The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-11-19


he noticed one spot where the general
darkness seemed intensified into q
blacker shadow-a shadow that seem.
ed creeping very slowly towards his
bed. Crack went the unerring pistol,
and with a fierce yell one of the Mexi-
cans sprang into the air, and Tell prone
on the dirt floor with q bullet through
his brain. Both the others rushed
forward but Joe had sprung out at
the foot OF the bed before they reach
ed and stabbed with their long knives
the place where he lay but an instant
before.
Then commenced a h~and-to-hand
struggle, all the more terrible that it
was carried on in the dark. By the
time Mrs. Thomas, who, bold woman
as she was, was shaking from head to
foot in the sudden terror of this night
attack, had kindled a light the three
Mexicans were stretched dead upon
the floor, while Joe had escaped
with a knlfethrust through his arm
and a deep cash in his right hand.
Next day threenew graves were added
to the six already mentioned, and the
fame OF Joe Thomas, the fighting sher-
iii OF 49, county, spread far and wide.
He had held the office for several
years, having been twice re elected,
and had made a notable change in
the moral status of the community.
Horse thieves and cattle thieves were
rapidly thinned out, and desperadoes
no longer painted the town red at their
own sweet will.
1t was in the fifth year of Sheriff
Thomas lncumbency that an af-
fair occurred long remembered in the
county. There were many Mexicans
scattered about among the different
ranches, and among them was one
Manuel Garcia, who was we'll liked by
los gringos as a polite, quiet fellow,
more Industrious and reliable than his
countrymen generally, temperate in
his habits, and IN q fuss. One
night, early in the spring OF 1870, this
harmless creature, who was not sup
posed to have an enemy in the world,
was shot down by some unknown as
sassin as he was returning home from
a dance. At first suspicion pointed to
his c~ountrymen as the murderers, but
it soon leaked out that there was a
woman in the case, and the evidence
now seemed to point in another direc-
ton entirely. But whoever the guilty
party might be, it was known that
Joe Thomas had sworn to bring him
to Justice, and none doubted that he
would, o or later, keep his word.
1t "a Christmas eve, and, as usual
at that season, there was plenty of liq-
uor going. The sheriff was absent
on some county business, and the
Burleson boys and others of that like
had taken advantage of the fact to
make things lively in the little town.
More or less disturbance had been
carried on all day, pistol shooting,
yelling and quarreling, but nobody
hurt" as yet. In the afternoon the
boys all collected round a store on
the plaza for the intellectual amuse-
ment of pitching dollars. Ed. Burle-
son, a magnificent specimen of west
Texan, was the luckiest or most skill
full pitcher, and his dollar entered the
hole every time.
EDS ez lucky with his dollars ez
his bullets" said ST Hawkins, a typic-
al cowboy from a neighboring ranch.
what dye mean by that?" asked
Ed, sharply.
What | sez," drawled the other.
eyer dollars hits the mark ev'y time;
as does yer bullets, even in ther dark.
An ! did hearn tell ez Sheriff Thomas
hev been lookin' fur you, long err
them lucky bullets er yourn."
"He won't hev ter look fur" cried
the young man hotly. I'm ginerelly
ter be found by them ez looks fur me,
'thout their searchin' like they wuz
lookin' fur a needle in a haystack.
Sheriff Thomas can find me whenever
he wants me, an mebbe when he does
find me he'll wish he hadn't"
Find he's cotched err Tarter, hey?
Waal, howsever that mebbe, / low ez
yer'll be wanted lore long fur tibet
leetle affair er yourn las spring"
What leetle affair? 7 dunno what
yer talkin' bout, Sian don't b'lieve
yer know yerself."
81 mean ther 18th err las April,
when Manuel Garcia was foun' deadin
Their brush, an s his sweetheart ramov-
ed ther same Eight, ans never been
heered of since"
81 never killed Manuel Garcia, if
that's what yer meaa; an if Joe
Thomas tries to rest me fur that, he
find himself mistaken, that's ALL"
At that moment, Throw up your
Ed. Burleson," said a quiet,
but stern voice behind him.
He looked round. There stood Joe
Thomas covering him with a six
shooter. TO yield or die were the on
ly alternative. He chose the former,
threw up his hands, and sullenly sur
rendered TO the law.
What's the row about, Joe?" he
asked, carelessly. "What you 'restin'