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

were mlteluh rum Dill Aulca uAoNts
Fifteen minutes after Bill had reported
his loss at the bar a party had found
thetrail and ridden of toward the south
west. Presently, MS they were crossing
a wet bit Of land in a hollow, Bill, who
led the party, looked sharply at the
hoof prints sunk deep In the soil and
refined up quickly.
Look az that shoe mark" he exclaim-
ed, pointing down Mt the trail. &
by gunsi it's the easterner's boss
shoor' calculated Sam Pike after an in
stant's scrutiny Of the footprints among
which were several larger than the rest
and showing the clear impress Of a shoe.
The others were those Of unshOd horses.
Then the party scanned the marks close
iy. Then the men looked at each other
with ugly frowns.
"WellF said Bill tentatively mt last.
No n answered for u moment. Then
Sam remarked: lit looks bad for thor
casterner, surel Tn hain't any one got
boss shoes like them in tn district cent
him. I'm sorry'f tn feller'sp put his hca,,
ia n ropes end. boys. But we'll have ter
follcr him up. Who'll 20 backY'
A couple of the party volunteered.
Tho men separated. Part Of them NOV
cd forward on the trail. The others
turned their horses at right angles to the
former line of march and lopcd on to-
ward the easterner's cabin.
The easterner, otherwise Jack Craig,
of whom they had been speaking, had
been in Sage Bar only n short time. He
WAS a tenderfoOt. ont and out. When
he came to the Bar he brought his wife
with him. She was n bright, pretty
little woman, but they hardly knew hei
in the settlement. Craig always had
been reserved, and the two had kept by
themselves in tho little cabin which
Btood a mile or more away from town.
SO Sage Bar had come to consider the
pair a queer lot" and to designate
them as 9TH eastcrner nm his wife,"
(which was intended IL be anything but
complimentary.
When tho trailing party refined up in
front Of Craig's cabin. they found the
object Of their search sitting on q log
before the door smoking. From his
dress. bespattered with mud, it was evi.
dent that he had just returned from rid
ing. The party exchanged glances of
understanding.
Sam Pike camo to tho point ut once.
Craig" ho said. Eyer wanted down ter
tn Barr
Whats thaty" demanded the easterner
angrily.
''Yer wanted down ter tn Barr Sam
repeated. For boss stealingl' he added.
Craig's face wal aflame 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. cts IA -
lie" he said. and you know itf'
just then u woman's figure appeared
in the cabin doorway. II was Crlig's
wife.
Whats tho natter" sho questioned
.anxiOusly, seeing her husbands attitude.
Craig spoke up quickly: "Go back,
Dollyl They've got up a dirty stoly
about me and want me TO go to the Bav
But Ill come back in q littlo while"
Samehad n great fear Of women's
Tongues and tears, and Immediately or
'dered Craig to mount a horse which
another man Mt a word secured from the
stable near by. The woman had looked
'on dumbly, seeming hardly to compre
bend what was taking place, but as she
saw her husband walk over toward the
horse. sho ran to him and threw both
arms about him, holding him tight to
her. Ho unclasped her arms gently after
al instant and mounted the horse, and
turning In the saddle waved his hand 10
her. Then they rode away, and after
they had gone a piece Sam looked back
and saw the woman still standing there,
her hands loosely locked before her.
watching them with wide open Dyes.
Shes grit tor tn backbone" muttered
that worthy and dashed his horse into a
gallon.
All Sage Bar crowded around the party
when they drew rein in town, and there
were some who would have strung Craig
up upon The spot when Sam had told the
story. Sage Bar was in that stage Of
progress where horse stealing was a
capital onense and a short shift was
granted 10 offenders. But Sans protest
that nothing should be done until the
Hines party returned wal needed, and
tho prisoner was put in an empty cabin,
tied hand and foot, several Of the men
ngrecing 10 stand guard.
The afternoon waned away, and even
ing came. and tho Hines party did not
mako its appearance. SO Craig was
given something 10 eat and then was
fastened tightly onco more, and the men
rolled themselves up in their blankets
ia front Of the cabin about II o'clock.
leaving only Jo Stetson on guard.
Stetson sat himself down on a stump
and 1T pipe, and with his rifle across
his knees fell to thinking abont some
mavericks" he'd had branded that day.
Presently no imagined he heard a soft
step from the prairie. He raised his
head and listened. Just then the moon
showed a rim beyond a sailing clord,
and its light fell on a fgure-a woman's
igure-m making its way toward the cabin.
rose % his feet. letting his rife
.utt drop "a ihe ground, and %curiously !