could have held back a regiment. "They've got
dynamite. I guess we'll have to lot 'em in.
boyB. Don't uhoot , " said be , and opened the door.
What followed was short , eharp and torrlble.
Throe men took Hunt from his cell and marched
him to front nnd center of the waiting platoon.
"Havo you nuythins to eay ? " the leader aokcd.
"No. "
"Do you want to pray ? "
"No. "
He was given a above forward. The men
who held him stepped back to the Tanks.
"Fire ! "
Thirty United States carbines barked
and Gambler Hunt fell to the walk a
crumpled heap , as Sergeant Hoeg had
fallen to the barroom floor two days before ,
There was no need for a xBocond volley.
Not a bullet went wild. The platoon looked
for a moment at the riddled body , then
moved fours right across the plaza , picked
up Its sentries and vanished at the end
of Main street. The second net of the trag
edy was over.
It had been staged and played In a very
few minutes. To thinking men It hold dis
quieting significance. If trained fighting
men could steal away from their offlcorsi
defy law and add murder to murder , the
community was In peril. The town wasted
no sympathy on Hunt , but condemned the
lynching. They blamed the officers at the
fort for having , as they put it , allowed the
outbreak to occur. The gambling contingent hold
it only proved the army no good , anyhow. The
soldiers were loafers , too lazy to work. They did
nothing but eat up the money of the taxpayers ,
said the hardworking experts of the faro and monte
tables. The post commander could have prevented
the lynching If he had done what the sheriff told
him to do.
Then the prosecuting attorney did n most ama
zing thing and the last act of the tragedy began.
Though not a soldier was to bo Keen about the
town , ho telegraphed to Washington : "Town In
the hands of n military mob from the fort. Send
help at once. " The message struck the national
capital Hko a Kansas cyclone. Thunder and light
ning from the war department followed. Orders
for arrests , boards of Inquiry , courtmartlals galore -
lore , chased each other after the first stuttering
Inquiries over the wires from stanch old officers
who couldn't bellevo their military cars and eyes.
The court of inquiry developed little not already
'
known. Hoeg was dead. Hunt had been killed by
soldiers. But who wore they ? As witnesses the
enlisted men were a frost. . They stuck together
and were either volubly Ignorant or sullenly close
mouthed.
Courtmnrtials were convened. A few a very
few men were punished , more or less. Several
deserted when things grew warm. And last of all
happened a thing which must have caused the
county officials who failed to protect their pris
oner much satisfaction. No hint was dropped of
the sheriff's failure to do his sworn duty. But the
war department had to save face somehow. Its
action reminds ono of the Chinese emperor , who
when his army mutinied always beheaded the gen
eral. The post commander of Fort Willamette was
court-martialed for neglect of duty. Ho was al
ready broken IM spirit , weighed down by the
stain on the honor of his regiment , but ho was
convicted , and Bcntenced to confinement to reser
vation limits and loss of pay for a year. The sen
tence didn't count for much ; It was the Btnln on
his record that must have most deeply wounded
him.
him.The
The murder of Sergeant Hoeg "Just happened. "
The lynching ot Gambler Hunt might have been
prevented If the army had not been tied hard and
fast In red tape , or If among the officers , civil and
military , on the spot there bad been ono big
enough to meet the crisis. '
As for the punishment of the enlisted men who
were the real offenders , well all this happened 20
years ago. There waa no "big stick" In the White
House then.
FIREWORKS TO PROTECT CROPS.
The great grain fields of the Saudborn ranch i
in Shasta county , Col. , are Ingeniously protected 1
at night from the vast flocks of wild geese and 1
other aquatic fowl that do Immense damage to
crops by means of a display of fireworks.
Skyrockets and Roman candles were bought In
large quantities by the management of the ranch
and men are stationed at various points. Whenever
a flock is heard honking in the distance several
skyrockets or a shower of colored balls from a
roman candle are cent upward and aa a result
the birds glvo the rauch ti wldo berth.
HARD TO PLEASE.
