The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-09-04

gard threw his caster into the ring by pray
ing that the arch fend of Gregory county
might be delivered into the hands Of the
righteous citizens of that community, and
gained fresh popularity by promising to help
pull the rope which should send him into
eternity. They Ike muscular Christianity
out here.
Time wore into weeks into months, into
years. The robberies and murders continued
but the rascal was as elusive a Tennessee
fee After while the ranchmen rechristened
him Montana Jake" but this only excited
him to mirth and didn't help the tillers of
South Dakota much to catch him. There was
talk Of calling out the militia, and talk, talk,
talk, all of which ended in more talk
Late in July Nicholas Hammil, Zone Eyed
Ike's'' employer, who owns a ranch fourteen
miles north of Bonesteel, had bunch of
tended to ship to Chicago the first week In
August. Mr. Hammil got up one morning to
find that all but four of this splendid bunch
vance. Mr.. Hammil is a man of a few
words Action is his strong specially. Call
Ing together six cowboys few minutes after
told them to go nth and bring back the
cattle If possible, but under no circumstances
to. return without Montana Jake dead or
was put in command of the outfit.
The pqrsuers started to the westward, fol-
found the cattle, exhausted from a hard
drive and lying down in the water of
They pushed on and half an hSgr
ing at full speed to the northwest The cow
boys got in range of him and fired several
render. but he only rode the harder. SUI
For three hours the chase continued the
horses of both pursuers and pursued laboring
painfully from the effects of the hard riding.
The cowboys were satisfied to keep their man
in sight, but he was squirting his horse on
over the rolling prairie in sheer desperation.
Suddenly the exhausted horse ridden by the
cattle thief plunged heavily forward and fell
The rider picked himself up, and as luck
would have it, found himself within few
yards of an abandoned dugout. Here he
sought shelter, and being heavily armed with
a Winchester and a brace Of pistols, which
fact he quickly announced as soon as his
pursuers closed in on him, succeeded IN keep
ing them at bay.
The dugout was in the open and there was
no way of approaching 1t without being ex-
with gun was shown when he plugged
bullet through 'One-Eyed likes" left ear, as
that jealous Christian was trying to worm
his way through the grass toward the cabin.
After that. and a number Of smaller eXpe-
riences, in which three other cowboys
ceved slight wounds, they came to the con-
could afford to wait for call.
All night long the vigil was kept up On
several occasions the imprisoned one attempt
ed to sneak away under the cover of dark
ness, but was driven back by a heavy fire.
Dawn came and as the sun popped up over
the Eastern range the watchers saw white
doorway of the dugout.
THE MASK FALLS
Fearful of trick they rode up in a bunch
with weapons handy. There, standing in the
low doorway, wounded in seven places, was
man, with his long back hair thrown back
over his shoulders. One-Eyed Ike led the
charge AS he came within seeing distance
Of the cattle thief he reeled and nearly fell
from his saddle.
my Cod" he gasped, tits the parson!"
+n Sure Re- enSggh there IN the doorway stood
l get safely to jail
He was thinking of the reception that
awaited him at Bonesteel.
Back to town rode the cowboys with their
prisoner. He was badly used up, but ne
captors weresfree from the effects of his own
fire. One had a sattered arm and the others
were bleeding from flesh wounds. One-Eyed
Ike rode in the lead. Not a word would he
exchange with his prisoner He was too busy
thinking-and trying to staunch the flow OF
blood from his left ear
When they arrived in Bonesteel the scene
was indescribable. If Methodism is quick In
piety, IT is equally strong In reaction. and
every man, woman and child of the Rev.
violent backslider. The hotheads clamored
for a lynching. 1t had been long time since
Judge Lynch had run the court, and the
but lack Of practice had made the lynchers
slow, and the reverend cattle thief alias
Ponce JIM, alias Montana Jake" was
safely landed in 1Ahe Jlittle ramshackle lack
up. IN
must have had confederates, and everybody
Is looking askance at his neighbor. The mem
bers of the Rev. Myfon's flock are all sus-
gtoious Of each other, and 1t has driven One
Eyed Ike to drink. Somebody supplied the
prisoner with a. file- and a pistol with the
first he cut the bars OF his cell door
When the jailer came in with his supper
he knocked him down with the pistol butt
and pounded him until he was insensible.
Then he opened the outer door with the jail
er's key and made his escape. All attempts
at pursuit have proven unavailins.