The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-03-24

Il may die" he murmurea "but she's
coming"
Iis last act Sunday before he went
bed was to saw of the barrel Of E
otgun and load the weapon with 6
> .Aous mixture Of slugs. He was moi
an expert with firearms; he never car.
ried gun" and. on a test shot he
probably would have missed the sid,
of a barn as quickly as the next man
but he kept thinking of the girl, anC
the more he thought the more method
ical his preparations.
He awoke the next morning to fine
himself hesieged. The store manager
from Sand Bluf had arrived with hall
a dozen cowboys prepared for any kline
Of ruthless s'ort. They shot the upper
half of the shack full of holes without
arogsing the editor to a reply, anc
then they announced that they intend
ed to hold him prisoner there unit
1890 at which time they would rush
the shack, set it on FIRE, and shoot him
down when he came out He heard
the declaration He could see them
could sweep with his eye the entire
street.
He sat behind a barricade with the
shotgun across his lap. He was most
carefully dressed and extraordinarily
calm for a man who had been under
fire for an hour or more. He drew al
his pipe with great composure and
studied the time on the face of the lit.
tie alarm clock that stood on table
near him. The cowboys left two Of
three of their number on guard ano
rode up the street after liquor No on,
interfered with them. The fact tha
they were from Sand Bluff made then
word law in the lesser communities
Many a grim jest they passed on tht
final fate of the editor, and many
assurance did the store manager Civ,
that no "d--d friend Of the lndiaI
could live here"
Still, the editor held the fort through
the morning and the cowboys toyet
with him as a terrier sometimes foo
with the mouse it means to kill.
At noon a big cloud of dust rose or
the trail from Sand Bluff 1t was the
stage coming in One of the editors
peepholes gave him such command OF
1 the street that he could see the ap-
proach of the stage lie noted that as
/ it was travelling it should reach the
postoffice in about fifteen minutes
really ahead OF time He got up, shool
himself, walked to the back room
looked at "her" picture once, and ther
carefully loosened the fastenings o.
his front door. He left the door 81
that it could be Instantly swung back
Another glance out of the peephol'
showed him the stage was entering The
town. II banged and ratified down tn,
way TO the postoffice, halted, and tn,
first passenger out was tall, llthi
young woman of twenty-three or four
The editor saw her ask questions o
bystanders, noticed their curious ges
lures toward his place, saw her star
for it.
The cowboys. headed by the stor
manager. We're IN front of his office
preparing for their final charge II
swung back his door quickly. steppe,
out into the sunshine swung up hi
gun and before his foes realized wha
he was doing SO suddenly had he act
cd gave the store manager and one O
his companions Toe charges of hi
weapon. They fell from their saddle.
the others fled with a yolley Of shot
for parting
4 The editor staggered little. the
made for the girl She held ont he
arms to her, BE his hands to her
That's al yours. Kate" he sal,
with little gasp in his throat
waited f-f-or you Kate
And then he was dead at her feet