The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1902-02-26
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; IN T III E -:
DEVILS :
: CALDRON F.:
NV By George Neville - " "
|, Copyright, 1901, by A. 8. Richardson


O Copyright, 1901, by A. 8. Richardson y
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"The prisoners are out! They've
broke jailr
The cry was picked up by score of
voices and carried down the long, mar
row main street Of Cimarron-to the
gambling dens, where players dropped
their cards and grabbed their guns;
to the dancehall, where the music stop
ped with crash; to the office of the
Windsor hotel, where travelling men
suddenly lost interest In lively yarn;
to the Ill lighted shops, where mer-
chants locked safes and tllls and pre-
pared to join In the man hunt. There
was need of many deputy sheriffs In
San Miguel county in those days.
1t was 9 o'clock when the alarm was
sounded. 1t was midnight before truth
and fiction had been sifted and the
women of Cimarron knew the worst.
Every ablebodied, dependable man in
the mountain town had been sworn in
either as member of the sheriff's
posse or of the patrol which guarded
the town.
On Il cot In his office lay Heynman,
the county jaller. He was encircled
by stern faced men. A notary public
was taking his last statement, setting
forth that Randall Wolfe, Jose Roday,
Manual Sanchez and Fllipe Montez
had choked and gagged him while
making their escape from the San
Miguel county jail. Later, at the cor
oner's inquest, the attendant physician
testified that had Heynman been In
ordinary health the fracas with the
desperadoes would not have proved
fatal. but the poor fellow was
Hunger" who had come to Colorado
for his health. The gag had caused
hemorrhage.
The fugltives had been sentenced
| for six months or less OH petty charges,
and public opinion laid the exploit at
the door of Wolfe, handsome, daredevil
Randall Wolfe. who had dropped into
| Clmarron from no one knew where,
with plenty of money and fondness
dows Soon after his arrival he had
married one of the most beautiful
Mexican girls in the vicinity, and they
Ind settled down to somewhat DO.
hemlan housekeeping In picturesque
cabin among the river willows. All
this had happened months before
Wolfe had shot the lamps In Browns
drugstore. thereby starting connagra
tion and landing In jail. And now
Conchlta, she Of the great wistful eyes
and the 1.-the, graceful figure, had dis
appeared from the cabin among tn,
willows. People said TINT In her hou
Of disgrace she had gone back to he
own people. who lived across the stat
Two days, and three, slipped by, an
one posse after another rode wearil
into town until only Sheriff Maguir
and few picked men hung desperate
ly on the trail of the outlaws. These
too, were becoming disheartened whei
in the steel gray of an early dawn the,
followed Il wood hauler's trail to the
Devils caldron.
A circular pit was this, its bottom
reached only by rocky paths such as
mountain goats or fugtives alone
would tread. On one side the walls
dropped sheerly full fifty feet, and at
one point clear mountain stream cut
its way through solid rock.
Mcguire had ordered the horses
staked mile back In the thick timber,
and as the posse drew close to the pit
he motioned his men to halt Then,
dropping on his hands and knees, he
crawled to the edge of the precipice
and peered over. What he saw sent
thrill of exultatlon along his nerves.
Near the smoldering fire lay the three
Mexlcans, while on the rocky ledge,
slightly above them, lay two other fig
ures, one of whom he could easily
identify, even In the dawn's uncertain
light, as the stalwart Wolfe. The fifth
figure he studied carefully, but 1t was
hidden by wrapplngs of gaudy blan-
kets. But Mcguire, recalling the sullen
Mexican wood hauler they had passed
far down the ravine the day before,
knew that the outlaws had been pro-
yided with food and tidings from the
outer world. Then, turning his gaze
on the zigZag mountain trail ending
within two feet of his hand, the sheriff
smiled grimly. His prisoners were
neatly trapped.
But the smile died suddenly. The
fifth figure, the one at Wolfe's side,
stirred restlessly, the red and purple
blanket was tossed aside, and beauti-
fully carved arm was thrown above n
mass OF raven hair. 1t was Conchitai
Mcguire drew back. TO shoot men
down In cold blood was one thing-he
had done 1t before-but she was a wo-
man, woman who had done nothing
but love too well this man of race
not her own. The sheriff had seen the
firearms scattered about the campfire.
And IL the outlaws fought the girl
would be In the midst OF It.
He crept back to his men. There
was whispered conference Eight
men carefully looked over their guns.
Then, dropping on their stomachs, they
slid nolselessly to the edge of the cal
dron and surrounded 1t. The steel gray
light had changed to rose color when
Magulre's voice echoed sharply down
the rocky walls Of the pit. The fugi-
tives sprang to their feet.
Might MS well come up and sur
render, Wolfe. We've got you sur
bunded."
Wolfe threw back his handsome head
and gazed upward where the first
beams Of sunlight touched the dwarfed
pinons. He saw eight set faces and
eight guns. He dropped his own weap-
on, with bitter laugh, and stood with
folded arms, staring straight at Ma
guire. When at last he spoke, the
sheriff, even with the thirst OF the
man hunter upon him. caught himself
wondering how that voice would sound