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Show AYE GIBBONSAYE FLOYD GIBBONS GIBBONS"The AYEty ty tyf , f t trd rd y 1 1Af Af ; } Adventurers lAdventurers Adventurerso . u r , l li i o w wThe "The The " The Latch That TIIa TIIaBy Moved lJIoved in the Night " By FLOYD GIBBONSFamous GIBBONS GIBBONSFamous GIBBONSFamous Famous Headline Hunter . L ND today , boys and girls , it's its ' ' Mrs Margaret Margarct Alc Alexander , < ander cander of ofPrmceton ofPrinceton of1 AND A Pnnceton Prmceton Princeton , N . J . . . , who tells us of her greatest thnlland thrilland thrill thnll and andswclls andswells andswells swclls swells the long list Itst ofnames of names alrcadyIn alreadyin already alrcady m In the New Jersey con- con contIngent contingent con contingent - tingent of the Adventurers ' club . . You foU folks . : . who wbo live lhe llve in the man made cliffs and canyons of 'l'1nhatt'ln l1nhattln Manhattan 'l'1nhatt'lnmight Manhattanmight ' Minhattinmight ' ' might find It h-ird h ird h'lrd hlrd hard ' - to picture yourselves yourselvcs alone In a lonely cabin liifch hibh high up upIn upIn upIn In the heart of at the Rocky mountains , but try and do It It . . . You will wlJI Clp rip ClpprecIate rippredate uppredate precIate predate 1\fararet 1 fararet Mar \ Margarets ; , aret s story nil nl all ] the moie mOle more mOleMargaret moreMargaret moieMargaret Margaret was wa a city flat gal , too , and was suddenly whisked whiskedaway whiskedaway whiskedaway away to the rugged gold mining country of Colorado Dan Alex Ale- Ale Alex- Aleand Alexander Alexander ) ( - and ander r , , her late husband , was made superintendent of the Ruby Rubymine Rubymine Rubymine mine , out Weston Passway , some thirteen thousand feet above abovesea abovesea abovesea sea level . That's Thats ' plenty high , Just about ten times as high asthe asthe as asL the L > _ i-ini- i ini iinic iiniit - - State c + -it it - < building " " 'ildin1 ildin1 ' ' " This w was s all aU back In ' 97 91 when Margaret's Margarets ' ' ' son was only four ye'lrs yelrs years ye'lrsold yearsold yeirsold ' old and things weren't werent ' so settled and liw hw lave abiding In the gold districts as asthey asthey asthey they are noThe now no\\ no novv \ . . The little JlttJe family famUy occupied a n log cabin In the valley v'lJey vlJey ' ] , some somemiles somemiles somemiles miles from the mine and 20 miles away a\\ay a ay \ fiom flom the nearest neighbor . Dan Left Margaret an Ivory Handled Six-Shooter Six Shooter Six-Shooter.When SixShooter.When Six Shooter.When ShooterWhen - . When Dan had to ride into town on business , as he did about aboutonce aboutonce aboutonce once a month , he always left an old Ivory handled six gun withMargaret with withMargaret withMargaret Margaret The old gun was a gift from an early prospector and andhad andhad andhad had a couple of significant notches in the handle Margaret Margaretknew Margaretknew Margaretknew knew how to use It , tooOne tooOne too tooOne One wInter winters s day Dan hitched Illtched up his bls horses horscs to the sleigh ' ind 'lnd lnd and rodc rode rodcoff rodeoff rodeoff off for town after grub He lIe plinncd phnned planned to be back that nlbht night ni ht , but he Ipft left Ipftthe leftthe leftthe the six gun with Margaret just In case Town was 29 20 miles through themountiln the themount'lln themountain mount'lln mountlln mountain ' p'1ssesWeU passesWell pisses p'1sses p1sses passes pissesWell ' Well WeU . , sir , Mirgnet Marguet J'1rg'1t J1rg1t ' ' et soys S'1ys S1ys says ' , her husband hadn't hadnt ' been gone miny m'1ny m1ny many ' hours hoursbefore hoursbefore hoursbefore before the snow begin beg'ln begln began ' to f'1 f1 ' fill fall ] And \ what hat snow snowl I ! It \ was vvas as the first re'1l re1l real re'1lheay realheavy reillieavy ' hea\y hea y heavy \ fall faU of the winter . . All AU day long as mother and son placed plned played ) before beforethe beforethe beforethe the fire in the cozy log Jog cabin the \ white \ bite flakes fi.lkes filkes . fell feU As the drifts drafts crept crepthigher crepthigher crepthigher higher and higher agilnst ag'1lnst ag1lnst against ' the cabin cnbln wall waU Margaret's Margarets ' ' ' fears grew greaterand greater