Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1902-12-13
'opmjgI,f, ;,Ji. by It's. Richardson
eYHYALYALT LYANV-HALYY/

in Topeka during the trial of Bill Covil
when Il boy brought him Il telegram.
He read it thoughtfully and then beck
oncd to Jim Thrailc.
When ThrHilc came up, the marshal
gave him the message, which read:
Casper !'lUg2i in camp with seven
mon, not friends, at Willow Springs,
near Gtadaloupc peak.
'Thrailc." said the marshal. you're
the man to take him in. 1t will be an
easy fly" hundred for you"
Casper Flugel was Il big German iron
moldcr, wanted in pittsburg for the
murder of Il companion. His first years
career in the territory had so added to
his crimes that his description was
well known to all the deputy marShals.
Jim Thraile accepted his task, and in
due time he rode into the camp ut Will
low Springs, playing the role of Il fugi-
tive from justice. Since all rcnCGadcS
regard it as their prime duty to protect
any one threatened with arrest his first
task consisted of getting the man he
wanted away from the company. He
soon found that this could not be done,
because the iron moldcr would not I'M
der any circumstances go ten feet out
Of camp uni IS accompanied by several
of the men.
Flu%ol WAS thoroughly dislikcd. He
did not know how to be cnmpanonable
to the other rCnCGadeS. He lacked their
style of courage. His silent, sullcn ma
turc was decidedly diStastcful and it
WAS apparent that they would gladly
be rid of him. As Flugel could not he
persuaded to leave the company, and
as Thraile knew how to lie popular
with the men. the latter decided that
the quickest way to get his man was to
pick II quarrel with him and have him
driven from til" camp as an unCong"n-
ial oh; ractcr. But Casper Flugcl would
not quarrel. ii" stoically took all abuse
without any sign of resentment further
than Il rcVCngcful look out of his
heavy. brutal eyes 1t WAS Il dangerous
game. since even the rcnc%HdCs might
hccomc suspicious. Suspicion was some
times rs bad as conviction
SAY. partn"r.' said one of them,
"putchy thinks You are Il marshal and
that you Hrr at,cr him. We've got
notion to fire yen both"
Jim Thraile laughed good naturally.
"Ivc got out of Il good many worse
places than this where | wasn't want
ed" h" answer, d. when do | GO?'
"Oh. | .,;rss you're all right" was
the reply. but Dutchy's afraid, and he
wants us to promise that you don't get
out of camp until he's had ut least
days start
''That's dead easy" answered Thraile.
Tell Dutchy 20 git ut once. He's no
body'S pard. Let him 60
Casper I'iug"l rode away at noon
with Il Grunt that was meant to be
friendly farewell but his late compan-
ions took no notice of him except to eX-
claim. Good ri,!danccr' Thraile no.
tic, Il. however. hat the ruStlCrS kept
close watch Oh him all day. That night
he slipped out of camp, mounted his
horse and rode away.
He had no difficulty next morning i'll
finding Casper FmGcl's trail. TO his
establishment il led straight northeast
to the pccoS river. Thrailc thought
that nothing but the ignorance of the
iron mO!dpr could lead him to take the
chance; of making his way across the
Great EtHllcu plain. The man hunter
knew that it was fully three days
Journey to tie rccOS river, during
which time not Il drop of water could
he found. Then, possibly, even the
Pecos river would he dry rs IL sand hill.
The hunter flied his two rubber air
pillows with water and stuck like fox
hourd To the trail of the fugitive lead
ing into the great oven of the plains.
AS til" day progressed scorchlnG ana
oppressive VapIr made il impossible
for him to see amy object beyond IL few
ware Epariugly he dolcd out the wa
ter to himself ana horse. Most of the
time lac held bulbs of the sand cactus
in his mouth as II preventive of thirst.
and he fed them literally to his horse.
The night WAS inCNprcSSbly silent.
Neither whir of insect nor howl of
coyote came TO break the munOtOny of
the weary hours.
At the end of the second day his wa
ter supply was exhausted, and nothing
remained but II handful of coffee and
small bag of bran. Not Il spear of
grass was To- he found. ana as the
hGrSr struggled along after his master
through the deep white sand he Sr"aned
with almost human Representatives,.
When the sun arose on the third day,
IL appeared like Il rcdhOt stove lid that
had been showed up above the horizon
in the night.
The trail was less than an hour old
when the exhausted purSucr reached
the banks of the PecoS river. He found
the bed of the stream as dry as the
shores Thrailc un,addlcd his horse
and helped the poor creature gather
the SpHrSeiy growing blades of soft
salt grass. At spot in the bed of the
river where this grass was usually
thrifty he spent an hour digging with
his huntin" knife and was rewarded
with enough water to qu1nch their
thirst and to ill one of his rubber bags.
The next morning he started again
on the trail. walking all the time to
save his horse. In the course of Il few
miles he came To the worst Of the des-
Crt. Here was Il grta sea- of soft white
sand. into which the horse ut every
step sank to his tctlockS and the man
Ia his ankles The horse could not en-
Gurr this ui.c2usirg struggle. and soon
after noon he sank down. To save him