The Red Cloud chief., 1905-04-07

ther magnifcently sacrifcial and fear
less or she %cunnlngly calculated that
the regulators would take no chances
OF killing a woman.child. for she kept
between their guns and her two com
panions. trying to cover and shield the
latter with her frail body.
"Shoot. Lige," called Watts. "If we
IRE from here wen hit the girl. Shoot!''
Willetts and Ross Schofield were still
standing or the roof ut the edge out
or the smoke. and both fired mt the
same time. The fugitivcs did not turn.
They kept on running. and they had
nearly reached the other side OF the
field when suddenly, without any pre-
monitory gesture, the elder Skillet
dropped fiat on his face. The Cross
roaders stood by each other that day,
for -four or five men ran out of the
nearest shanty into the open. lifted the
PROSTATE figure from the ground and
began to carry II back with them. But
Skillet was alive. His curses wer
heard above all other sounds. Lige
and Schofield fired again, and one of
the rescuers staggered. Nevertheless
as the two men slid down from the roof
the burdencd Crossroaders were seen
to break into a run. and at that, with
another yell. ~ticrccr, wilder, more Joy
GUS than the first, the Plattville men
followed.
The yell rang loudly In the ears Of
old WilkersOn, who had remained back
In fhn rnA.y n,l ~ tI.. 49,. "a.
ne heard another shout behind him.
He had not shared i'm the attack: but,
greatly prcoccupied with his own his
trlonic affairs, was proceeding alone
mp the pike, except for the unhappy
yellow mongrel still dragged along by
the rope, and alternating, as was his
natural wont, from one fence To the
other, %crouching behind every bush to
fire an imaginary rifle at the dog and
then springing out with triumphant
bellOwings to fall prone upon the terri
fled animal. 1t was after one of these
victories that Il shout of warming was
vaised behind him, and Mr.. Wilkcrson.
by grace of the god Bacchus, rolling
out of the way in time to save his life.
saw n horse dash by him. Il big. black
horse whose polished TANKS were drip.
ping with lath2r. Warren Smith was
the rider. He was waving a slip of vel
low paper high in the air.
He rode up the slope md drew rein
beyond the burning buildings Just
ahead of those foremost in the pursuit.
He threw his horse across the road to
oppose their progress, rose in his stir
rups and waved the paper over lis
head. 'StOp!" he roared. "Give me
one minute! Stop He had Il grand
voice, and he was known in many
parts of the state for the great bass
roar with which he startled his juries.
To be heard at a distance most men
lift the pitch of their voice. Smith
lowered his an octave or two, and the
result was like an earthquake playing
an organ in Il catacomb.
stop" he Numbered. "Stop!"
In answer one Of the flying Cross
readers turned and sent a bullet wills
Ting close to him. The lawyer paused
long enough to bow deeply In satirical
response; then, fl%ourishing the paper,
he roared again: "Stop! A mistake.
l ave news! Stop, l say! Horner has
got them!"
To make himself heard over that
tempestuOus advance was a feat; for
him, moreover, whose %cOunsels had so
lately been derided, to interest the pur-
suers at such Il moment enough TO
make them listen-tO find the word
was n greater. and by the word and
by gestures ut once vebemently i'm
perious and implOring to stop them
was a still greater. But he did it. lie
had come at just the moment. before
the moment that would have been too
late. They all heard him. They all
knew, too, that he was not trying to
save the Crossroads as a matter of
duty, because he had given that up be-
was a question If ut the last he had
not tacitly approved, and 10 II feared
indictments for the days work. 1t
would do no harm to listen to what he
had to say. The work could wait. 1t
would keep for five minutes. They
began to gather around him, excited,
flushed, perspiring and smelling of
smoke. Hartley Bowlder, won by
Lige's desperation and intrepidity, was
helping the latter tie up his head. No
one else was hurt.
what Is it," they clamored impa-
tently. Speak quick" There was
another harmless shot from a fugitive.
and then the CrossrOaders, divining
tha the diversion was In their IN yOr