greaterand greaterand and greater How would her husband ever get bndt"1 bndt1 back ? " . As night came on the prospect of being snow snowbound bound alone " with "ith ith her herI herbaby herbaby herbaby I baby In the cabin cablll was terrIfyIngThe terrifyingThe terrifying terrifyingThe The baby wasn't wasnt ' a bit worried , Margaret says , but Just Justdropped justdropped justdropped dropped off to sleep as though nothing was wrong The anxIous anxIousmother anxiousmother anxiousmother mother envied him She tried sleeping , herself , but after tossingfor tossmg tossing tossmgfor tossingfor for hours , got up , , lighted ' the lamp , , and began to write Suddenly Suddenlyshe Suddenlyshe 1 she sat up straight , fear clutching at her heartA heart heartA A Hard-Visaged Hard Visaged - Mexican Knocked at the Door Door.Somebody DoorSomebody . Somebody " was "as as rapping rappmg on the cibin c'1bln c1bln cabin ' door ' Mat Maigaret Margaret garet couldn't couldnt ' ' believe beHe , e her ears A visitor at this hour and durIng dur durIng durIng Ing such a sno\\ sno snowfall snofaB \ faB seemed impossible She picked up the six StX sis gun andiSlM nnd and nndThe iSl\M iSl M \ ) ) 1 1i1 ! i1 _ _ _ _ _ . - - c ' CC 1U 1Urf rf i I1L _ MS MSThe _ \ The Latch on the Door Was Slowly Movingopened Moving Movingopened opened the door She iccogni/ed iccogni ed ecog1ll7ed recognized 1 / the visitor as the cook cool fiom flom from the camp campbut campbut campbut but she " wis was 1S ' not at all aU nil reassm reassuied reassured ell The coolHIS cook cool . \ was \HIS HIS a hard bard vts'1gedIexlcan visiged vts'1ged vts1ged visaged ' \Iexlcan Iexlcan Mexican Iexlcanwhom Mexicanwhom \ Mexicanwhom whom she had alwm always s InsUnctn instinctively ely fe'1redThe fearedThe feired fe'1red fe1red feared feiredThe ' The mm m'ln mln man ' wmted W'1nted W1nted wanted ' to know hnow If her husband had returned with the pro provIsIOns provisions provisions vIsIOns he hid h'ld hld had ' gone for and Mirgirct 'hrg'l.rct hrgl.rct hrglrct Margaret ' ' . was foiccd forced fOI ced to admit that he b'l.d bl.d bld had b'l.dnot hadnot hidnot ' . not come ind 1nd and ' that thnt in ID all aU probability prob probability blhty he " would "ould ould not be able to . come for foranother foranother foranother another diy d'l.Y dl.Y dlY day ' . diyThe dayThe The Mexican ' muttered 11uttered something and shuffled off through the thesnow thesnow thesnow snow . Why had the man trudged through all the snow In the thedarkness thedarkness thedarkness darkness of night to learn something he must have already alreadyknown alreadyknown alreadyknown known ? All thought of sleep now left her and she decided to sit sitIn sitin sitin In a chair , gun in hand , facing the door , , for the rest of the night nightThe nightThe nightThe The long night wore on ' The 'the 1 he stillness of the mountuns mount'1lDS mount1lDS mountains ' in their soft softwhIte softwhite softwhite whIte mantle begin beg'ln begln began ' to be fn fll fii , htfully hitfully oppressive oppressh oppresshe e Eleven Lleen lleven Lle\ Lle \ en o'clock oclock o'c1ocl oc1ocl ' came C.lme Clme . and and"ent andevent andwent "ent ent event " She noticed notlted thiough thlOUgh through the " window Indo\\ Indo Indothat \ that the snow sno\\ sno snohad \ \ had stopped falUng falling falUngnnd fallingand fallingand nnd and " with "Ith Ith the promise clear \ neither vveatlrer . e'1ther e1ther ' ga\ ga gave gae \ e for her husbands husband s eirly e'1rly e1rly early ' return returnshe returnshe returnshe she begin beg'ln begln began ' to think that tier her feirs fe'l.rs fel.rs felrs fears ' . and nnd premonition premol1ltIon of impending evil eHI th tint tintpossessed tintpossessed It Itpossessed possessed her " were ere peihaps perhaps pel haps Imalnar imaolnari imaelnary , ; , } after allAt all an allAt At Midnight Margaret's Margarets ' ' Nerves Were on Edge . Midnight found her do/Ing do Ing dOlIng daaing / In tn her chair cbalr Sud Suddenly enl ) a slight sound soundI soundbrought soundbrought soundbrought I brought every eery e\ e \ ery one of her nerves neres ner\ ner \ es on e edge ge The sound came from thedoor the thedoor thedoor door Sh She ( > sit 5'1.t 51.t 51t sat ' . up