Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1902-08-07
ANUNFINISHEDTRIAL
by JAMES O'sHAUGHNEssY, JR.


Word was. running swiftly through the
rsdbush country carrying tne news that
Marion Mlrle was captured. " aie the
sun was It'll yellow and lusterlcss through
the morning haze. and before 1t had
reached ever into the draws and 'hollows
Of the clay hills, the men OF the ueighbor-
hood were III the -addle and the story OF
the taking OF Marion Marie tie night be
fore was on their lips They were riding
IN groups and ia pair, and some were
riding sin1y, but all their paths were con
verging toward Squire Nantley's sawmIl.
Along the winding roads Bill Ticket was
pressing his tired horses into hard gal
lop lie was the president Of the ANTI
Horse Thief association and be was
spreading the news OF the capture and that
was notice 10 the members Of the assCcia-
tion that he wanted them at the trial
which was TO be held at the sawmill.
Takes men 10 handle ropes when we got
hoss-thieyes about" he said,
But the friends Of Marion Marie were
among those who were riding over the yel-
low clay knob on the east and came gal
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 Telkets house. Nan Telket had dared
20 love thls mar over whose head hung
the odious charge Of horse-s;caling. She
was daring even more than that for her
, father, her brothers and their friends and
followers had organized the uti-Horsc-Thet
association for the single purpose Of cap
turing and il possible OF lyncairg Marion
Marie. Her brother, Bill Tekct, was riding
away in the darkness to gather his forces
wnen 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 -barreed squirrel rifles.
More than half Of those gathered there
were friends Of Marion Marie and for that
reason the Anti Horse-'rhief association
was subject to the humiliating spectacle
Of legal inquiry into a 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, a 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 az Marie. His
black hair hung down to his shoulders.
He had a red handkerchief knotted 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
admring attention, for they were high and
slender and were jngling with spurs.
afT in tvi..l hoo iaf -
said Squire Yantley, but if yen just keep
good order guess wen 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 s" demanded the squire
There's the hoss. thief" he cried, point
ing with his arm outstretched. "Bill Telket
stole the mare"
Bill Telket spcang 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 a path through
its center, till a girl rushed into the open
space where the prisoner stood in an atti-
tude of defiance, facing Bill Ticket. She
pulled from her head a blue sunbonnet,
whose edges dropped and half hid her face.
As she did so her hair, red brown and
glinting, fell in masses like a mantle on her
shoulders. Red bushes fretted in her pal.
lid cheeks The murmurs Of the throng
huqha1 and avarypua u-ag staring
Nan, what brings you here" cried Bill
Telket.
81 come teh save man that never"
Itch save a hoss-thief"
"Youeh my brother, Bill. 'en love yeh,
en ! come to stop yeh from sayin' in
court thet Marion Mares hoss-thief
Squire, Marion isn't no boss thief He neyeh
stole the mare!"
"Well who did steal 'er, Nam" asked
the court.
Don't ask me, squire. / can't tell yeh,
but Marion didn't"
EFF yeh don tell, Nan, wen hef teh
penitenshy i'm
"Yeh CANT; yeh caintl They'se men
here; they won't let yehl"
Here, Nan, theyse enough o. that said
Bill Telket, hercely, 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
1t moved forward A man in the front
rank was holding up a 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 It's 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. Kun fur it. Fight
yer way out. Yer hos, is at the crick"
While she held mp her face to him, he
bent his head and kissed her. Then with
ringing yell, he leaped straight at the
crowd which opened pathway for him
and then closed in behind him Nan threw
herself IN front OF the sheriff and his dep
uties and impedtd them Il was for
second, only, but It was sufficient time to
put struggling frantic men between them
and their prisoner whose friends and enc.
mJcs closed 10 a savage struggle. forced
one another forward and beat one another
back, but no one halted Mare or brought
him down He swung the revolver he held,
to the right and left aud his keen eyes fol
lowed its motion. He went in a clear SPACE
that moved as he moved TIL he rclched
the door. rs he sprung ont pistol was
fired. Savage yells were raised and a fusil
ladc ot shot, rang and the crowd became
tangled, see,hng mass.
Along tle tor,uous and forest sheltered
course of Muscle Ford creek Marion Mare