The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-07-31

trembling q bit.
Eyes" answered Stetson.
Can / see himY" she asked. Only
for a moment she added.
Cant do it, marin" said Stetson.
For a moment she was quiet, looking
|longingly toward the cabin and clasping
and unclasping her hands softly, The
nan hoped she would go, 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 / mayn't get another
chance" She looked at him so sadly
and yet so bravely withal that Stetson
wavered and was lost.
sFor FIVE minutes, then, no morer" he
said, half repenting 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 cnrsing
himself. Presently there was a rap from
the inside Of the cabin, and, much re-
lieved, 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. Stetson turned
and bent to fasten the door. As he did
so he felt q tiny ring of cold metal
against his head and heard. in her voice,
now without a tremble:
''Put up your hands and do it quickly"
The order was SO distinctly put and 30
emphatically backed up by the cold
metal which Stetson knew only too well
was the dangerous end Of q revolver 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 mo-
ment more, and the hoofbeats 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 Stetson's
head, but now she dropped the weapon
quickly and started to run. In an In
slant Stetson was after her, and wild at
being outwitted had run her down and
caught her before she had gone 30 yards.
As he grasped her by the shoulders the
hoofbeats 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 a half shamed way told his story.
The woman was quiet and did not seem
to hear what they said. Despite their
chagrin at 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 as it 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 a bit fearful that the woman would
escape them unless they kept . sharp
taooknuf #A4N
When morning came. a big party BET
Off in pursuit Of Craig. But they had
scant hope of overtaking him with a
horse under him and his many hours
start. The easterner's wife still remained
looked in the cabin. Sage Bar for once
found itself nonplused. Law and order
had been reversed by q woman, and the
town had the offender I'm custody. But
smoke and ponder as it might, Sage Ban
was at a Loss to 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 tndeina
BILE feeling among the Sage Bar solonl
that these laws could not be applied with
propriety to women, and 10 they talked
much, smoked and drank much NOR,
and did nothing.
When the Hines party came In, tired
hungry and empty handed, M solution
Of the difficulty presented itself. and d
with admirable judgment the town de
cided to free itself of further RESPONSE
bility by setting the woman at liberty
The easterner's wife was pale and evi
IDENTIFY out when they brought he
out Of the cabin: but she said not q wors
when they told her she might 60 m,
walked of in the direction Of her hom
with a smile, half Of defiance, half o
satisfaction. That night the party whicl
had gone in pursuit Of Craig returned
having made q fruitless search.
Two days later, just as Sage Bar wa
preparing its evening meal, two me-
were seen riding over . swell from th
northeast Five horses were drive
loosaly before them. When the me
got nearer the town ons Of them wa
!, recognized as the ea~sterner. He wa
riding bareheaded, and beside him rod
another, dark and swarthy, his arm
bound to his sides, his horse led by Craig
All Sage Bar assembled about the party
while Craig told the story Of how he ha
/ ridden away that night, had struck Fth
! trail of the horses, and following 1t ha
brought the Mexican thief to terms wit
, q shot from his rife. and then came bacl
1 And when he had done there were chees
) for the fastener such as the town hadn
I had q chance to relieve itself of for
Z long while, and to this day there is not
\ man in Sage Bar but touches his slonc
! hat TO the easterner's wife, whom J
1 Stetson declares Is 9TH sandiest lit
8 woman in the westp' kansas Cit
= Times.
Getting Something Like 1t.
n The following little experience. r