The Worthington advance., 1879-01-16
THE SHERIFF'S MISTAKE.

THE SHERIFF'S MISTAKE.
"Thar's strangers" said the sheriff,
Suddenly, setting down his tin cup
untouched and shuffling to the door.
The sheriff was safe man to believe,
though how he made out anything in
the binding glare of evening sunlight
that flooded the level prairie west of
Buffalo Station no one but professor Of
optics could have told The old man had
the eye of an eagle.
''Two on cm, with a pack pony" he
added; and just then a sudden sunset
shadow swept across the lonely waste,
and We saw them too.
They were about quarter Of mile
away, heading for the station and its
single combination building Of store,
dining room, tavern and lrcight-housc.
They came on at an easy gait, driving
their pack pony before them. AS they
neared us We could note the signs of hard
travel about them. From their dust
sown clothing and their loose seats in
the saddle, as we'll as the jaded cantc1
their ponies, everything in their appear
ance spoke OF long ride, and weary
one.
They crossed the track and drew up in
the shade OF the station, one OF them only
replying to the sheriffs CHEEKY hail with
a curt nod. He dismountcd stjfily, ad-
dressed few words to his companion,
who remained in the saddle with one leg
crossed over the bow, aud momen! later
his gaunt, bucKskin- and -frieZe garbod
figure vanishes in the cool shadow OF the
store.
"A likely boy,' said the sheriff, who
had been eycing his companion intently.
"They mought be Texican drovers-an
then again they moughtent."
He added the latter sentence reflective
ly, never relaxing his scrutiny of the
mounted stranger. That person was
'likely 10Y" indeed. Afoot he might
have stood nearly six feet on his bare
foles His swarthy face, handsome rs a
gypsy girls, and delicately shaped and set
rs any lady's, was framed with shock
of tangled, wavy hair, of whose black,
glossy glory any court dame might have
Deen proud; and his eyes, full, black and
lustrious as those Of q racc-horsc, flashed
proudly under the finely pcuciied brows.
The hand which rested lazily on his knee
was large, and in perfect keeping with
his well-knit figure, but in shape clean
cut and handsome as woman's.
l was still scyutinlZiIg this somewhat
singular apparition with more than ordi-
nary curiosity, when the sheriff turned
suddenly on me.
"Whar's your pony, Tom2' he asked.
I'm the shed!''
"Saddled2'
"With loose girth-yes."
"The soycrs is in the Hundred Horn
Gulch,' he went on, speaking rapidly,
'slide forrerd an bring en- up. May the
big wolf of the Devils Run devour me if
them amt two Of our men,
I knew the sheriff tco we'll to hesitate
or question further. AS I girthed my
pony in the shed, a shadow tloated across
the doorway and was gone. When I rode
out the two strangers were canteling eff
to the southwark, pointing for the Re-
publican river, and as gave my pony
rein and galloped in the opposite dlrec-
ton, saw the sheriff mounting his big
grey mare, which had been tied to the
corner post Of the store.
The sheriff, and a party OF soldiers
from Fort Hays, were on the watch for
the tram robbers who had stopped the
West bound train at Big Springs eight
days before, and who were supposed to
be stricking for the Texan border with
their rich SPOIL. The soldiers as the sheriff
had said, were posted in ravine known
as Hundred Horn Gulch, a fe miles from
the station, and where the main trail from
North Platte crossed the railroad track.
The sun was just dipping when rode
up to the station ahead Of the troopers.
The sheriff, who was studying the writ
ten description of the mauraudcrs by the
waning light, put himself at our head
without q word, and we trailcd off. LONG
line of breaking, jngling, hoof- beating
clamor through the windy silence and
gloom of the tlarkening prairie.
The ride Was long for our quarry
had an hours start Of us, and the moon
rose glooc of coppcry fire and found
us still clanKlng on. l had joined the
sheriff and The leader of the soldiers.
We were silent trio until l vcntured:
Are you certain, sheriff, of our menu
"Surc as the moon," said the old man.
tcrscly, drinking in the sweet air of the
sublime night with a sigh which seemed
to say, "Let me alone. I know what I'm
'co"t, cl1A HVu / DC
Silence again. The brisk breeze was
blowing rilted clouds across the face OF
The moon, nothing the dim plain with
fantastic shadows. Suddenly these
clouds swept away. A full, clear burst
OF light flooded the prairie, and not a
half mile away we saw three moving
figures which, in the now marvelously
brilliant lunar illumna' ion, could be
easily distinguished as those of two
mounted men and pack animal.
The wind was in our faces, blowing
the noise of our approach from the fugi-
tives' ears, and though We rode hard, and
with no attempt to stealthiness. it was
not until we were close upon them that
they suddenly drew in and faced ABOUT,
both men sitting bolt upright in their
saddles, with their hands at their hips.
In gesture and bearing they meaLt fight
and looked every inch desperate and
dangerous men.
We halted, too. For moment dead
silence fell upon us. The sheriff's gray
mare neighed, and the charm was
broken.
"Who's there's" called one of the fuei
tivcs in Spanish, emphasizing the chal.
lenge with the sharp click of his pistol
lock rs nc brought it to cock.
The rattle of dozen carbines falling
into position drowned the sherilr's reply.
Then the clear voice of the younger
fugitive arose: ''If we must die, we
might as we'll die like men," it said.
What followed was almost like the
flaming of flash Of lightning. 1 heard
the sheriff call out; ''Throw up your
hands, and saw him spur straight for
the strangers; then rafting fire Of car
Diners and rovolvers, and fierce oath
from a trooper behind me who tumbled
from his saddle with his thigh smashed.
At the same time, and before l could