The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-05-07
A PLUCKY WIFE.

ported his loss az the bar party had
found the trail aud ridden of toward
the southwest Presently as they
we're crossing a wet bit Of land In a
hollow. bill, who led the party, looked
sharply az the hoof prints sunk deep
in the soil and refined up qui ky.
~ o0k at that shoe mark he ex-
claimed. 0inting down at the trail
"By guns it's the easternefs h0ss
shoe" calculated Sam Pike after an
insianUs scrutiny OF the footprints
among which we're several larger than
the rest and showing the clear inn
press o. shoe The Others were
those ~ unshod horses Then the
party scanned the mark, closely
Then the men looked at each other
With ugly irOwns
II "Wellsn said Bill tentatively at
last no one answered for a mo-
ment Then sam remarked. 1t
looks bad for thcr casterner sure.
Tn haint any one got boss shoes like
them in th' district cept him. Pm
sorry T tn felIers put his head in
ropes end. boys hut we'll have ter
foller him up Who'll 20 backsr
A couple 0f the pa Is volunteered.
The men separated Part OF them
moved forward on the trail The
Others turncL their horses az right
angles tl the former line Of march
and l0pcd % toward the easterners
cabin
The easterner. otherwise Jack
Craig. Of whom they had been speak
ing had hcen Ia sage Par only a short
time tie was a tenderloot out and
out When he came % the Bar he
brought his wife with him. She was
bright pretty little woman, but
they hardly knew her in the settle
ment Craig always had been re-
served. and the two bad kept By them
selves Ia the little cabin which stood
mile 81 more away from town. So
Sage Ear had come 20 consider the
Z pair queer lot. aud % designate
them rs 9TH easterner an his wife p"
which was intended % be anything
but complimentary.
Wheu the trailing party refined un
in front oi Craig's cabin, they found
the object OF their search sitting on
a log before the door smoking. From
his dress hespattered with mud. IL
was evident that he had Just returned
from riding The party exchanged
gianccs OF understanding.
sam Pike came TO the point az once
Craig he said, ger wanted down
Ter th Barn.
whats thatsn demanded the east
erncr angrlly
/, Eyer wanted down TO tn Rar!"
sam repeated "for hoss stealing
he added
Craig's face was afame in the In
slant He sprang frOm his seat
throwing back his hand TO his nip
But the others had him covered aud
his hand dropped loosely by his side
again. Its Ale he said, 'and
you know t.H
just then a w0manis figure ap
peared IN the catin doorway IL wa
Craig's wife
whats the matterg7 She Ques
TONED auxl0usly. seeing her husband
attitude.
Craig spoke up quickly. "Go back
Tolly They've got up q dirty st0r
z about me and want me 70 go % th
lar Hut rli come back 10 littll
while
sam had a great fear Of women
tongues and tears, and lmmediatel
ordered Craig TO mount a horse Whicl
another man 40 a word secured from
the stable near b. The woman hal
looked on dumbly, seeming hardly q
comprehend what was taking place
but as sh saw her husband walk owe
toward the horse, She ran TO him ant
threw both arms about him, holdlnl
him tight to her lie uuclasped be
arms gently after an instant anl
mounted The horse aud turning i
the saddle waved his hand TO her
Then they rode away. and after the
had gone q piece sam looked lac
and saw the woman sti.l standin
= there her b nds loosely locked be
p fore her watching them with wid
open eyes ''She's grit ter th' back
bone mntcred that worthy an
iashcd hts horse into gallon
All age Bar crowded around tn
party when they drew rein in town
and there were some who would hay
stras ( Craig up uron tie spot whe
sam had told the story. Sage Ba
wa, ir that stage Of progress whe
horse stealing Wis d capital oiens
and 3 short shrift was granted :
cndgrs nut Sans protest tha
nelhl g.hould uedCne until the Hine
rariY returned was needed, and Cd
p-isnne was pui in an empty cahir
tied hand and foot several Of th
men agreeing O. stand guard
The atfc noon uarcd away. an
evening came. aud the Hines part
did n0t make its appearance.
craig was Given something 20 eat an
then was fastened f'rhtly once mou
and The mcn relied "a nscivcs az !
their blankets in font q the caol