neiF(Q)
or THE
THRCECR
BY IUTE AND VIRGIL
COOYOGtr BY A CMCLUQG UCCX 907
- tf
a burning fever, with Paul' Langford In
constant and untiring attendance upon
Silm. George Wllllston was a sadly
shattered man.
"I met Black on the corner west of
Gordon's office," he explained, when
he could talk. "I had not been able to
sleep, and had been walking to tire
my nerves Into quiet. I was coming
back to the hotel when I heard Black's
shot and then Mary's. I ran forward
and met Black on the corner, running.
He stopped, cried out, 'You, too, damn
you and that's the last I knew until
the boys picked me up."
These were the most Interested
Langford, Gordon, Williston. Had they
been In the count, things might have
teen different. It is very probable a
posse would have been formed for im
mediate pursuit. But others must do
what had been better done had it not
been for those shots in the dark.
There was blood outside Gordon's win
dow; yet Black had not crawled home
to die. He had not gone home at all,
a least, that is what the sheriff said.
No one had seen the convicted man
after his desperate and spectacular
exit from the court-room no one at
least but Louise, Marr. and her fath
er. Mary's shot had not killed him, but
It had saved Richard Gordon's life,
whie'i was a far better thing. It was
Impossible to track him out of town,
for the cattle bad trampled the snow
In eve:y otlcn.
T! ? ihci;'v.i c:i".i j;ith?r no out
U.i. : The ci Jiij,' claims
- - :''Uca i--I-::u.;fj' any
hint of their having given aU or j
shelter to tho fugitive, or of having i
any cognizance whatsoever regarding j
ma possible whereabouts. So the pur
suit, at first hot and excited, gradual
ly wearied of following fal-;o leads, '
contented itself with desultory journ
eys v.iien prcdfled thereto by the com
pelling power of public opinion, fin
ally ceased altogether even as a pre
tence. One of the first things d
ing the dramatic d?" .e fcllow
been to send ,u in court had
little sha- officers out to the
half ty in the valley where the
ireed lay dead across the thresh
,trtd. A watch was also set upon this
" place; but no one ever came there.
August liad come again, and Judge
Dale wa3 In Kemah to hear a court
case.
Langford had ridden in from tho
ranch on purpose to see Judge Dale.
His clothes were spattered with mud.
There had been a succession of
storms, lasting for several days; last
night a cloud had burst out west some
where. All the creeks were swollen.
"Judge, I believe Jesse Black has
been on that island of his all the
time."
"What makes you think so, Lang
ford?" "Because our sheriff is four-Sush-ing
he always was in sympathy with
the gang, you know. Besides, where
else can Black be?"
Bale puckered his lips thoughtfully.
"What have you heard?" he asked.
"Rumors are getting pretty thick
that ho ha3 been seen in that neigh
borhood on several occasions. It is
my honest belief he has never left it."
"What did you think of doing about
it. Langford?"
"I want you to give me a bench war
rant, judge. I am confident that I can
get him. It is the shame of the coun
ty that he is still at large."
"You have to deal with one of "the
worst and most desperate outlaws in
the United States. You must know it
will be a very hazardous undertaking.
Tho Little Posse Started cn
Journey.
granting your surmises to be correct,
sud fraught with grave peril for some
one."
"I understand that fully."
"This duty is another's, not yours."
"But that other is Incompetent."
"My dear fellow," said the judge,
rising and laying his hand on Lang
ford's big shoulder, "do you really
want to undertake this?"
"I certainly do."
"T-T. cLe you the warrant
Its
Ml , I LAI r
D. BO
lant little deputy" marshal. You know
the danger. I admire your grit, my
boy. Get him if you can; but take care
of 'yourself. Your life is worth so
much more than his. Who will yom
take with you?"
"Munson, of course. He will go ia
spite of the devil, and he's the best
man I know for anything like this.
Then I thought of taking the deputy
sheriff. He's been true blue all along,
and has done the very best possible
under the conditions.'
"Very good. Take Johnson, too. He'll
be glad to go. He's the pluckiest little
fighter in the world, cot a cowardly
hair in his head."
So it was agreed, and the next
morning, bright and early, the little
posse, reinforced by . others who had
earnestly solicited the privilege of go
ing along, started out on its journey.
The rains were over, but the roads !
were heavy. In many places, they
were forced to walk their mounts. No
one but the initiated know what gum
bo mud means. Until they took to the
hills, the horses could scarcely lift
their feet, so great would be the
weight of the sticky black earth which
clung in Immense chunks to their
hoofs. When they struck the hills, it
was better and they pressed forwan!
rapidly. Once only the sheriff had as- j
serted that he had run across the
famous outlaw. Black had resisted sav
agely and had escaped, sending back
the boldtaunt that he would never b
taken alive. Such a messasre rnisrht
mean death to some of the plucky pos
se now making for the old-time haunts
pf the desperado.