tense and stired st1red stared in the dIre direction .tlon tlon < . from which It II c came cameAnd ciroeAnd lme lmeAnd theI I And as fiS she did dHl , l\Iargm l Iargm \ Margaict Margaret et si S'1 S1 says ' , } s , she sbe felt her hiir b'1Ir b1Ir balr ' rIse rIseThe riseThe riseThe The latch on the door was slowly movingI moving I ' moving1I1'11g'lret Mugiret 1I1'11g'lret 1I111glret Mugaret ' ' bl blushed brushed ushed her hind h'1nd h1nd hand ' across her eyes e , } es She must be bl d 1I ii i l t . l11ung railing liningshe , she thought thouoht But no , it moved mo\"ed mo "ed ed \ " igain Igaln again ! ! She watched the latch f tsclD'1ted tsclD1ted tscinated ' fiscimtedOnce tsclD'1tedOnce tscinatedOnce Once more it lose and fell feU and the slight click chck tol told her she vvis W'1S W1S was ' notusee not usee "see see " Ing lag "seeIng seeIng useeIng "seelag things tlllngs " " ' Thoughts 'fhoughts fhoughts of her baby sleeping peacefully peaceuJl ! , } in his Ills little bed bedner bednerved bednerved ner\ ner nercd nerved \ cd her She grIppe gripped the gun guni guni"Whos I ! I"Who "Who Who "Whos Whos " 1Vho s there ? ' ' slic she asked ashed in a sinking sh'l.hlng shl.hlng shlhlng shaking ' . voiceNo voiceNo voice voiceNo No answer ! She waited Her heart was In her mouth , shesays shesays she shesays says thelatch , but her eye , glued to the sights of her gun , never left leftthe left the latch . . Right Through the Door She Shot Three TImes Times.The TimesThe . The latch moved mo\ed mo ed \ ag'lln-e\er ag'lln aglln e er again-ever again ever agiln ' - ever \ so slightly , and Margnet Iarg1.1et Iarg11et Marguet . filed ledl fitedi t 1 Rloht Right Ri ht ofthe till thiough through htthiough Rlohttill Rightthrough ough the door she bhot shot three times times-stoppmg times stoppmg times-stopping stopping - stopping onl only , } to S'l Sl sivc save ' \ e the rest of the bullets buJlets for an emereency emerency emergency , ; . Still sun not a sound came from outside Inside the baby woke wol e up crying cryInY cryIn Y < 'Is Is cryIn'Is ' Is ' . shot shot ? ' he motherThe plpa p'l.pa pl.pa papa asked ashed The 'Ihe Ihe Zhe ' question qULstion further tenified terlItJed teriltled the mother motbc ; The thought that she hid h'ld hld had ' perhaps killed kIHed ' some other child's childs chIJd's chIJds edher plpa p'l.pa pl.pa papa ' . tortUl tortui tortuie e ed " her ber But she sbe was afraid to open optn the door and look lool lonelyvigil The lookThe baby went back to sleep and Margaret back to her lonely vigil She sat there rigid until the first streaks of gray lit up the themountain themountain mountain sky . Dawn ' . doorAnd gave'her gaveher gave.her gaveJher courage and she opened the door ofa ofn And there on the doorstep , shot sbot thiough thlOU"11 thlOU11 through 0 " the hent heart he'lt helt ' t , w'ls-the w'ls wls the was-the was wis ' - the bod hod bod\ bod bodof . ) ' \ of a n rox FOX I . OX I 1 ! 1A Target.Yes TargetYes A Fox Seeking Shelter Was the Target . Yes sir . , a foi fo1 . , seeking seeldng shelter tothQ to11ft tolift fiom flam from the tbe storm hid h'1d h1d had ' actually ' ictuall 1ctuaJl , } tried trlLlI to Margaiet's Margaiets .lrgal 11ft lift thQ tle the ' ! catch-as catch as F - the tbe snnlt smart Sm'l.l Sml.l Smll ' . t anltlnls anlm'lls anlmlls animals ' are capalJle capable "I I " 10 of tlom-and tlom and dOID-and dOID doing . , ; - and Mar [ .lr lr . gal gaiet's gaiets et s bullet buUet hid h'1 h1 laad'hit laadhit ' 'hlt hlt ' hit him 111m ab as he stood on his hind bind lea Ic Ie ? ' : , leaWell tearsover tearsoCr Well sir , . 'lal lal ' Maigaiet Margaret gal et was sorry she sbe bid had h'1 h1 ' fh fned fired ed and ; she hc shed a few tears o\Cr o Cr over \ th the < . fate of hei bel hea stiange shange strange shangelsltor visitor \lsltor lsltor \ But Dan D.w Dw . when he letuincd letmned returned shed the theof fox : s akin kIn " und and .Marg Marg . AIarsllet u trot et stm stIll has bas tbe tile the f"1- f"1 f1 fur f"1Piece " - Piece to remind remmd - htof nlbhtof of terror.w'iU tciror tenor terror . hci hCl of hu- hu her hunljit ni nljit nlbht nljitWNU 0 0(9W.U ht (9-W-.U 9W.U (9 9 W .U U ( - -WNU WNU -.w'iU .wiU .w'iU wiU - - . - . ' Service |