The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-27
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{ i was III, dDf2 siiES 1 ACl " HoNo
that afternoon, but he would not lis
/ ten to me. went then to see the JUS
! tice, but he would not let me OF. de
/ said all the people in the village knew
/ what the trial was about and he had to
! get outsiders who didn't know, and he
1 thought it lucky to catch me in town
/ was Just the kind of a juryman he
wanted. He looked upon 1t as joke
and kept laughing at me; but l didn't
think it was SO funny, particularly
when 1 went out again and found that
snow clouds were gathering IN the
sky and it was beginning to blow.
~ went back again and told him a
storm was coming up and how / had
left things at the ranch; but he was
one of those smarties who knew it all,
and he stuck to it that the weather
was all right and thought that
| 1 was trying to fool him to get off
the jury. l saw it was no use talking,
so went to dinner.
when I came out again could see
that regular old blizzard was coming
up, and / was getting scared when I
thought of Nellie out with the sheep.
''I went for the justice again, but he
only pooh-poohed and would not listen
to me- ! got raging mad at the man
and told him woula go anyway. He
said:
eff you try to I will have the con-
stable arrest you and make you serve
and fine you in the bargain
But l did not care for his fine
when my little daughters life and all
my property might be at stake, and l
went over to the stable ind got my
pony.
81 was Just mounting him when the
constable came up and grabbed hold Of
tho bride and stopped me from riding
of.
''I argued with him and implored
him to let ne go. and finally got angry
and was using some pretty strong
words when all the rest of the men
who were to go on the jury began
gathering around, attracted by the fuss.
al was blind with fury and hit
the fellow over the head with the whip,
and then he called on the men about
him to help arrest me in the name OF
the law.
They were mostly neighbors and
friends OF mine, but they were com
pelled to obey, for it is the law, and
were coming for ne when I yelled out:
"'Men. you all know my little girl
Nellie. She is ont with my sheep to-
day on the prairie. Look at the biz
card that is coming. Will you hold me
from going to her?'
They all looked at the northern sky,
and saw a scared look on their faces
They caught hold of the constable aud
held him, and called to me:
Ride, Joel-ride for your life!
Heaven help you, old mani
81 struck out with all speed to make
that twenty miles before the night
would come, but before l had gone
ore-quarter of the distance the biz
zard was at it's height and l could not
see foot ahead of me- l had to cover
nv face from the sleet and snow,
blowing with terrific force, and at the
same time tried to guide the pony.
Suddenly the animal stopped, and
looking out saw that I had turned
completely around and was on the path
! had just passed over.
Il turned his head homeward again
and gave him the reins, knowing he
would be most likely to find the way
to the ranch.
Terrible hours Of anxiety they
were for me; as we struggled on in
that binding storm.
Might came on. and I did not know
whether We were nearer or further
from the ranch, as the now jaded
pony staggered along n the darkness
hour after hour.
Suddenly I heard a horse neigh,
and my pony stopped still and did the
same. The moment he was answered,
he started forward with new life, and
brought me up against my log stable
in which his mate was tied.
Il rushed to the house and found my
wife nearly crazy with anxiety. Sick
as she was, she was trying to dress
herself to go out to look for our little
girl. She told me that Shep had come
home at dark and was whining. ard
seemed TO be looking for me; not find
ing me. he had gone of again.
Il feared the worst had happened.
It was not one chance in hundred
that the child had not persisted before
this or that the sheep were not scat
tered in all directions,
THE storm had now abated some
what. l took shovel of Goals from
the. stove and went out to the great
pile Of logs I had ready chopped to
build a new house the next spring.
Il was bending over, lighting a fire
under them, when old Shep came tear
ing up and jumped on my back and
nearly threw me on the Goals put
my hand out to hold him, and he caught
ny coat-sleeve in his teeth and tried
to pull me along with him.
He whined. and seemed TO be try
ing to tell me something. He would
hardly wait while / finished firing tho
logs. In few minutes they famed up
and made light that could be seen for
miles away.
Then turned and said to the dog:
Take me to her, Shop
He started of again on trot, all
business, looking about to see if / was
following and endeavoring to urge ne
along.
Nv hen we came to the creek found
the foot-bridge had been blown away
by the fierce wind, and l mad 10 wade
through the rapid water and crawl
up the steep-cat bank on the other
side.
The dipping hair on the dog was
freezing into icicles, but he kept on
through the gulch and up the hill yor-
der, on over the prairie for two or three
miles