The sun struggled from behind rain
exhausted clouds," and a rollick'
wind blew up. The clouds '"" -S
away toward the horizon curriod
At White river t
at each oth - .d, the- men looked
stream .. In mute inquiry. The
f was a raging torrent. It was
.pollen until it was half again its
. ordinary width. Tho usually placid
i waters were rushing and twisting into
! whirlpool-like rapids,
j "What now?" asked Baker, the deputy-sheriff,
j "I'm thinkin' this here little pleas
i ure r.arty'll have to be postponed,"
vouchsafed one of the volunteers, nod
I din?; his head wisely.
"We'll sure have to wait for taa
cloudburst to run out," agreed aa-
other.
i "Why, we can swim that all right,"
! put in Langford, rallying from his mo
mentary set-back and riding his mount
to the very edge of the swirling water.
"Hold on a minute there, Boss,"
cried Jim. "Don't be rash now. What's
the census of 'pinion o' this heie com
pany? Shall we rcsk the ford or shall
we not?"
"Why, Jim," said Paul, a laugh in
his blue eyes, "are you afraid? What's
! come over you?'
j "Nothin'. I ain't no coward neither,
and ef you wasn't the Boss I'd show
! you. I was just a thinkin' o' some-
body who'd care that's all."
! Just for a moment a far-away look
; came into the young ranchman's eyes,
j Then ho straightened himself in his
I saddle.
! "I, for one, am going to see this
j thing through," he said, tersely.
"What do you say, Johnson?"
"I never for one minute calculated
on doing a thing else," replied the deputy-marshal,
who had been standing
somewhat apart awaiting the end of
the controversy, with a good-humored
smile in his twinkling blue eyes.
Paul urged Sade into the water. He
was followed unhesitatingly by Mun
son, Johnson, and Baker. The others
held back, and finally, after a short
consultation, wheeled and retraced
their steps.
"I ain't no coward, neither," mut
tered one, as he rode away, "but I
plumb don't see no sense in' bein
drowned. I'd ruther be killed a round
In up Jesse.'
The horses which had made the
Initial plunge were already in water
up to their breasts. The current had
an ominous rush to it.
"I don't care. I didn't mean to hold
over and let our quarry get wi?.d of
this affair,' cried Langford over iis
shoulder. "Keep your rifles dry, boys!"
Suddenly, without warning, Sade
stepped into a hole and lost her bal
ance for a moment. She struggled gal
lantly and recovered herself, yet it
weakened her. It was not long before
all the horses were compelled to swim,
and the force of the current immedi
ately began driving them down
stream. She was a plucky little cow
pony and loved her master, but it was
j about all she could do to keep from
j going under, let alone making much
j headway against the tremendous pres
sure of the current. Langford's dan
ger was grave.
"Steady, my girl!" he encouraged.
He flung his feet free of the stirrups
so that, if she went under, he would
be ready to try it alone. Poor Sade! He
should hate to lose her. If he released
her now and struck off by himself, she
might make it. He had never known
White river to run so sullenly and
strongly; It would be almost impos
sible for a man to breast it. And there
was Mary he could never go back to
her and claim her for his own until he
could bring Black back, too, to suffer
IV II ,1 W II
IV II II I 1
for her father's wronps.
At that moment, Sade gave a little
convulsive shudder and the water
rolled over her head. Langford slip
ped from the saddle, but in the instant
of contact with tho pushing current,
his rifle was Jerked violently from his
hand and sank out of sight. With no
time for vain regrets, he struck out
for the shore. The struggle was tre
mendous. He was buffeted and beat
en, and borne farther down the
stream. Moro than once in the en
deavor to strike too squarely across,
his head went under; but he was a
strong swimmer, and soon scrambling
up the bank some distance below the
ford, he turned and sent a resonant
hall to his comrades. They responded
lustily. He had been the only one un
horsed. He threw himself face down
ward to cough up some of the water
he had been compelled to swallow,
and Munson, running up, bogan slap
ping him vigorously upon the back.
He desisted only to run swiftly along
the bank.
"Good for you," Jim cried approving
ly, assisting Langford's spent horse
up the bank. Coming up to the party
where Langford still stretched out full
length, Sade rubbed her nose inquir
ingly over the big shoulders lying so
low, and whinnied softly.
