The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-04-27
IN WHICH THERE ~ a BATTLE WITH THE
THIEVES

I'M WHICH HER ~ A BATTLE WITH TIL
THIEVES
VIZ were zone Of ns easily SURPRISED
nj anything Spider might do, but tina.
be, single handed. should have takei
fonr prisoners fairly amazed us all
"It's some err them monkey shines el
yours again. said the Ballet Girl
stridipg forward and catching Spider
by his collar Whats you tryin tel
make ns believe anyhow" Spider
struggled to free himself.
'sIt's right | tell youf" he cried
Indignantly "D'you s'pose they give
me their guns AZ boots ~ horses jus
cause they loved me9 Well. they did
not, JUS when ! strIek that frs gang
that was a-comin down here saw Ii
little spark Of q fire way off on the DIES.
ert, The Others hadD't seen 1t. | reckon.
pOpe or them, I'm when lef' them !
went over ter see what the fire was for
The fire was jns' goin ont nm them men
wal layin rom Ii All drunk, they
was, IN all asleep
"What menu asked,
nHollis IN them three what was
s-cayortiD rom here yesterday They
was a-sleepin on their saddles fer pill
lers, bnt their boots was off an their
guns lay by their sides, crawled up
an then | cut the picket lines er their
horses m led EN- off One got away !
put tho glns nm things inter my chaps
'cause ! hadn't no other way Of packin
EN-, That's MI there IN TO 1t
HYoD said they were prisoners
What's holding them prisopera2' in
auired, much puzzled
1.-THE eaetus,' replied Spider, with q
look of scorn at my stupidity "Dop't
you SEQ ! got their boots9 II they tried
10 walk, they wouldn't have no feet
left In two minutes didn't want ter
take their horses, kinder hated ter
take them, " added Spider hesitatingly
~ didn't min the other things"
lyon needn't mind abopt the horses
either remarked Hayward, who was
examining the animals ip question
Whey're all mine We're, that ID, un'
I'll they were stolen What are we 90.
tpg, to 90 about those prisoners Of spi'
der'sYn
There was SONS discussion at first,
for We had made no provision for the
taking nor for the maintenance Of pris.
oners, but In common humanity We
lonld not leave them 70 die o. thirst
where they were, Six men, with Lee
NJ their head, were sent ont TO bring
them IN The place where Spider hAd
left bis capture was not far Away. Fol,
lowing the boys tracks, the party dis
appeared, only to return shortly after
ward with the news that tho prisoners
had saved ~ aIl tropble BY taking
themselves ont Of the way, The tracks
seemed 10 indicate that the horse that
escaped from Spider wandered back and
had been renaptHred by the men, one OF
whom had mounted him and then
fetched mounts tor the rest,
Spider was mnih mortified, He
blamed himself bitterly tor not having
taken tho brides ~ well ~ the arms
and boots and he wanted W start NJ
once IN pursuit This was ont Of the
question fNr two Feaaons IN the first
place, we hld decided W start before day
break, and therefore there wonld not DO
Vine, and further, we were heartily
glad 10 get ria of the prisoners anyway
Thangh much disappointed, Spider
vaaigned himself 20 gracefully 10 the
loss NJ .hls prisoners That tho foreman
pAtled him on tho hank appFoyingly,
aaylng TINT after all he Ind aten worse
boys than Spider who might, no he.
hRyad himself and worked hard, make
\ very decent COW pnniher N tho eonFso
~ ~ ar A0 years n the mnantimo he
hNd better roll himself up In his blan'
keta and 40 W sleep Spider oheyed' IN
avery few minutes, with the exception
III the sentry, who kept solitary WAteh
~ tha aasa N the ellH The camp was
slenping
II was still daFk when this sentry
walked mo
ifIt only wants two honrs er daylight
now, hn sald ~ sat w and began 70
rHh my eyes 'tHrpakfaae N mos ready,
An gpt tar wake Nh the rest or these
heVa men How wish Ind A hnglop
w had no hngIel however, ~ he began
w roar tho call NJ Tho rpypina with the
words THAT the aaldieFs have pHt 70 II
iiYhp corn rails worse Ihan Mo private.
-lqhe anFEealts WORSE than tho aorp'ral
Vhp lHfa Arn. wnFsp. thAn nm anrggant
An flp eallAln's the worst NJ NV
can't SOB 'em nm
emit Hpt 'pn WI,
lGAnt set 'pm VII m the mprnln
In 4 mpment the pamp was astiF and
h lmming, with voices Vha men wern
Al dressed when they lay dewH' 10 Chat
thelF tGlleta were ,eenpletpd when they
had rolled .np IN theiF blankets and, II
they fplt Inclined washed thaiF hands
and fApesl
4ha haaap and aalfep seFyedl ont by
thG Ballet AiFl soon YRniahedf Cha man
aeVaNFad them standing ~ sgHatHAg on
fha GFanRA wherever they RapPeRea N
Via RRIlst GlFh aaatstea hy two gthr
Y QaQkk who aaMa. Wlth a4F yeranfaFce,
1en@. mRTahAled tha pAak heFAaa that