Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1896-04-30

"Can see himY" she asked "Only for
a moment, she added.
Cant do It, marm,' said Stetson.
For "A moment she was quiet, looking
longingly toward the cabin and olasping
and unolasping her hands softly The
man hoped she would go. He had hated
10 say no, and he didn't know how long
his determination TO refuse would last.
But they say they'r re going to try him to-
morrow, and mayn't get another chance.
She looked at him SO sadly and yet SO
bravely withal that Stetson wavered and
was lost
"For five minutes, then, no morei" he
said, half repenting of his words the in
slant they were uttered.
But no unlocked the cabin door for her
and locked it behind her again. Then he
stood outside the door cursing himself.
Presently there was rap from the inside
of the cabin, and much relieved, he undid
the door, but he kept his finger on the
hammer of his rifle as he stood aside to al
low her to pass She came out quickly.
Stetson turned and bent to fasten the door.
AS no did SO he felt tiny ring of cold
metal against his head and heard, In her
voice, now without tremble
Put up your hands and do 1t quicklyi'
The order was SO distinctly put and SO en-
phatically backed up by the cold metal
which Stetson knew only too well was the
dangerous end of revolver that he did
not hesitate AS he threw up his hands
the door was pulled open from the inside,
and man dashed out and melted in the
darkness of the prairie. A moment more,
and the hoof beats of IA horse came back,
sounding clear and sharp on the still air.
The men who had been asleep till now,
| ha raia
themselves on their elbows. The woman
had not moved the pistol from Stetson's
head, but now she dropped the weapon
quickly and started to run. In an instant
Stetson was after her, and wild at being
outwitted had run her down and caught
her before she had gone so yards. AS he
grasped her by the shoulders the hoof beats
we're dying on the air, and the woman
looked into her captor's face with an ex-
ultant smile.
Stetson brought her back to the cabin
and in half shamed way told his story.
The woman was quiet and did not seem to
hear what they said Despite their cha
grin at having been worsted by woman,
the men could not but admire her pluck
and skill. Then they argued as to what
they should do with her, and finally de-
cided to take her into town as soon as it
was light. They locked her In the cabin
and then sat up and talked the rest of the
night. They felt that it would be useless
to attempt to trail Craig in the dark, and,
to tell the truth, they were just bit fear
fhl that the woman would escape them
unless they kept "A sharp lookout.
When morning came, a big party set off
in pursuit of Craig. But they had scant
hope of overtaking him with horse under
him and his many hours start. The east
erner 5 wife still remained locked in the
cabin. Sage Bar for once found itself
nonplused Law and order had been re-
versed by woman and the town had the
offender In custody. But smoke and
ponder as it might, Sage Bar was at u loss
to know how TO proceed. All the laws Of
the settlement, unwritten though they
, were, had sprung from an acute sense of
frontier needs and referred to men. There
was an irdefnable feeling among the Sage
Bar solons that these laws could not be
applied with propriety to women, and SO
they talked much, smoked and drank
much more and did nothing.
When the Hines party came in, tired,
hungry and empty handed, no solution of
the difficulty presented itself, and so with
admirable judgment the town decided to
free itself of further responsibility 10y set
er's wife was pale and evidently worn out
when they brought her out of the cabin
but she said not word when they told
her she might go and walked off in the
direction of her home with "a smile, half of
defiance, half of satisfaction. That night
the party which had gone In pursuit of
Craig returned, having made "a fruitless
search.
Two days later, just as Sage Bar was
!, preparing its evening meal two men were
seen riding over swell from the north
east. Five horses were driven loosely be-
fore them. When the men got nearer the
town one Of them was recognized as the
easterner. He was riding bareheaded, and
beside him rode another, dark and swarthy,
I, his arms bound to his Sides his horse led
; by Craig. All Sage Bar assembled about
: the party while Craig told the story Of how
J he had ridden away that night, had struck
. the trail of the horses, and following 1t
had brought the Mexican thief to terms
with IA shot from his rifle, and then came
back. And when he had done there were
cheers for the easterner such as the town
hadn't had chance to relieve itself of for
a long while, and to this day there Is not
. a man in Sage Bar but touches his SLOUGH
hat TO the easterner's wife whom 10 Stet-
son declares is 9Th sandiest little woman
? In the west kansas City Times.