"Hello there!" cried Paul, spring
ing excitedly to his feet. "Where'd you
come from? Thought you had crossed
the bar. Now I'll just aorrow a gun
from one of you fellows and we'll be
getting along. Better my rifle than my
horse at -this stage of the game, any
way."
The little party pushed on. The
longer half of their journey was still
before them. On the whole, perhaps,
It was better the crowd had split.
There was more unity of purpose
among those who were left. The sun
was getting hot, and Langford's
clothes dried rapidly.
Arrived at the entrance of the cross
ravine which Williston '
-j - - - - V4 fice
sought ouf, tho four mca ode their
horses Rafeii- IkiViiirih ! -
...-v.aiJ. lia lengtn. The
waters of the June rise had yeced-J '
and the outlaw's presumaKj deserted i
holding was once mr u,,,!, I
lookin- i- -en C001 and innocerK-sane-
t'10 late summer sun. The
notwecn stretched out hot ia the
rf-htte glare. From the gulch covert,
the wiry marshal rode first. His face
bore its wonted expression of good-
humored alertness, but there was an
inscrutable glint in his c-yes that J
might have found place there becauce
of a sure realization of the hazard cf
the situation and of his accepting it.
Langford followed him quickly, an 3 ;
Munson and Baker were net far be- j
hind. They trotted breezily across the !
open in a bunch, without words.
Where the indistinct trail to the house
siirped into the wooded enclosure they '
paused. Was the desperado at last '
really rounded up so that he must eith- j
or submit quickly or turn at bay? It
was so still. Spots ot sunlight had
filtered through the foliage and flecked j
the pathway. Insects flitted about, i
Bumble bees droned. Butterflies hov- !
ered over the sncw-on-the-mountain. A j
tutrle dove mourned. A snake glided j
sinuously through the grass. Peering j
down the warm, shaded interior, one j
might almost imagine one was in the !
heart of an ancient wood. The drowsy ;
suggestions of solitude crept in upon j
the sensibilities of all the men and
filled them with vague doubts. If j
this was the haunt cf a man, a care-
less, sordid man, would this place j
which knew him breathe forth so '
sweet, still, and undisturbed a peace? j
Langford first shook himself free of i
the haunting fear of a deserted hearth- j
stone. i
"I'd stake my all on my belief that )
he's there," he said, in a low voice. !
"Now Msten, boys. Johnson and I will j
ride to the house and make the arrest, j
providing he doesn't give us the slip, j
Baker, you and Jim will remain here in j
ambush in case he does. He's bound j
to come this way to reach the main
land. Ready, Johnson?"
Jim interposed. His face was flinty
with purpose.
"Not ef.the court knows herself, and
I think she do. Me and Johnson will
do that there little arrestin job and
the boss he'll stay here in the ambush.
Ef anybody's a countin on my totin
the boss's openwork body back to
Mary Williston. it's high time he was
a losin' the count, for I ain't goln' to
do it."
He guided his horse straight into
the path.
"But, Jim." expostulated Langford,
laying a detaining hand on the cow
boy's shoulder, "as for danger, there's
every bit as much and more here.
Do you think Jesse Black will tamely
sit down and wait for us to come. up
and nab him? I think he'll run."
"Then why are you a shirkin", ef
this is the worst spot o' all? You ain't
no coward, boss, leastways you never
was. Why don't you stay by it? That's
what I'd like to know."
Johnson grinned appreciatively.
"Well, there's always the supposi
tion that he may not see us until we
ride into his clearing," admitted Lang
ford. "Of course, then it's too late."
Jim blocked the way.
"I'm an ornery, no-'count cowboy
with no one in this hull world to know
or care what becomes o me. There
ain't no one to care but me, and I
can't say I'm a hurtin' myself any a
carin'! You just wait till I screech,
will you?"
"Jim," said Langford, huskily, "you
go back and behave yourself. I'm the
boss not you. You've got to obey or
ders. You've sassed me long enough.
You get back, now!"
"Tell Mary, ef I come back a dead
er," said Jim, "that women are s'per
fiuous critters, but I forgive her. She
can't help bein' a woman."
He gave his horse a dig with his
knee and the animal bounded briskly
forward.
"Jim! You fool boy! Come back!
cried Langford, plunging after him.
Johnson shrugged his shoulders and
wheeled his horse into clever conceal
ment on one side of the path.
"Let the fool kids go," he advised,
dryly. "I'm a lookin' for Jess to run,
anyway."
The two men rode boldly up toward
the house. It seemed deserted. Weeds
were growing around tho door-stoop,
and crowding thickly up to the front
windows. A spider's silver web gleam
ed from casing to panel of the warped
and weather-stained door. The win
dows were blurred with the tricklings
of rain through seasons of dust. Ev
erything appeared unkempt, forlorn,
desolate.
