The Oskaloosa herald., 1902-02-13
ANUNFINISHEDTRIAL
pY JAMES o,snAueHNEssY. JR.

of the clay hills, the men Of the neighbor-
hood were in the saddle and the story of
the taking of Marion Marie the night be-
fore was ON their lips. They were riding
in groups and in pairs and some were
riding singly, but all their paths were CON-
verging toward Squire Yantley's sawmill.
Along the winding roads Bill Telket was
pressing his tired horses into hard gall
lop. He was the president of the Anti
Horse-Thief association and he was
spreading the news Of the capture and that
was notice to the members of the associa-
ton that he wanted them at the trial
which was to be held at the sawmill.
Takes men to handle ropes when we got
hoss-thieves about" he said,
But the friends Of Marion Marie were
among those who were riding over the yell
low clay knob on the east and came gall
Looping across the bottom on the west and
came out on the bride paths that led from
the other directions to the mill. Word had
gone out to them also in the night from
Hez Tickets house. Nan Telket had dared
to love this man over whose head hung
the odious charge of horse-stealing. She
was daring even more than that for her
father, her brothers and their friends and
followers had organized the Anti-Horse-Thi
association for the single purpose of cap
turing and if possible of lynching Marion
Marie. Her brother, Bill Telket, was riding
away in the darkness to gather his forces
when she crept out of the house and ran
across fields and by forest paths to give the
alarm.
None of the men was thoughtless enough
to come to the trial unarmed. Most of
them carried long barreled squirrel rifles.
ha1f nf
were friends of Marion Marie and for that
reason the Anti-Horse-Thief association
was subject to the humiliating spectacle
of legal inquiry into horse-stealing case.
The millshed, which served as the court
room, was crowded, Squire Yantley was
nervous. Johnny Moore, the sheriff, and
his deputy, Dave Mawpum, sat with their
backs to the wall, revolver in each hand,
with their prisoner between them. Some
men in the room were taller, some were
broader of shoulders, but none was as hand
some in face and in figure as Marie. His
black hair hung down to his shoulders.
He had red handkerchief kpotted at his
throat. His trousers were tucked in the
tops of his boots that were illuminated with
red and yellow stars and with crescents.
Even the heels of his boots did not escape
'admiring attention, for they were high and
slender and were jipgling with spurs.
81 amt never tried no hoss-thief cases."
said Squire Yantley, "but if yen just keep
good order guess we'll get along all right"
And he leaned over to Sheriff Moore for
advice, as to methods of procedure. Then
he called upon the prisoner to enter his
plea.
81 amt guilty." said Marie, as he stood
erect and tossed back his hair.
"Well who is?" demanded the squire.
"There's the hoss-thief," he cried, point
ing with his arm outstretched. "Bill Telket
stole the mare"
Bill Telket sprang to his feet The as
semblage was suddenly in motion. Back
ward and forward and sidewise, it swayed
ominously and weapons were clicking, but
there was no outbreak or rush or clash.
A murmur arose in the rear of the room.
The crowd parted, making path through
its center, till girl rushed into the open
space where the prisoner stood in an atti-
tude of defiance, facing Bill Telket. She
pulled from her head blue sunbonnet,
whose edges dropped and half hid her face.
As she did so her hair red-brown and
glintiDg, fell in masses like a mantle on her
shoulders. Red bushes fretted in her pal
lid cheeks. The murmurs of the throng
hushed and everyone was staring.
''Nan, what brings you here?" cried Bill
Telket.
81 come teh save man that never"
"Teh save hoss-thief?"
"You'eh my brother, Bill, ZEN love yeh,
ZEN / come to stop yeh from sayin' in
court tibet Marion Mares hoss-thief.
Squire, Marion isn't no hoss-thief He neveh
stole the mare!"
"Wel, who did steal FER, Nan?' asked
the court.
Don't ask me, squire. can't tell yeh,
but Marion didn't"
EFF yeh don tell, Nan, wen hef teh
peniteushy i'm"
"Yeh CANT; yeh CANT! They'se men
here; they won't let yeh"
Here, Nan, theyse enough O. that" said
Bill Telket, fiercely, as he seized his sister
by the wrist and drew her rudely back.
She turned on her brother and he shrunk
from the flashing of her dark eyes. She
released her wrist from his grasp. A half.
subdued roar went up from the crowd and
it moved forward. A man in the front
rank was holding up revolver. The girl
sprang at him and snatched the weapon
with such suddenness that she had
wrenched It from him before he could
tighten his strong fingers on its handle.
Quicker than the men were thinking she
was at the side of the prisoner.
Here, Marion" she whispered. placing
the revolver in his hand. "Run fur it. Fight
yer way out. Yer boss is at the crick."
While she held up her face to him. he
bent his head and kissed her. Then with
a ringing yell, he leaped straight at the
XUh L
and then closed in behind him. Nan threw
herself in front of the sheriff and his dep
uties and impeded them. 1t was for a
second, only, but it was sufficient time to
put struggling frantic men between them
and their prisoner, whose friends and enc
mics closed in savage struggle, forced
one another forward and beat one another
back, but no one halted Marie or brought
him down. He swung the revolver he held,
to the right and left and his keen eyes fol-
lowed its motion. He went in a clear space
that moved as he moved till he reached
the door. As he sprung out pistol was
fired. Savage yells were raised and fusil-
lade of shots rang and the crowd became
tangled, seething mass.
Along the tortuous and forest sheltered
course of Muscle Ford creek, Marion Marie
was riding fast, by the time the shsriffs
had got out of the battling, savage crowd.
That night he rode out on the upland
ridges where the redbrush country yields
its gnarls and knobs to the gentler undula-
tons of the Missouri prairies on the west.
His broad-rimmed hat was cooked in front
by the cool wind; his black hair was hang
ing out in tresses; red silk handkerchief
was fluttering at his neck; his free hand
was earessing the name of his foam-feeked
horse. He was no longer looking hack or