McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-02-14

down the road. The hay-stack was
| giving out great volumes of black
smoke, but the fire was dead.
! Ahead of us was q riderless horse,
Dolly, who greeted her master with a
joyful whinny. Where was Yik KEEP
Then Dot, my horse, SHE'D from the
road at recumbent black figure. 1t
was the indomitable Yik .Kee, who had
crawled all the way from the stack on
his stomach, so that he could not be
seen, after. lying in the diGch until the
blaze had faded out. ''Humph! no
catchee Chinee; heap sore," he said,
laconically, rubbing his stomach.
He mounted Dolly, and we rode on
to Whites ranch. Harry rushed out
at the sound of horses feet, at mid
night. There, under the twinkling
stars, looked into his eyes, and told
hin the whole story. He showed no
guilt, but only said he must stay the
night at his ranch, for the men would
come back to Jacks for him, and then
mounting his fleet colt rode off down
the road. comforted his mother as
best could. At daybreak we rode
home -"
Mary was in wild state of alarm.
Where mad we been? Where was
Jack? and how cruel we were to leave
her alone. She said that at l O'Clock
three masked men had come to the
house and searched it and the premises,
but had not molested her or the chill
dren, only asking where Jack was very
sternly and sharply.
At noon, Jack, Harry, the sheriff and
party of armed men from Denver rode
up, stopping only moment to tell me
that they. would be back at night. 1
dared not tell Mary, and she worried
all the afternoon at their strange con-
duct. At night Jack and Harry came
home, looking tired but happy. Then
Jack told Mary, and she cried and chung
to him as though she could never let
him 60.
1t seemed the pleasing ranchman
from Chicago was one of band of cat
tie thieves. He sold the hides to Har-
ry, who honest and open himself, was
slow to suspect wrong dealings in
others. The sheriff had caught the
men skinning a COW that belonged to
Mead, and had captured the gang and
taken them to Denver.
The men concerned in the attempt to
lynch Jack were sincerely sorry. Their
regrets would not have availed much,
however, if they had succeeded in their
purpose. They gave each of their
children ten acres of land; they gave
Ted sixty-fve, and .me, whom they
pleased to consider very plucky, $50
acres. l felt rich enough, and time has
made it very valuable land. The man
on guard was our warmest admirer. He
thought Ted, Shep and ! wonders of
courage. He said when 1 came down
on the bridge with the open knife, he
thought his last hour had came.
Gil Mead committed suicide not long
after this. He was always queer. No
one ever knew that Yik Kee set the
stack on fire. tell you Jack reward
ed the faithful fellow-gave him good
farm, taught him to work it, and built
him house. The funniest thing was,
Yik Kee had wife and three queer lit
tie children in China, and Jack sent for
them, and Ylk kee and his family are
as happy as they can be. The children
play with Jacks Che has twelve now,
and get along finely together.
In 1875 l married Harry White,
which, suppose, was foreseen from
the beginning-at least Jack says any
body could have seen it. The most Sc
rene and satisfied face at the wedding
was the Celestial's. In my inner con-
seriousness, Notwithstanding he was a
Hbeathen Chinee - have the cOnyic
ton that as great hero as is seen in
modern times is the man of few words
-Yik Kee. -four Continent.