There was a sound from the rear.
It carried a stealthy significance. A
man leaped from the protection of the
cabin and was seen running toward
the barn. He was heavily armed.
"Stop that. Black!" yelled Langford,
authoritatively. "We are going to take
you, dead or alive you'd better give
yourself up! It will be better for you."
The man answered nothing.
"Wing him with you rifle, Jim, be
fore -he gets to the barn," said Paul
quickly.
The shot went wild. Black wrench
ed the door open, sprang upon the al
ready bridled horse and made a bold
dash for the farther wood and not in
the direction where determined men
waited In ambush. What did it mean.
AS his norse ciearea uie siauie, iie
turned and shot a vindictive challenge
to meet his pursuers.
"You won't take me alive and dead,
I won't go alone!"
He plunged forward !n a northerly
direction. Dimly he could be seen
through the underbrush; but plainly
could be heard the crackling of
branches and the snapping of twigs as
his horse whipped through the low
lying foliage. Was there, t
rv... -r W-
rrnr (Tie fmatojafl(Hether than
the one over which johris64 anci BAke'
kept guard? How could it fed? How
Longford longed for his good rifle
ad'd its carrying power. But he
kftew how to use a pistol, too. Both
men sent menacing shots after the
fugitive. Langford could not account
for the strange direction. The only
solution, was that Black was leading
his pursuers a chase through the
woods, hoping to decoy them so deeply
into" the interior that he might, turning
suddenly and straightly, gain time for
his desperate sprint across the expos
ed stretch of sand. If this were true,
Baker and Johnson would take care
CI him there.
Black returned the fire vengefully.
A bullet scraped his horse's flank. His
hat was shot frcm his head. He turned
savagely in his saddle vith a yell cf
defiance.
"You'll never take me alive!"
The fusillade was furious, but the
trees and branches proved Black's
friends. It was impossible to judge
one's aim aright. His horse staggered.
Another bullet sang and purre
i:. : . ... i (,:.:;-?, s:id the horse fell
'.-;. C--:, J.m!" died Langford
"My cniiuics are cut; Give me youi
un!"
For answer, Jim sent another bullet
whistling forward. Black, rising from
his fallen horse, fell back.
"I got him!" yelled Jim, exultantly
He spurred forward.
"Careful, Jim!" warned Langford
"He may be 'playing 'possum,' you
know."
"You stay where you are," cried Jim.
"You ain't got no gun. Stay back, you
fool boss!" .
Langford laughed a little.
"You're the fool boy, Jim," he said.
"I'll go without a gun if you won't give
me yours."
They rode cautiously up to the pros
trate figure. It was lying face down
ward, one arm outstretched on the
body of the dead horse, the other
crumpled under the man's breast.
Blood oozed from under his shoulder.
"He's done for," said Jim, in a low
voice. In the presence of death all
hatred had gone from him. The man
apparently had paid all he could of his
debts on earth. The body lying there
so low was the body of a real man.
WThat ever his crimes, he had been a
fine type of physical manhood. He
had never cringed. He had died like
a man, fighting to the last.
Jim slowly and thoughtfully slipped
his revolver into its holster and dis
mounted. Langford, too, sprang light
ly from his saddle.
Black had been waiting for this. His
trained ear had no sooner caught the
soft rubbing sound of the pistol slip
ping into its leathern case than he
leaped to his feet and stretched out
the crumpled arm with its deadly
weapon pointing straight at the heart
of Langford of the Three Bars.
"Now, damn you, we're quits!" he
cried, hoarsely.
There was not time for Jim to draw,
but, agile as a cat, he threw himself
against Black's arm and the bullet
went wild. For a moment the advant
age was his, and he wrested the
weapon from Black's hand. It fell to
the ground. The two men grappled.
The struggle was short and fierce.
Each strove with all the strength of
his concentrated hate to keep the
other's hand from his belt.
When the feet of the wrestlers left
the fallen weapon free, Langford, who
had been waiting for this opportunity,
sprang forward and seized it with a
thrill of satisfaction.. Command of the
situation was once more his. But the
revolver was empty, and he turned to
throw himself into the struggle empty
handed. Jim would thus be given a
chance to draw.
At that moment Black twisted his
arm free and his hand dropped like a
flash to his belt, where there was a
revolver that was loaded. Jim hugged
him closely, but It was of no use. The
bullet tore its cruel way through his
fide- Hia arms relaxed their hold he
HBrotitaiPd
1 1'; i hi
Arcec!ablcPrcnarationrorAs
siinilating ihcFdodandReguIa-
Lng Irus stooAcns ana bowels of
Prc:notesT)icstion,ChecrfuI
nessan ! n ,- l Contains neither
Opiums ! M i-Lunc nor Mineral.
