The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1893-06-09

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his knees fell TO thinking about some
mavericks he had branded that day.
Presently he imagined he heard d soft
step from the prairie He raised his
head and listened. Just then the moon
showed q rim beyond a sailing cloud.
and rs hight fell on a figure a woms
ans figure making itsway toward the
cabin Stetson rose 10 his feet, letting
his riiie!butt drop ON the ground, and
curiously surveyed the woman. whowas
close 70 him now. 1t was the east.
erner's wife.
s.Is he in. there2" she said. her voice
trembling . bit.
ssyes,f answered Stetson.
Can't ! see hitnq', she asked. toniy
for d moment. : she added
Cant do IL, mar'fn.r said stetson,
decidedly,
For moment she was quiet, looking
longingly toward the cabin and clasp
ing and unclasping her hands softly.
The man hoped she would SO. He had
hated TO say no and he didn't know how
long his determination to refuse would
last. But they say they're going TO
try him tomorrow, and I nayn't get
another chanee.m She looked az him
50 sadly and yet SO hravely withal that
Stetson wayercd and was lost.
For Eve minutes, then, no morcl''
he said. half repenting of his words
the instant they were uttered.
But he unlocked the cabin door for
her. and locked 1t behind her again.
Then he stood outside the door cursine
himself Presently there was d rap
from the inside OF the cabin, and, much
relieved, he undid the door. But he
kept his finger ON the hammer Of his
rifle as he stood aside TO allow her 10
pass
and bent TO fasten the door AS he did
so, he felt q tingling-cold metal against
his head, and heard in her voice, now
without treinble;
'sPut up your hands and do IL quick
Tyr The order was so distinctly put
and 50 emphatically backed mp by the
cold metal, which Stetson knew only
too well was the dangerous end OF a re-
volver, that he did not hesitate. AS he
threw 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 moment moro and
the hoof beats 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, sleepily
raised themselves on their elbows. The
woman had not moved the pistol from
stetsoh's head. But she now dropped
the weapon quickly and started to run.
In nm instant Stetson was after her,
and, wild at being outwitted, had run
her down and eaugh her before she had
sone fifty yards AS he grasped her by
the shoulders the lroof beats were dy-
ing on the air and the woman looked
into her captor's face with an exultant
smile.
Stetson brought her back TO the cab
in and in haif-shamed way told his
story. The woman was quiet and did
not seem 70 hear what they said. De
spite their chagrin az having been
vorsted by u woman, the men could
not but admire her pluck and skill.
Then they argued as 10 what they
should do with her, and finally decided
TO take her into town as soon as 1t was
light. They locked her in the cabin
and then sat up and talked the rest OF
the night They felt that 1t would be
useless TO attempt to trail Craig in the
dark, and, to tell the truth, they were
just n bit fearful that the woman would
escape them unless they kept sharp
lookout,
When morning came a big party set
off in pursuit of Craig. But they had
scant hope of overtalsing him with
horse under him and his many hours
start. The easterner's wife still re.
manned locked In the cabin. Sage
Bar for once found itself non,
plused. Law and order had been re.
versed by woman and the town had
the offender In custody. But smoke and
ponder as It might, Sage Bar was at
loss to know how to proceed. All the
laws of the settlement, unwritter
though they were,shad sprung from an
acute sense of frontier needs, and re
ferred 70 men. There was an undefina,
Bile feeling among the Sage Bar solons
that these laws could not be applied
with propricty to women, and so they
talked much, smoked and drank much
more; and did--nothirg. When. the
Hines party came in, tired, hungry and
empty handed, no solution of the diff.
Guilty presented itself, and so, with nd.
mirable Judgment, tho town decided to
free itself of further responsibility by
setting the woman at liberty. The
easterner's wife was pale and evidently
worn out when they brought her ont Of
the cabin; but she said not word
when they told her she might 90, and
walked of in the direction Of her home
with a smile, half of defiance, half Of
satisfaction. That night the party
which had gone In pursuit OF Craig re-
turned. having made fruitless search.
Two days later, just as Sage Bar was
preparing its. evening meal, two men
were seen riding over swell from the
northeast. Five horses were driven
loosely before them. When the men
got nearer the town one of them was
recognized as the easterneE He was
riding bare-headed, and beside him rode
another, dark and swarthy, his arms
bound to his sides, his horse led by
Craig AL Sage Bar assembled about
the party, while Craig told the story Of
how he had ridden away that night,
had struck the trail of the horses, and
following It had brought the Mexican
thief to terms with a shot from his
rifle, and then came back. And when
he had done there were cheers for the