The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1893-09-15
A PLUCKY WIFE.

were missing from Bill Hines drove.
Fifteen minutes after Bill had reported
his loss at the bar a party had found
thetrail and ridden off toward the south
west. Presently. as they were crossing
wet bit Of land in q hollow, Bill, who
led the party, looked sharply at the
hoof prints sunk deep in the soil and
reined up quickly.
"Look at that shoe markw he exclaim-
ed, pointing down at the trail.
"By gunsl it's the easterner's hoss
shoeI' calculated Sam Pike after an in
stant,s scrutiny Of the footprints among
which were several larger than the rest
and showing the clear impress Of shoe.
The others were those of unshod horses.
Then the party scanned the marks close
ly. Then the men looked at each other
with ugly frowns
"WellT' said Bill tentatively at last.
No one answered for moment Then
Sam remarked: "It looks bad for ther
easterner, surel Th' hain't any one got
hoss shoes like them In tn district 'cept
him. I'm sorryf th' feller'sput his head
in ropes end, boys. Butwe'll have ter
folier him up. Who'll go backY"
A couple Of the party volunteered.
The men separated. Part of them NOV
ed forward on the trail. The others
turned their horses at right angles to the
former line Of march and loped on to-
ward the easterner's cabin.
The easterner, otherwise Jack Craig,
of whom they had been speaking, had
been in Sage Bar only short time. He
was tenderfoot, out and out. When
he came to the Bar he brought his wife
with him. She was a bright, pretty
little woman, but they hardly knew her
in the settlement. Craig always had
been reserved, and the two had kept by
themselves In the little cabin which
stood q mile or more away from town.
So Sage Bar had come to consider the
pair "queer lot" and to designate
them as 9TH easterner an his wife,"
which was intended to be anything but
complimentary.
When tho trailing party reined up in
front of Craig's cabin, they found the
object of their search sitting on log
before the door smoking. From his
dress, despatched with mud, it was evi-
dent that he had just returned from rid
ing. The party exchanged glances Of
understanding.
Sam Pike came to the point at once.
"Craig," he said, Eyer wanted down ter
th' Barr
whats that" demanded the easterner
angrily.
eyer wanted down ter tn Barp Sam
repeated. "For boss stealingl' he added
Craig's face was afame in the instant
He sprang from his seat, throwing back
his hand to his hip. But the others had
him covered, and his hand dropped
loosely by his side again. "It's a ---
lie," he said, "and you know itp'
Just then woman's figure appeared
in the cabin doorway. 1t was Craigs
wife.
"What's the matter?" she questioned
anxiously, seeing her husbands attitude.
Craig spoke up quickly: "Go back,
Dollyl They've got up dirty story
about me and want me to go to the Bar
But I'll come back in little while"
Sam had great fear of womens
tongues and tears, and Immediately or
dered Craig to mount horse which
another man at word secured from the
stable near by. The woman had looked
on dumbly, seeming hardly to compre-
hend what was taking place, but as she
saw her husband walk over toward the
horse, she ran to him and threw both
arms about him, holding him tight to
her. He unclasped her arms gently after
an instant and mounted the horse, and
turning in the saddle waved his hand to
her. Then they rode away, and after
they had gone piece Sam looked back
and saw the woman still standing there,
her hands loosely locked before her,
watching them with wide open eyes.
sShe's grit ter tn backbone" muttered
that worthy and lashed his horse into
gallop.
All Sage Bar crowded around the party
when they drew rein in town, and there
were some who would have strung Craig
up upon the spot when Sam had told the
story. Sage Bar was In that stage Of
progress where horse stealing was a
capital offense and short shift was
granted to offenders. ButSam's protest
that nothing should be done until the
Hines party returned was needed, and
the prisoner was put in an empty cabin,
tied hand and foot, several of the men
agreeing to stand guard.
The afternoon waned away, and even
ing came, and the Hines party did not
make its appearance. So Craig was
given something to eat and then was
fastened tightly once more, and the men
rolled themselves up in their blankets
in front Of the cabin about II o'clock.
leaving only Jo Stetson on guard.
Stetson sat himself down ON a stump
and lit pipe, and with his rifle across
bis knees fell to thinking about some
mavericks he'd had branded that day.
Presently he imagined he heard soft
step from the prairie. He raised his
head and listened. Just then the moon
showed rim beyond sailing cloud,
and its light fell on q fgure-a woman's
figure -making its way toward the cabin.
Skekson rose to his fest, letting his rife