The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-01-10

sncrIu-s IaIner nves IN Inc next county,
and / took one of the old mans horses.
They swore vengeance. They hadn't any
proof against me then, but they got on my
trail last week and went to arrest me on
false charge that they got poor fool, who
lost mule lately, TO swear to. l never
stole mule in my life, and l won't be ar
rested to lie in Jail until this sheriff can
prove something against me. Now l don't
want you to get inn trouble, but as you
are here you had better stay until the
things settled. You need not help either
side
During our conversation Mrs. King had
been clearing the decks for action as a
sailor would put it. She had brought half
a dozen rifles, shotgun and two Colts re-
volvers into the room. Boxes of cartridges
already lay close at hand, and thick shut
tiers, evidently constructed for the purpose,
were fastened on the windows. My re-
volver still lay on the table. King trans
ferred it to his pocket. IF am killed tell
your story, emitting any reference to our
former acquaintance he said. This will
confirm it, and so will Mary here. Won't
you, Mary?
Don't talk SO, Tom,' she said. But of
course if anything should happen I'll see
that this friend of yours is not arrested
"'Her people live in Kansas; she is pro-
vided for all right if 1 de- said King, as
his wife left the room. Hello, here they
arei'
"The sound of horses hoofs was dis.
tinctly audible. The house was protected
in the rear by a bluff too precipitous to
climb. One of the windows, at which
King took his station, commanded the
road and all approaches. The night was
moonlight The thud of hoofs came very
near and then ceased. watched the road
from loophole in one of the shutters.
Soon a white flag appeared from behind
the bluff. 1t was followed by the man who
carried it. He halted at the gate for mo-
ment and hailed the house. The dogs
sprang savagely at him, but seemingly
recognized an acquaintance, for when he
spoke to them the creatures licked his
hand.
"Tt's Ezra Thornton said King in q
low tone.
"'Toml hello, TOMB shouted the flag
bearer.
"'Answer him, Mary said King. Mrs
King opened the door.
"'Tom's not at home. Mr.. Thornton
she said. It's so late that / can't ask
you in
"'The sheriff is here, Mrs. King; he
knows that Tom is at home. Icame along
so as to prevent trouble, if | could. Now,
it amt any good Toms fighting. The
sheriff's ridden from Pine lake on his TRAIL
and he means to take him if he has TO burn
down the house. Don't let him make troU-
bic, Mrs. King
"'Shut the door, Mary said King; a
half smile was on his face. His wife sighed.
Its no use, Mr.. Thornton; you must
tell the sheriff that Toms not at home and
that can't open the house at this time of
night she said. Thornton shook his head
sadly and retraoed his steps.
Five minutes elapsed They seemed an
age to me, but King lighted a cigar and
smoked it as placidly as if he were back in
New York, waiting to take his wife to the
theatre. Then dozen men appeared from
behind the bluff and started for the gate.
King swung his Winchester to his Shout
der, flung open the door and hailed them,
Go back or throw up your handsp
''The barrels of dozen rifles CLEANED in
the moonlight as they were focused onThe
door, but King had shut it almost as he
spoke.
''The sheriff and his men slowly retreat
ed Neither side seemed DESTROYS of begin
ming an attempt at bloodshed. AS they
reached the shadow of the bluff the posse
formally called upon King to surrender.
= 80 l.
Then the sheriff said something to his fol-
lowers, and they started on a run for the
gate. King raised his rife again, took
steady aim through the hole in the shutter
of his window and fired.
1.-THE sheriff dropped. The others came
on. King fired again. Another man fell,
at the ground and swearing
horribly as he rolled over in agony. Then
his companions halted.
Drop called King, and / crouched be-
low the level of the window. King and
his wife were both on their knees out Of
danger. AS l stopped there was a sharp
volley. Bullets struck the walls, which
were impenetrable, and two holes in the
shutter of Kings window showed that the
marksmen had selected the right target
King had risen TO his feet and fred three
times, wounding two more men. Another
volley rang out. He was in the act of
pulling the trigger. Three balls pene-
trated the shutter and one wounded him
in the shoulder
Mrs. King turned pale, but she said
nothing and brought some warm water
from the kitchen, with which she stood
ready to battle his wound. He had no time
to stop for that. The sheriff's men were
almost within such An angle of the door as
would render il impossible to aim at them
from the loopholes. Kings rifle cracked
again; it was answered by another volley
from outside, and ne reeled back, wounded
in the neck and thigh. He tainted from
the pain, and l, too, tainted from the nerv-
Gus strain, suppose; was only a young
ster then, you know.
when l regained consciousness the
sheriff was inside the house. He had been
only slightly wounded. After King fell
his wife talked with the attacking party,
and admitted them on the sheriff's promise
that her husbands life should be protect
ed. 1t would have been madness to bar
them out, as they told her plainly that
they would break in at any cost, even if
they risked her life.
Two OF the men wounded by King were
very badly hurt. A doctor had come up
from Cow Gap with the sheriff, anticipat-
ing bloodshed. for King had often quietly
but forcibly declared his intention of re-
sisting TO the death any attempt that might
be made to arrest him. The doctor had
remained with Kings friend, Thornton,
behind the bluffs while the fight was in
progress. He attended TO all the wounded
King was painfully but not mortally hurt.
One of the others, however, was in very
dangerous condition. The whole party
camped for the night at the ranch was
placed under arrest on suspicion of being
an accomplice of the horse thief who had