JiOT NAKCOTIC.
1 1
Ci
Hi
i::
V? or rut urwiitJ-ru i.nctt
rcktU SJtt -
Hrptnaint .
IH Cartons SoLx
H'rm Seed -
h'mbtyrven Jam? I
A perfect Remedy for Constipa
tion, Sour Stomach.Diarrhoea,
Worms .Convulsions .Feverish
UCSG and LOSS OF SLEEP.
Jzz 3ij'- Signature of
NEW YOHK.
ii
Union
From the l,ed;;e-.
James Pittman is "shy"
horse, the animal leaving this
one good
world of
toil and colic at about 7 o'clock Lion
day morning.
G. W. Garrison and wii'e departed
last Saturday for Burlington Junction,
Mo., to test the merits of the mineral
springs treatment.
James Vantine of Araj.ahoe has been
visiting his old home in this vicinity
for a few days. He had been to St.
1 Joseph with a car load of cattle.
The Baptist parsonage is being re
built on plans much better and with
more room, and when completed it will
be almost entirely new and a more at
tractive home for the pastor.
Wm. YVegand's dog Jip bumped into
a Mo., Pacific engine Wednesday, but
he'll know better when he meets the
next train. The fragments were taken
to Hiawatha for interment Wednesday
night.
Prof. G. C. DeBolt, now teaching at
Cedar Creek, was here last Saturday
to interview the school board, with the
result that he was employed for princi
pal of Union's schools the comi
year.
po. ;
j
Miss Stella Banning and Uncle Senit
Elkins came down from Nehawka last j
Sunday and were guests of the Apple-
gate lainiiica w i vx liswii. .iiluuuii
quite aged and totally blind Mr. Elkins
has a very jovial disposition and readily
recognizes most of his acquaintances
the instant he hears tneir voices.
Lewis Curtiss has been very sick the
past week, beginning with a severe at
tack of stomach trouble, and the past
few days the principal difficulty seems
p CXACT COPy 07 WRAPPEB. j J (ij Jll . UU
-- - i TMK CCNTAUH COMPANY, M. CITY.
nil fig ill mi nmniniM n imw ZZZmZI?3
when eating:, that your food is of
highest wholesomeness that it has
nothing in it that can injure or
distress you makes the repast
doubly comfortable and satisfactory.
This supreme confidence you
have when the food is raised with
The only baking
with Royal Grape
There can be no comforting confi
dence when eating alum baking pow
der food. Chemists say that more or
less of the alum powder in unchanged
alum or alum salts remains In the food.
16)
For Infants and Children.
The Kind You Have
Always Bought
Bears the
Signature
of
TH'7-Mr Vaarc
III B. Jf IbUIO
t) be in his throat. His barber shop
has been closed cn that account, but
he is now slowly improving and hopes
to be able to open the shop in the near
future and attend to the wants of b:s
tatron?.
Tireless Toilers Train.
First Tuesday, Cth-.'th-lOOS, occurred
the monthly carnival of the Woman's
Kelief C017 s. Though the weather was
unpropitious, it did not dampen the ar
dor of that noble band of tireless work-
i ers, whose enthusiasm for the success of
j the good work in which they are en-
' 1 1 T k 11. .
gageu is unuounucu. rursuani 10 pre
vious airangements the May meeting
was held at the home of the writer.
After the business of the occasion had
been disposed of, which always comes
before pleasure with busy people, a
dainty lunch was served and a social
time enjoyed by as jolly a set of n.at
rons as can le found in any well regu
lated and pleasure loving community.
Isabella Caktkh,
Press Correspondent, W. It. C.
Off for Lincoln
Among those who were passengers
to Lincoln this morning to attend the
state convention of the Modern Wcod-
men, which is in session in that city,
taking the morning train were: John
Hadraba. C. P. Richards. John Hiber,
Albert ancl Will-e Hunger, Dan Landas,
James Andrews, W. W. Gravitt, Mat
Jo Fred Linderman. August Brad way.
Miles Allen, R. W. White, B. A. Mc
Elwain, W. A. White, John Janda,
Robt Brissey, John Bates, Albert Tim
mes, Will Fitzgerald, H. S. Barthold,
Lester Burrows, James Hunter, Peter
Claus, Al. and Clyde Funk, Frank Bes
ter, O. A. Newton, A. J. Beeson, J. F.
Warga, J. A. Burrows? Ray Barcus and
George Lushinsky.
powder made
Cream of Tartar
BflST
AW
far Use
ur For Over
. - -
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