Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-11-18

relieved, he undid the door. But he
kept his finger on the hammer of his
rifle as he stood aside to allow her to
pass.
She came out quickly Stcts"n turn
cd and bent to fasten the door. AS he
against his head, and heard in her
voice. now without 4 tremblc:
Put up your hands, and do it quick
ly"' The order was so distinctly put
and so emphatically backed up by the
cold metal, which StetSOn knew only
too well was the dangerous end of IL
revolver, that he did not hesitate AS
he threw up his hands, the door was
pulled open from the inside and man
dashed out and melted in the darkness
on the prairie. A moment more and
the hoof beats Of a horse came back
sounding clear and sharp on the Stil'
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 she now dropped
the weapon quickly and started to run
In an instant StctSon was after her
and, wild at being outwitted, had run
her down and caught her before she
had gone fifty yards. AS he graspch
her by the shoulders the hoof beats
were dying on the air, and the woman
looked into her captor'S face with an
eXultant smile.
Stetson brought her back to the cabin
and in half-Shamed way told his
story. The woman was quiet and did
not seem to hear what they said. DeS-
pite their chagrin at having been wor
Sted by a 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 as 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 the truth, they were just bit
fearful that the woman would escape
them unless they kept a sharp lookout.
When morning came Il big party set
off in pursuit of Craig. But they had
Scant hope of overtaking him with Il
horse under him and his many hours
start. The Easterner's wife still re-
maincd locked in the cabin. Sage Bar
for once found itself nonpluScd. Law
and order had been reversed by Il
woman, and the town had the offender
in custody. But smoke and ponder as
it might, Sage Bar was at Il loss to
know how to proceed. All the laws of
the settlement, unwritten though they
We're, had sprung from an acute sense
of frontier needs, and referred to men.
There was an undetinable feeling
among the Sage Bar solons that these
laws could not be applied with pro-
priety to women, so they talked much,
smoked and drank much more, and
did-nothing. When the Hines party
came in, tired, hungry and empty hand
ed, no solution Of the difficulty pre-.
Sented itself, and so. with admirable
Judgment the town decided to free it.
self of further responsibility by setting
the woman at liberty. The Fasteners
wife was pale and evidently worn out
when they brought her out of the
cabin; but she said not a word when
they told her she might go. and walked
off in the direction of her home with
smile, half of defiance, half of salts
faction. That night the party which
had gone i'll pursuit of Craig returned,
having made a 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 We're driven
loosely before them. When the men
got nearer the town one of them was
recognized as the Fastener. He was
riding bareheaded, and beside him rode
another, dark and swarthy, his arms
bound to his sides, his horse led by
Craig. All Sage Bar assembled about
the party, while Craig told the story of
how he had ridden away that night,
had struck the track of the horses, and
following it had brought the Mexican
thief to terms with shot from his
rifle and then came back And when
he had done there We're cheers for the
Fastener such as the town hadn't had
a chance to relieve itself of for long
while, and to this day there is not a
man in Sage Bar but touches his slouch
hat to the fasteners wife, who 10
StetsOn declares is 9TH sandiest little
woman in tn West!' - Kansas City
Times.