The Van Buren press., 1894-12-15

saves the day for the Triangle. While
he stands on the steps Whispered
voice almost under his feet asks
ANY Of the Triangle insides"
mot . SOUL" he snswerA
.'Can We sneak IN and get . drink9"
"0f course"
Three men crawl from the darkness
beneath the steps and ohe by one
sneak In the bArfooth, the last ono
backing Ia ID giiard from an attack.
II want to get that old man and
then am ready TO 60 back TO the
ranch," said one, pulling down the
window shades.
Charley calls them over to ono side
Of the room and they do not see that
the door to the hall is opened cautious
ly and that / ftinti crawls through on
his hands and knees and drops behind
the bar.
"Give MS another drink, Charley, and
then we'll go out and get old Jergu.
sons scalp and take along that ether
boy for bear bait say, but wasn't
that pretty long-range shot made
from the hurdy house Window"
The bartender drops q cork on the
floor and whispers to the old man
while picking It up, Then he takes .
deck Of cards aud offers to show new
trick that he learned from d CONNER.
cial traveller. The three tiien lean for
ward, one resting his gun on the bar.
1t is a fatal move.
"Whoop-eel" and before the smartest
boy could say Jack Robinson old man
ferguson is up with gun in each
hand pouring shot across the counter,
square In the faces of the rustlers. Two
drop back dead. The third jumps to
the rear OF the room unharmed, and
then begins deadly duel. The rust
ler.s first move is to shoot out the
lights, for he suspects that Charley Is
in the play against him. Each fighter
drops ON the floor and all Is quiet. The
old man reaches forward Until he
moves a chair and the noise betrays
his position. Two shots are, fred In
quick succession at him. He gives
II fierce grunt as he feels sting in his
side. The rustler changes his position
buried in the wall. But two more
shots are left In his gun. The bar
tender is afraid to move because II the
rustler conquers he will have to
answer for his treachery. One more
shot comes in the direction of the old
man and misses. He is weak from loss
of blood ana has dropped over on his
side. Hedoes not reply, and the rustler.
sure of his victim, crawls slowly for
ward, with q knife between his teeth
and gun neach hand.
A light flashes at one corner OF the
window left uncovered by the curtain.
1t falls on the rustler's face, and be-
fore he can rise bullet crashes
through the window, striking him
square in the forehead. The knife
fnlls from his teeth, guns drop from his
hands, and he falls back dead.
''Come right in. It's all rightw yells
Charley, and young Henry ferguson
enters at the head Of . bunch Of four
cowboys.
"For Gods sake hurryl I am afraid
the old man is a goner," cries Charley,
and he rhshes into the hallway and re.
turns with tallow candle.
They pick the old man up and lay
him on billiard table. One Of the boyi
pours little Of the red eye down hii
throat and the other starts for doc
tor The old man opens his eyes.
Henry, is that you?" he asks weak
ly.
"Yes, pa. Are you hit hard?"
81 am done gone in minute, boy
What luck?"
1--WE got one, pa, and druv two more
away, and you got the rest"
II said we'd get 'em. l done said
we'd get them rustlers that took oul
-"
And then some one took the old man,
After time the stranger, who had
been watching the fight from safe
distance, wandered up to the hotel and
found Charley sitting on the steps
"They have gone home," said Char
ley; "that is, all of them that amt at
the undertaker's. 1t is pretty tough
OH Henry with the old man and Alecl
both gone. Come In, stranger, and
have q drink"
They drank while Charley described
the fight In the barroom. Then they
stepped outside into the cool, soft ali
Of the night. Charley rammcd hi
hands into his pockets and looked up
ward at the stars glistening over the
snowy peaks OF the Belts. Finally HI
stretched out his arms over his heat
and yawned:
stranger, It's been q bad day Il
Ubet-a bad day. Let's turn Inn
Y. Sun.