The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-03-03

'FeIlows.' he sais, this won't do.
There's Chev11nes enough below
here to eat you up. cad they'll do it
If you go to shooting. | know where
their camp is, and know what you
intend doing 10 us, but you'll never do
It now. You can shoot US where We
sit. Very well, you'll never live to
tell of it. Better let us go and ride
back to your ranches. There's no use
OF telling you so, but you've made the
biggest mistake OF your lives in TAX
ing us for rustlers."
The men listened, but thier answer
was a stern forward movement and a
rafting clink as cartridges were
thrown from magazine to barrel. They
took the trail again, convinced that
they were right and determined to
so ahead
AS they filed on, the two brothers
suddenly flung their bodies forward.
and rode for a distance lying on their
horses necks. The puncler5 regarded
this move with contemptucus indiffer-
ence, although they vel understood
It as some sort Of sign language OF
capriye5 "Ao could not use their
hands. Tie "cutft,' il fact, was
! sloI.rg FOR a tight.
As they rode ahead the valley of
the OAu5 narrowed anal not more
than Cuarter-niIe "trip Was nemmed
between age-srown breaks cut with
washers, gillies and deep r4viHes.
I'll si,! atmosphere OF tie near
~ hills seemed charged with a hostile
presence Tne imminenca Of danger
was something fairl" tangible, and
every man felt the e.ectric Jingle of
Il.
TIE cowhoy troopers became rigid
IN their seats, aad probably there
was not 4 man Of them bit drew q
breath Of relief when, out of the deep
cuts OF either hand, troops Of wild
riders launched themselves into the
valley
On they came, strineing out of thc
ravires until, at guess, two HI
dred were aligned on the right and !
on tie left.
TIE cow-men halted. No enc spoke
for some seconds. Then Allen open /,
ed his mouth. "Fellows,' he said 4
reckon we all are due to set our hair .
lifted
By their silence and their level .
gaze at the hordes on each hand, his
punchers gave assent. Then Billy Rus
sci, foreman of the XL ranch, turned
to Allen.
Hank" he sl.d, we'd best have
listened to the boy back yonder-he
sure talked right
At this the prisoners laugaed-a
joyous hearty laugh, that had in it
the ring of honest triumph. The CO.
Tor had come back to their cheeks,
and their eyes held a clint Of hopeful
courage.
Now see here men," said Ray
mond. Il guess the tine has come to
tell who we are. You've al heard OF
Henry Catlir, Indian trader at Rose
bud? Well, we're his sons. We'd
been East to school for eight years,
except summers, and last fall We
mother is a half-brecd Cheyenne, we
we're afraid you'd have it in for us as
indians, ard SO, as You didn't size us
Up, We kept STILL T.a.'s the trouble
,hiefy.
Last night when you fellows
umped on Hugo, he'd been trying to
end a lot of Cheyennes about their
Their camp is below here
little way. and they pretended to
e hunting blacktails.
when you brought US down here {
Cu were running straight into them.
'hey'd seen your dust and sent out
scout. After you shot at him we
7ere with you as captives, and he
lade a run for his camp, and stirred
IN out. We've got friends, and rela- q
vies among 'em, and they'll want p
, know what you're going 10 do with p
s. If you let Us 90 it will be all D
ieht, and if you don't well, you can c
uess what will happen q
That's dead easy" sail the fore
an Of BarTwC-Vs. / reckon this y
utfit amt more'n nine or ten kinds II
foo5." q
He rode alongside tie brothers. and "
1t the strings from their wrists. o.
Make your chin sign, Brothers"
: said, 'and tell or friends that we g
Ire mistook their scau. fer one o u
em thievin' Crows a.
With shouts Of JOYFUL laughter the Il
Others rode out to their Indian
lends; and wh.la they talked, max 10
g matters right for the cow-men, u
e latter went irto camp, and ate III
cir dinner peacefully on the bank
the Oxus.-Touth' Companion. w