St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-11
The SHERIFF OF SISKIYOU.
BY BRET HARTE.
IN TWO PARTS-PART 1.
TCopyrieht. 1894, by Bret Harte. I


ordinary miners. although the foreign
element - shown in certain Spanish
peculiarities of dress and color-pre-
dominated, and some of the men were
further distinguished by the delicacy Of
education and sedentary pursuits. Yet
Vineyards Bar was city OF refuge,
and comprised among its inhabitants
number who were "wanted' by the
state authorities. and its actual attitude
at that moment was one of open rebel
hon against the legal power, and of
particular resistance to the apprehen-
sion by warrant of one of its prominent
members. This gentleman, Maj. Over
stone, then astride Of gray mustang
and directing the movements of the
crowd, had few days before
killed the sheriff of Siskiyou
county, who had attempted to
arrest him for the double otfenSe of mis-
appropriating certain coporate funds
of the state and the shooting of the
editor who had imprudently exposed
him. The lesser crime of homicide
might have been overlooked by the
authorities, but It's repetition upon the
body of their own oyerZealouS and
misguided official could not pass I'M
challenged, if they expected to arrest
0verstone for the more serious otfenSe
against property. So it was known that
new sheriff had been appointed, and
was coming to Vineyards Bar with an
armed posse. But it was also understood
that this invasion would be resisted by
the Bar to It's last man.
All eyes were turned upon a fringe of
laurel and butternut that encroached
upon the road half mile away. where
it seemed that such of the Inhabitants
as were missing from the bluff were
hidden to give warning or retard the
approach of the posse. A gray haze
slowly rising between the fringe and
the distant hillside was recognized as
the dust of cavalcade passing along
the Invisible highway. III the hush of
clatter of hoofs. the sharp crack of
rife and sudden halt were family
audible. The men scattered in groups
on the bluff exchanged a smile of grim
satisfaction.
Not so their leader! A quick start
and an oath attracted attention to him.
To their surprise he was looking in
another direction. but as they looked,
too, they saw and understood the cause.
a file of horSemen, hitherto unde-
tected, were slowly passing along the
little ridge on their right, Their com
pact accouterments and the yellow
braid on their blue jackets, distinctly
seen at that distance, showed them to
be an escort OF United States cavalry.
Before the assemblage could realize
this new invasion nearer clatter of
hoofs was heard along the high road,
and one of The ambuscading party
dashed up from the fringe of woods
below. His face was flushed. but
triumphant. .
"a regular skunk! by the living ho-
keyn' he painted. pointing to the faint
haze that was again slowly rising above
the invisible road. "fhey backed down
as soon as they saw our hand and got a
hole through their new sheritf's hat.
But what are you lookin' at? What's
up?'
The leader impatiently pointed with
darkening face to the file.
"Reg'la by gum" calculated the
other. But Uncle Sam amt in this
game! What right have they -
DRY upn' said the leader.
The escort was now moving at right
angles with the camp, but suddenly
halted, almost doubling upon itself in
some evident connection. A dismount-
ed figure was seen momentarily flying
down the hillside, lodging from bush
to bush until lost in the underbru sh.
A dozen shots were fired over its head.
and then the whole escort wheeled and
came Gathering down the trail in the
direction of the camp. A single rider
less horse, evidently that of the fugi-
tive, followed.
Spread yourselves along the right,
every man of you, and cover them as
they enter the gulch!" shouted the
leader. "But not a shot until give
the word. Scatter"
The assemblage dispersed like a
startled village of prairie dogs, SQUAT
ting behind every available bush and
rock along the line of bluff. The lead
er alone trotted quietly to the head of
the gulch.
The nine cavalrymen came smartly
up in twos, a young officer leading. The
single figure of Maj. Oyerstone opposed
them with command to halt. Looking
up, the young officer drew rein, said a
word to his file leader, and the four
files closed in compact square motion
less on the road. The young officers
unswOrded hand hung quietly at his
thigh; the mems unslung carbines rest
ed easily on their saddles. Yet at that
moment every man of them knew that
they were covered by hundred rifles
and shotguns leveled from every bush.
and that they were caught hopelesslv
in trap.
Since when," said Mai. Overstone.
with an atfectation of tone and manner
different from that in which he had adj.
dressed his previous companions, ''have
the Ninth United States cavalry helped
to serve a state courts pettifogging
prOcess?"
I'VE are hunting a deserter-a half
breed agent-who Just escaped u.s." re-
turned the officer. His voice was boyish
so, too, was his figure, I'm its slim.
cadet like Smartness of belted tunic-
but very quiet and level, although his
face was still flushed with the shock
and shame of his surprise.
The relaxation of relief went through
the wrought and waiting camp. The
soldiers were not seeking them. Read,
as these desperate men had been to do
their leaders, bidding, they were wei
aware that momentary victory owe,
the troopers would not pass unpublished
and meant the ultimate dispersion q
the camp; and quiet as these innocen
Invaders seemed TO be, they would n,
doubt sell their lives dearly. The EN-
battled desperadoes glanced anx!ousl,
at their leader; the soldiers, on the con
trary. looked straight before them.
process or no process" SAID Mai