The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1893-06-10
A PLUCKY WIFE.
How She Saved Her Husband from
Judge Lynch.

Judge Lynch.
Sage Bar was excited. Six horses
were missing from Bill Hines drove
Fifteen minutes after Bill had reported
his loss at the Bar a party had found
the trail and ridden off toward the
southwest Presently, as they were
crossing wet bit of land in hollow,
Bill who led the party, looked sharply
at the hoof prints sunk deep in the soil
i and refined up quickly.
Look at the shoe mark!' he ex-
claimed, pointing down at the trail.
p! BY gunsl- it's the easterners hoss
shoe!" CALCULATED Sam Pike after an in
stant's scrutiny of the hoof prints,
among which were several larger than
the rest showing the clear impress of
shoe. The others We're those of un-
shod horses. Then the party scanned
the marks closely. Then the men looked
teach other with ugly frowns
We'll, said Bill, tentatively, at last.
No one answered for moment. Then
Sam remarked: "It looks bad for ther
casterner, sure! Th' haint anyone got
hoss shoes like them in TIL district 'cept
him. I'm sorry # tn feller's put his
head in ropes end, boys But we'll
have ter foller him up. Who'll GO
bacl1?''
A couple of the party volunteered.
The mea separated. Part of them
moved forward on the trail. The 9th
ers turned their horses at right angles
to the former line of march and loped
on toward 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 bythemselves in the little cabin
which stood mile or so away from
town. So Sage Bar had come to con-
slder the pair "queer lot,'' and to
designate them as "the easterner an
his wife," which was intended to be
anything but complimentary s
When the 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
evident that he had just returned from
riding. The party exchanged glances
of understanding.
Sam Pike came to the point at once.
Craig" he said, ''yer wanted down ter
tn Bar
whats that?" demanded the east
erner, angrily.
Yer wanted down ter tn Bari" Sam
repeated. "For hess stealing!' he
added.
Craig's face was afiame 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 =
lie, he said, "and you know It'll"
just then wolhan's figure appeared
in the cabin doorway. 1t was Craig's
wife.
whats the matter?" she questioned
anxiously, seeing her husbands atti-
tude.
Craig spoke up quickly: "Go back,
Dolly! 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 women's
tongues and tears and Immediately or
dered Craig to mount horse which an
other man at a 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. She's grit ter th' back
bone," 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 so0e who would have
strung Craig. up on 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 shrift was granted to offenders.
But Sans 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 blan-
kets in front OF the cabin about eleven |
o'clock, leaving only 10 Stetson on guard. |
Stetson sat himself down on stump |
and Lit a pipe, and with his rife across |
his knees fell to thinking about some |
mavericks" he had branded that day.
Presently he imagined he heard soft !