"You have lost two itooks tula week , haven'l
you ? "
"Yes ; ono left bocauw my husband flirted with
her , and the other left because bo didn't. " Hous
ton Dally Post
TOO MUCH FOR EASTERNER
Pilgrim Wan Looking for Iron Springs ,
But That Story Wan Moro
Than Ho Could Stand.
ITo was n wonry , thin and sallow-
looking American , who Imd never
boon HO tnr west hoforo , nnd when
ho struck Carson City ho hulled ( ho
first imtlvo ho mot.
"Can yon toll mo , Blr , If there nro
any mineral Hprlngs nbout here ? "
"Prom the east ? " asked the west-
crncr.
"Yes. "
"Como hero for yor health ? "
"Yos. "
"Tried everything , I suppose ? "
"Yes. "
"Tried surphur springs ? "
"YOB. Didn't help mo a hit. "
"Keen to Arkansas ? "
"Yos , nml everywhere olso. "
"What kind of water are you look
ing for now ? "
"Well , no kind in particular. I wao
told , though , that I'd nnd u variety of
springs out hero. "
"doing to locate ? "
"That depends. "
"Well , stranger I have got Just what
you want. A ? vacant lot In the host
part of the city. Finest iron springs
In the country. Go and sco for your
self. "
"But how do you know It'a Iron ? "
queried the easterner.
"Well , pardner , I drove my liorso
through It and ho came out with Iron
shoes on his feet. And that ain't all.
I drove some pigs down there to drink.
They turned Into pig Iron , and I sold
them to the Iron foundry. Just what
you want. For Bale , cheap. Why ,
halloa I What's the matter ? "
The weary easterner had turned
abruptly and was walking off up the
road. San Francisco Chronicle.
Why England Believes In a King.
The great majority of Englishmen
of all grades and opinions do undoubt
edly believe In a king , and think they
have some fairly good reasons for do
ing so.-
The great reason , of course , IH that
on the whole the system works , or
Booms to work , fairly well. It la very
costly. Everything included , It prob
ably costs ton times as much as the
average man thinks ; and If a rate
were levied for the purpose on him ,
ho might fool It and begin to grumblo.
But the money Is dorlvcdt from the
duchies , or voted from thovtaxcs , and
nobody feels the pinch or oven knows
the difference. It la a rallying point
for nil kinds of senseless anachro
nisms and abuses. Dut In an old coun
try many things have n better clmnco
of continued existence by being old
than by being good , and an abuse
comes to bo' esteemed almost when
Its hairs nro gray nnd Its years many.
It promotes snobbery and croatoo
snobs , though it will not bo nnpposcd
to be unpopular on that account
The Congregationnllst.
To Save Alcott Home.
Efforts are being made to Inaugu
rate a movement for the preservation
of the old Alcott homestead in Con
cord , Mass. , whore Bronson Alcott
lived and died and wlioro Louisa Al
cott created the Immortal children
that run through the pages of "Little
Men" and "Little Women. " The plnco
at pre-sent Is fast falling into hopclcns
decay and action must bo started noon
if It Is to bo preserved at all. "Per
haps If Miss Alcott had boon dead two
centuries instead of only about 30
years her former homo would not bo
In such n dangerous plight as It Is to
day , " said a Now York woman who is
trying to Interest others In Us pres
ervation. "But by and by Miss Alcott
will have been dead 200 years nnd If
Orchnnl house Is not saved now
American soil in future generations
will bo the poorer for our neglect. Wo
never shall raise a harvest of ancient
associations for our land unless wo
take care of the associations whllo
they still are comparatively modern. "
A Different Sort of Doctor.
Dr. Charles Ilarrlss , the well-known
Canadian musician and compoaer , tolls
an amusing story nbout himself.
Whllo ho was on his way to South
Africa , ho desired to keep his identity
a secret. During the voyage ono of
the passengers managed to got into
conversation with the musician , and
asked him if ho would medically ex
amine his little girl who was with him
on the boat.
