The Red Cloud chief., 1900-04-13

nouncing that he would die before be-
ing taken prisoner.
"All right" shouted Dahlman, who
rode back about 500 yards and dis
mounted. After hobbling his horse he
made a fire and prepared his supper.
Twilight fell. and as darkness came on
France tried two or three shots at the
sheriff, but the distance was too great.
When morning came Dahlman was
rubbing down his horse and France
was sitting on his dead animal. The
murderer took several shots at the
sheriff, but Dahlman, having nothing
but his revolvers, did not fire In return.
During the day Dahlman quietly gath
cred a pile of dry prairie grass, and,
when night came he remove his
clothes and stuffed them full of grass.
He made a head for the dummy by
rolling up his saddle blanket. and upon
the top he set his hat. He propped up
the dummy and then crawled away. He
worked around behind France, and
got within thirty yards Of him before
dawn came. AS soon as it was light
France peeped up over his dead bron-
cho and saw what he believed to be
Dahlman, sitting up on the prairie a
full half mile away. He stood up and
fired at the supposed body several
times. anxiously looking after each shot
to see If he had hit the mark. Sud
denly he was paralyzed to feel a touch
on his arm. and hear a gentle voice
say:
France, the jig's up. If you move
I'll have to bore a few holes through
you"
France did move and two revolver
shots rang out. The first broke
Frances right arm, the second one his
left. Then Dahlman. chilled to the
bone, left the wounded cowboy and
went over to where his clothes were
and dressed. Then he took his pris-
oner back to Chadron. seventy miles
away.
One day a young minister Of the gos-
pei came to Chadron and announced
that he wanted to preach. There was
no church in Chadron, and no unoccu-
Dltu DullulHSS. j lt o"Htl vi lut lioSL
orderly saloon in town finally proposed
to close up his bar for one hour and
let the preacher use the saloon as a
church. The idea took well. and at the
appointed hour the saloon was damned
to suffocation. The young preacher de-
livered an excellent sermon and at the
close took up a collection. Soon the
bar resumed business. A bad cowboy
thought 1t would be fun to make the
preacher dance and sent a bullet into
the floor close to the ministerial feet
as a hint to begin at once. Dahlman.
who was a witness of the assault,
knocked the thugs revolver from his
hand and sent him staggering against
the bar with a stiff ~right-hander. Be
fore the cowboy could recover and
draw another gun Dahlman had him
covered with a revolver.
Il know the preacher does not APP
prove Of dancing" drawled Dahlman,
but perhaps he would not object to
seeing a cowboy dance. Now, dance.
you blankety-blank cur"
The cowboy objected and Dahlman
planted a bullet so near his feet that
the bully felt the draught.
Dance, and dance a plenty" yelled
the sheriff.
The cowboy danced. Whenever he
showed signs of stopping Dahlman
spurred him on with a revolver shot
that almost graZed the skin. The cow
boy danced until his tongue protruded
from his mouth and his feet each
weighed a ton. Then Dahlman made
him get on his knees and beg the
preachers pardon. Dlhlman served
three terms. and refused another re-
election. He declined on the ground
that the community was becoming so
moral that there was no fun I'm being
sheriff. He may be seen on the streets
or Omaha nearly every day. and a
stranger would pick him out as being
the last man to face a revolver with n
smile and go up against a gang of men
with records for murder as long as
the moral law. But the man who tries
to impose upon Dahlman because he ia
small and quiet and given to keeping
In the background is bound to meet
with a surprise that will turn his hair
gray.
Walking In Circles.