The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-01-08


mare that ne he'd bought with part Of his
cotton picking proceeds and started TO Hen
rietta to see the sights OF course he took
his winchester and his six shooter along.
The first sight that attracted him was a
very agreeable gentleman named Tom
Boyd, who was exhibiting three pieces Of
pesteboard 20 an admiring crowd and
showing them what an easy thing il would
be to guess which one would come upper
most in case he We're TO throw them down
on the table. Charley was very much in
terested in the matter and felt confident
of his ability TO tell exactly which card it
would be. So confident was he that before
be knew IL he had lost every cent OF his
money on the cards that perversely insisted
on doing just what be expected them not
to- Like all men, however, who succeed in
their special line of business, he had the
courage Of his convictions, and hence Of
fered to bet his mare against $50 that he
could guess the right card this last time
anyway. Mr.. Boyd was kind enough to
accept his proposition, but the cards were
not 80 kind and again refused TO do what
it was obviously right that they should do.
That night Charley Hughes was in a bad
condition. He was a stranger in a strange
land, without money, without supper and
without even horse to 20 home on. What
should he dor He pondered the subject
awhile and then made up his mind Late
that night he went to Boyd's stable and
stole out the fleet mare that only few
hours before had been his own property.
BY hard riding he reached Red River sta
ton before daylight and spent the rest Of
the night there.
Meantime Boyd had discovered his loss
and had interviewed the sheriff OF Clay
county in regard to it. That official seems
to have been busy about something else at
the time, so he compromised matters by
deputizing Boyd and telling him to attend
TO his own case. Boyd was a professional
gambler il is true. but this fact did nos
interfere with his being made a special
deputy. He got on Hughes track by some
means and reached the station some hours
before noon. Hughes heard of his arrival
and concluded to travel farther east
Boyd found Jack Pollard, Montague
county deputy. and four other men, and to-
gether the posse started out in pursuit.
After they had travelled some nine miles,
Just as they were crossing "A particularly
level reach OF prairie the figure Of a horse
man suddenly appeared over the rise Of a
hill half mile 20 the east. IL was Charley
Hughes. and he had his winchester at his
shoulder. Pingi pingl went two leaden
balls, and two horses and their riders were
down in "A struggling, confused heap.
To say that these shots demoralized the
posse would be to put it lightly. However,
when the dust cleared away, it was found
that two ponies were writing in their
death agonies, while their riders were I'M
hurt The distance was too great FOR any
effective shooting in return, and, moreover,
Hughes disappeared as suddenly as he had
appeared. The posse, two less in number,
followed more cautiously than before.
When they next caught sight Of their game,
he fred at them, and then, waving a quart
bottle of whisky at them, shouted in stem
torian tones;
Awful good old stuff, fellowsi Come on
and take a drink, won't you"
The pursuers remembered Charley's long
range shooting and decided that they would
net.
All day long running battle was kept
up Nobody was hurt on either side. prin-
cipally because the pursuers kept at re
spectful distance. Back and forth they raced
over the prairie. covering near 80 miles in
all. Hughes was not making any special
effort 20 get away, but was trying TO reach
the fringe Of timberon Belknap creek. from