The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-25

one shot from Capt. Rogers and one from
Sheriff Toms, and two bullets few danger
ously near the head Of Lofts Ross was
fun speed. Capt. Rogers was Immediately
in hot. pursuit. The Captain was only a
jump behind, and every few jumps was
shooting at Ross. The race continued
for, several hundred yards, until Rogers
and Ross was then several leaps ahead.
There was only one thing that kept Rogers
from killing Ross the second or third sho t.,
and this was the fact that the race lay along
the hillside and over some deep COW trails
that had been washed out and made the
Captain, seeing that Lofts was gaining on
him rapidly, decided it was useless to follow
him.
When the Captain had arrived at the
Ellingwood ranch he found that his own
horse was very much jaded, and had to
get fresh horse there. Consequently, he
was not familiar with the one he was rid
ing, but, had he known it, he was riding
a much better horse than was Ross just at
the time, and In three to FIVE mile race
outwinded the one that Ross was riding;
but the fates seemed to have favored Ross
again, and he rode over the hill some two
miles to the east and was lost to sight.
Capt; Rogers and Sheriff Toms went to
their horses for two hours OF more.
In the meantime Lofts, alias Ross, had
ridden east. and going into the house
found no one at home. What he did find
Winchester rifle which he took, mounted
his horse and rode back to the herd that
was grazing some little distance from the
chuck wagon. He rode to the herd, chatted
pleasantly with the boys and said that
the Captain and Sheriff had opened up the
hall hut ha int dnA VI, ha w
closed: Going out to where the horse
wrangler" was grazing the horses not In
use, he roped his favorite,. "Nig'-a fine
black horse with white face, one
Of the feetess footed and best winde .
fresh horse and turned his tired one loose
in the herd. Then, riding around sand
ridge. he posted himself directly between
the chuck wagons and the windmills
knowing that the Captain and the Sheriff
drink before they started back to Filing
wood ranch.
In the meantime, the Captain and the
Sheriff, having eaten and rested. mounted
their horses and started for the wtndrnills
sticking the steel into his tired horse some
twenty miles away and looking back every
few minutes to see II he was being followed
by the, officers Of the law, As they rode
over the sand ridge, Left.s arose some
Toms Toms saw $ him drst, and cried out: NY
Godl Look. there's LOFTS The Captain
caught sight OF Lofts just as he was level
ing his Winchester at him. He jerked his
horses head up just as LOFTS pulled the
Trigger and .. the sr ssb q the 1se ssd
gave powerful jump. which threw Rogers
of backward. and before he had time to
pull weapon LOFTS ran forward and raised
his Winchester to give him finishing shot
II 1t seemed necessary.
When Capt. Rogers got tie next look
at a $3.50 Winchester, and with about three
seconds Of life left. 30 far as could be seen,
unless he did something and did it quickly,
he did what any sensible man would have
done under the circumstances. He threw
yelled: "For Gods sake, don't shoot me
any morel'
Il ought to kill you said Lofts. you
tried 10 kill me when didn't have 80 much
as a pocket knife to defend myself With
already shot through the body, and that
it would probably prove fatal Sc, Ross
took his six-shooter, cartridges and car
fridge belt away from him, also the warrant
and letters referring to the proposed arrest,
pin, and let me see Where your are shot. /.
Rogers turned over, but no blood was found
on the ground, and on further examine taon
it was found that the ball had not hit him
III,
numbed from his hard fall on the ground,
and that the ball had shattered the low er
right jawbone Of the horse. and been de-
flected.
sh passb Io Mh.n oss shot at az caps
Rogers the Sheriff jumped Of his horse
and started of on q run, and when Lof-
tis had finished disarming Capt. Rogers
Toms was seen some distance away. Lofts
called for him to come back, but he evil
lx,
Lofts leeped on Mig and Hoped down to
where he was and asked for his six shooter.
Toms said he had lost it. LOFTS, lowering
his 1880, told him that II was about time
up his slI-shooter, where be had thrown
It away, and gave It to LOFTS, also his
cartridge belt, and both parties went down
to the wlndmills to get drink and sat down
on the Bermuda grass on the bank and
talked the matter over Capt K9pse5s tod
taken from him was present to him by
the company, and that he would like very
much to have 1t back. It was AS Colt
with a pearl handle, with an inscription
engraved on the handle, stating that 1t
had been presented to the Captain by his
When the Captain and the Sheriff got
ready 10 start back to the Ellingw God ranch
LOFTS " alked out and hung the empty. six
shooters and cartridge belt Of each OF the
Objects over nls bauuio hoih, anu WIN I n,
empty firearms and no cartridges to fill
them the defeated officers started back
to the Ellingw God ranch to stay for the night.
LOFTS bade those present farewell, rode
around the herd and said Rood-by to the
other boys and then went away to be hunted
in the future as in the past, but perhaps
to be sought more closely and hunted with
more determination.
A number OF Texas Rangers have gone
into that country to hunt down LOFTS,
but inasmuch as LOFTS spared the life Of
Capt. Rogers, the Captain thinks 1t best
shoot him With Very good grace.
Little Girls Hard Lot in China.