Show I 1 IN A RAW DISTRICT I 1 thinus happened when attempt was made to move county seat by WALTER JAMES DELANEY you did us ua a good turn once doe doc we intend to return the compliment young dr hector fairbanks smiled pleasantly but inquiringly in fact almost suspiciously auspiciously the speaker was waa dan babbitt As he be stood garbed in his bla rude tennessee mountaineers cos ture lure two holsters at hla his belt strength independence and grit showing in every strong lineament of his bis face the doctor did not marvel that he had been made the leader of the famous midnight riders it was a raw district that of which the young physician had been a resident tor for about a year there were two principal points in tho the county ridgeford and Prin princeville ceville it was at the former town that dr fairbanks F air banks had taken up his abode the two places were only five miles apart and the safety zone BB as it was called encircled them for an area of about twenty miles thence to the south of princeville Prin ceville was a mountainous stretch infested by rough moon shiners known as the clan the same condition prevailed south of Ridge ridgeford tord where dan babbitt and his midnight riders hold held full sway A broken ridge divided the two districts the respective spec five tive rights and s of which ivere jealously guarded by either community al I 1 for years a small but solidly built structure located just on the township line at a little settlement called bryin had been the registers office of the bunty all tho the official business of the district was waa carried on there and there the county records wore were kept one night the brockitt Breckl Brec kItt tt raiders wiping out a fancied insult from the main residents of the place shot up the settlement lett lement set fire to what little there was of it and every structure in dry in was consumed except the registers mee the state authorities were advised f this outrage and ordered a special the of the county FJ 7 J that ought to please you were to decide upon a new site elto tor for the registers office with a view to locating it in a less isolated locality where its records could bo be protected A cen can aral point was necessary and the folco designated was between ridge tord elrd and princeville Prin ceville it was an uproarious occasion the lon was held at dryan bryan th the a appeared en an masse mounted md armed so did the midnight riders ridera their leaders grouped the their irmen men near the office to protect it and prevent fraud about noon the indications were wera that the votes were favoring Prin princeville ceville at the close or of the polls polle however it was announced that ridgeford Ridge tord had bad carried the day by just three votes then pandemonium brolie broke loose jed Brec brockitt kitt declared that the ballot box had been stuffed dan babbitt proceeded to seal it and hand it over to the sheriff for safekeeping some ane started arted a row there was vaa a shot 7 i general melee and one of the old time clan clait battles ensued now three days later dan walked into the office of dr fairbanks with tho lh words that begin our story the favor which the young physician had dono to which dan alluded was rug an exigency call for attendance on i wounded friend for whom the boffl sers cars were looking lie ile rode twenty miles amidst t all the perils of a dark stormy sternly night saved the life of the refugee braved ci a stray stra shot from the watching and won on the undying gratitude of dan 1 I thought I 1 would some come and tell you how things stood about the registry office continued tho the young outlaw leader why tile tho election has settled that matter observed dr fairbanks not by a long shot dissented dau dan vigorously an election much lu this county jed Bree kitt realizes that and wo we havu havo accidentally learned has sent for a house moving outfit to lug the registers office records anil and all over to Prin coville 1 I you amaze roo me exclaimed the young physician just let them got that building ove to ta princeville Prin ceville continued dan az as I 1 well never get it back tho the breckie a munt count on nn claiming fraudulent votes rb throw enrow tho the cna into the counti coultm and grab the records I 1 ive come to tn gel your help I 1 want you tp ul etly get gel about fifty of the redi residents dents here hare jhc can be depended on ready to act with my crowd tomorrow night in what way inquired tho the doctor know when tho the time cornea comes doe doc if your crowd will stand by us ridgeford will got get tho the records that ought to please you it gives us ua tho the county seat it brings people hero here it builds up the town and your business it besides that have an interest in knowing that once the Brec Breckl kitts tta get the registers office now people will be put in control 1 I see nodded the doctor seeing the light indeed and looking il ft trifle trefle embarrassed embar assed theres old deliver and hla his gal especially ally the gal bless her pretty ayeal miss dora yes yes interrupted the doctor blushing furiously 1 I feel it a duty to help you old jonathan deliver had been the tha registrar of the county from time immemorial ills his daughter dora dom was wag his biff chief clork clerk it meant a good deal to them this county seat imbroglio de be sides that dr fairbanks in the vernacular of the district was courting dora you deop people make a stand here or dered dared dan to the doctor and his party the next night it we need you welli well signal dan and eismen his men had eight horses hitched to an enormous flat drag mado made of strong timbers and chained solidly they ascended the hill laboriously As they reached its summit nearly every man broke out into a yell lanterns were flashing men moving about they had been anticipated moved about fifty feet from its original site there was the registry office being slowly and cautiously dragged along the top of the ridge A moving alip apparatus aratus with a windless operated by horses was evading a dipping slant to get the bull building ding to the flat level road leading to an immense rope cable taut and st straining mining held the great drag on which tho the structure tilted dangerously change deml ordered dan at once leave the rest to me and then as hla his men drove into the unprepared Brac kitts dan sprang to the cable his bis bowle bowie knife in hand and began backing at it look out ashes coming hla his strenuous voice dout the startled and amazed contingent led by dr fairbanks witnessed a fear ful spectacle as aa down the steep hill side elde the heavy clumsy structure came hurtling it toppled from grade to grade then three hundred feet below at the edge of the road it landed with a crash a mere kindling wood wreck there were shots overhead then they ceased and then the voice of dan babbitt was waa heard distinctly we are two to one you fellows it if its a fight come on but no scrimmage the registry office Is over on our side of the township line now and were ready to defend our rights the Brec kitts made off sullenly dan came down with horses and drag pick up the splinters boys he ordered take special care of those thosa iron record boxes doc and he ha lowered hla his tone to a chuckling whisper 1 I reckon that sweet deliver gal will keep her poat position tion a little longer eh until you give her a lifelong life long ono one in that new home of yours copyright 1913 by W 0 chapman |