Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1893-12-29

us he IA thereY' she said, her voice
trembling a bit.
"Yes." answered Stetson.
Can I see himy' she asked. "Only
FOR a moment" she added.
Cant do 10, marin" said Stetson.
For q moment she was quiet. looking
longingly toward the cabin and clasping
md unclasping her hands softly. The
mnu hoped she would go. He had hated
to say no, and no didn't know how long
his determination to refuse would last.
But they say they're going to try him
tomorrow, and / mayn't get another
chance" She looked at him so sadly
and yet so bravely withal that Stetson
wavered and was lost.
For dvo minutes, then, no morel" he
said, half r%apenting Of his words the in
slant they were uttered.
But he unlocked the cabin door for
her and locked it behind her again.
Then he stood outside the door cursing
himself. Presently there was n ran from
the inside of the cabin, and, much re-
lieved, he undid the door, but no kept
his finger on the hammer Of his rifle as
he stood aside to allow her to pass.
She came out quickly. Stctson turned
aud bent to fasten the door. AS he lid
so he felt a tiny ring Of cold metal
against his head and heard, in her voice,
now without a tremble;
"Put mp your hands and do It quicklyr
Tho order was 80 distinctly put and so
cniphatically backed up by the cold
metal which Stetson knew only too well
was the dangerous end Of n revolver that
he did not hesitate. As he throw up his
hands the door was pulled open from the
inside, and a man dashed out and melted
in the darkness of the prairie. A mo
mcnt more, and the hoOfbcats Of "A horse
came back, sounding clear and sharp on
the still air.
The men who had been asleep till now,
awakened by the noise, slecpily raised
themselves on their elbows. The woman
had not moved the pistol from Stetson's
head, but now she dropped tho weapon
quickly and started to run. In M in-
slant Stetson was after her. and wild AT
being outwitted had run her down and
caught her before she had gone 80 yards.
AS he grasped her by the shoulders the
hoofboats were dying on the air, and the
woman looked into her captor's face
with an ~exultant smile.
Stctson brought her back to the cabin
and in half shamed way told his story.
Tho woman was quiet and did not seem
to hear what they said. Despite thci-
chagrin ut having been worsted by
woman, the men could not but admire
her pluck and skill. Then they argued
as to what they should do with her, and
finally decided to take her into town as
soon IS it was light. They locked her in
the cabin and then sat up and talked the
rest of the night. They felt that it would
be useless to attempt TO trail Craig in
the dark, and, to tell tho truth, they were
just a bit fearful hat tho woman would
escape them unless they kept a sharp
lookout.
When morning came, a big party set
off in pursuit of Craig. But they had
scant hope of %overtaking him with n
horse under him and his many hours
start. The easterner's wife still remained
locked in the cabin. Sage Bar for once
found itself nonpluscd. Law and order
had been reversed by u woman, und the
town had tho offender in custody. But
smoke and ponder as it might, Sage Bar
was at a loss 10 know how to proceed.
All the laws of the settlement, unwrit-
ten though they were, had sprung from
an acute sense of frontier needs and re-
ferred to men. There was an indcfna-
BILE feeling among the Sage Bar solons
that these laws could not be applied with
propriety to women, and 80 they talked
much, smoked and drank much more
and did nothing.
When the Hines party came in, tired,
hungry and empty handed, no solution
of the difficulty presented itself, and so.
cided to free itself of further RESPONSE
bility by setting the wonlan at liberty.
The easterner's wife was pale and evil
IDENTIFY worn ont when they brought her
out of the cabin; but she said not a word
when they told her she might go aud
walked Off in the direction of her homo
with a smile, half of defiance, half of
satisfaction. That night the party which
had gone in pursuit of Craig returned.
having made a fruitless search.
Two days later, just as Sage Bar was
preparing It's tfOilluB ulfhii lWO men
were seen riding over a swell from the
northeast. Five horses werc driven
loosely before them. When the men
got nearer the town one Of them was
recognized as tho easterner. He was
riding b~areheaded, and beside him rode
another, dark and swarthy, his arms
bound to his sides, his horse led by Craig.
All Sage Bar assembled about tho party,
while Craig told the story of how ho had
ridden away that night, had struck the
trail Of the horses, and following it had
brought the Mexican thief TO terms with
q shot from his rifle, and then camo back.
And when he had done there were cheers
for the easterner such as the town hadn't
had a chance to relieve itself Of for a
long while, and to this day there is not a
man in Sage Bar but touches his slOuch
hat 10 the eastern'r's wife, whom }
Stets0n declares is It'll sandiest little
woman in the westr - Kansas City
Times.
Gstting Something Like II.