Wichita eagle., 1888-02-02
browed, blonde moustached young desperate
almost within reach of his hand


almost within reach of his hand!
GAN right, then" responded Cummings.
rising to his feet: land mind, You two
fellers, before the door is smashed in or
thing done. / calc'late to take snap shot
through the winder at young tenderfoot."
Duke began to think it high time to with
draw. Softly rising, he was tiptoeing to the
rail, when his foot caught in the mooring
rope, and down he went with tremendous
thump. Before he could regain his feet, two
Of the men were on him, and five minutes
later he was lying, gagged and bound, on the
top of the shanty, in such a position that by
the light Of the moon he could distinctly see
everything that was going on.
''Wken we come back with the girl, I'll
settle your hash, my young bamtam" said
Cummings, ezCltantly.
And then the three left poor Duke to his
own reflections and stepped ashore.
Dukes feelings, as, lying bound and help
less, he watched the villainous trio approach
the door of Brant's dwelling, cannot well be
put into words. Though he himself had
everything to live for, his own fate seemed
comparatively of small moment as he thought
of the living death awaiting the young girl.
And he ground his teeth in impotent wrath
as he saw Buck Cummings draw back the
butt Of his gun, as though to drive it through
the panels of the door. But, to his great sur
prise, the door was thrown open before a
blow was struck. The river was swollen by
the rains, and the deck of the boat lay nearly
on level with the top of the little bluff
And the house itself was not twenty feet
from its edge
So, from where he lay, Duke could see by
thegfood Of light thai streamed through the
door that Mrs. Brant and daughter appeared
to welcome, rather than repel, the invaders.
And, en- silhouette, against the background
of light, he noticed black bottle standing
or the table. All this was torture to poor
Duke, particularly when ne saw Buck Cum
rnings, the only one of the trio who appeared
TO be armed, lean his gun against the wall
and drop heavily upon STOOL in which ex
ample he was followed by the other two.
The clinking of glasses, blended with
hoarse laughter, reached his bewildered ears,
and Duke was beginning to wonder whether
the whole were not some part of a terrible
nightmare, when ali at once he saw the
young girl steal from the open door, Selling
the ak, which stood by the chopping block
in the yard, she ran directly toward the boat,
looking back as she did So
The reason was obvious A moment later
Duke, whose heart was beating almost to
suifocation, was conscious that Mrs. Brant
had snatched Cummings rife from its place
and followed her daughter.
''Quick, mother!'
And as Mrs Brant sprang aboard the
shanty boat Kitty severed the mooring line
with two quick blows of the AK Tben,
Selling setting pole the p!ucky girl pushed
the bow into the stream, and, as the swift
current swung the shallow craft clear of the
bank, she dropped the pole and ran to the
tilier
The whole affair had been cleverly planned
and SO swiftly carried into execution that be-
fore the three men We're fairly out of the
house their boat was dozen yards out in
the turbid current, which was beginning
70 sweep it downward with considerable
force
Tail and bareheaded, Mrs. Brant stood
holding the cooked rifle in readiness, while
grim smile was visible on her careworn visage
as the three men, rushing wildly along the
river bank, raved and swore and threatened
terrific improbabilities.
'Well burn your old shebang down if you
don't head the boat inter the banl1." yelled
Alasl the heavy pistol which usually WEE
so handy lay with those of the other two on
the rude table in the boats cabin
ats time John was home; he'll hev word
to say about that" retorted Mrs. Brant,
whose faith in her husbands fighting powers
We're evidently of the tirmest kind
Give him my love when you see hirl."
shouted jim Brady, mockingly. I'm sorry
t,h how to- hut Pnrl- bar tba i
La this mornin' at South Bend forks. an
he's a-layin' under the wagip deadern'--
It was not the cry of horror escaping the
lips of the young girl III the stern that
checked the further utterance of the brutal
speaker. No, 1t was the sudden conscious
ness that unwittingly he had sealed Buck
Cummings fate.
'You fool" fiercely exclaimed the latter,
turning savagely.
But before Jim Brady could pull him out
of range the ringing crack of a rife echoed
through the ravines, and Buck Cummings
fell dead, with ball through his brain.
Crack!
And Jim Brady himself clapped his hand
TO his shoulder with a yell of pain, while the
third man dropped to the ground and crawled
into bunch of cottonwood.
MIS-. branG mechanically recovered ner
rifle, pushed out the empty shells and snapped
the lever back TO place.
''An eye fer an eye sn' tooth fer TOOTH"
she muttered. vacant!y.
And then, apparently noticing Dukes I'M
pleasant position for the first time, she re-
leased him at once. After which the poor
woman laid down the rife, and, seating her
self on deck buried her face IN her hands
and gave way to . burst of the widest grief.
Duke took the tiller from the hands of the
weeping girl, who Joined her mother, and
together their tears were blended for the
husband and father, while D uke looked on
with a sympathizing face
One year from that eventful evening, Duke
Ridge took to himself wife, and when | last
heard from him he was living on his fathers
ranch literally "in clover"
Pretty Kitty adores her young husband,
and Mrs. Brant, who comes and goes at viii,
allows that Duke "ain't no slough-in fact,
is considerable of a rustler, consderin he
comes from She-cago. Harry Hale in Phil
adelPha Saturday Night.
An Actress ForSetfuiness.
How far Ristori's self abandonment on the
was cars.;aJ aCi,a,riolly bar ,-C,,pc-nr