"My dear sir , " replied Dr. Ilarrlss ,
'I have never examined n child In my
life. "
Ten minutes lateY , ho overheard the
passenger say , in the Bmoklng-room :
"There you nro ; didn't I say that
man was a fraud ? "
The Girl Crad.
Mark Twain was a firm believer In
the higher education of woman , but
Hartford still remembers a speech ho
mndo one Juno to a platform of Hart-
ford girl graduates.
This speech , a humorous attack on
the COMORO girl , ended :
"Go forth. Fall In love. Marry. Setup
up housekeeping. And then , when
your husband wants u shirt Ironed ,
send out for a gridiron to do It with. "
Metaphorically Speaking.
"What do you think of these now
palaces I have been rearing ? " asked
Mr. Dustln Stax.
'Magnificent , " replied the cynic.
Yet , " ho proceeded with n visible
effort to bo modest , "this earthly pomp
reminds that all the
mo world la i
stage. "
"Right. And the modern tendency
Is to make up with the flno scene/ for
bad acting. "
UNDEFEATED CHAMPION OF THB
NORTHWEST.
T. A. Ireland , Ftlflo Shot , of Colf.ix ,
Wash. , Telia a Story.
Mr. Ireland is the holder ot four
world records nnd has yet to lese
hla first match says ho : "Kidney
trouble GO affected
my vision no to Inter
fere with my shoot
ing. I bcrnmo so
nervous I could hard
ly hold a gun. There
wait Bovcro pain in
ray back nnd head
nnd my kldnoye wora
terribly disordered.
Doan's Kidney PIHa
cured mo nfter I hnd
doctored nnd tnkon
nearly every remedy
imaginable without
relief. I will glvo
further details of my case to anyona
enclosing stamp. "
nomombor the nnma Doan'H.
For nrxlo by all dealers. GO cents a
box. Foatur-MHbum Co. , Buffalo , N. Y.
Wrong Anglo.
"There's a bright fildo to ovory.
thing. "
"A bright aldol Bahl"
"Well , there Is. "
"Do you mean to toll mo , doctor ,
that there Is a bright sldo to my hay
Ing had my leg amputated ? "
"Indeed , there Is ; ami If you could
put yourself in my place you could
really sco It , "
Important to Mothers
Examlno carnfully every holUo ot
CASTORIA , a safe and Bnro remedy for
infants and children , and sea that It
Boars the
Signature
In Use For Over JJO1 Yeara.
The Kind You Have Always Bought
' HIS HOPES.
Jlnka Do you expect to move thin
eprlng ?
Flcklo I expect to , yea ; but hope ,
my wlfo may decide to grant mo a
reprieve.
Up to Data Milking Scene.
"Wlmt'a going on around hero ? "
nskod the surprised visitor. "Is this
a hospital ? "
"Oh , no"answered the tall man in
the silk hat ; "this is the utago Getting
for a Now England form drama. Tha
next act will bo the milking scono. "
"But I thought the young lady in
the antiseptic apron was a trained
nurse ? "
"Oh , no ; she Is the milkmaid. The
young man In the rubber glovea that
you thought was a doctor ki the farm
boy. As soon as they bring In the ster
ilized stool and the pasteurized pails
and find the cow's tooth brush the
milking Bccno will begin. "
The Secret
"Mlsa Bright , " whispered MIsa
GauBslp , "can you keep a eocret ? "
"Yes , " replied Miss Bright , also
whlsnerlng , "I can keep ono aa well as
you can. "
A "Corner"
In Comfort
For those who know the
pleasure and satisfaction
there is in a glass of
ICED
Make it as usual , dark
and rich boil it thoroughly
to bring out the distinctive
flavour and food value.
Cool with cracked ice , and
add sugar and lemon ; also a
little cream if desired.
Postum is really a food-drink
with the nutritive elements
of the field grains. Ice it , and
you have a pleasant , safe ,
cooling drink for summer
days an agreeable surprise
for those who have never
tried it.
"There's a Reason" for
POSTUM
Po&inrn Cereal Co. , Limited ,
Dattlo Creek. Mich.
t-f i-,1 , *