The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1906-02-15
The Hero OF Quickstone Gap
BY William Mason.

Copyright. 1905. by ". r. Hearst.)
Il amt seen nobody about the clear
ng all day, and Dexter and you needn't
+! come hanging around here. Tha dog
of yourn killed that sheep Of Pap's last
week, anyhow. PapH shoot him If you
don't keep him away from here" And
the boy glanced angrily at ayellow and
white mongrel that was nosing about
at the mans feet.
Bill Blankenship'l heve somethln'
better to do with that gun of his'n CT
what folks say about him is true re-
piled the other, a tall, lank
f, eer, with a dirty yellow beard, as he
leaned on his Winchester.
The boy, who Is not over IL or u
years old, who had been up in the hills
with his fathers sheep all day. glanced
quickly at the others face, n SAID
with apparent carelessness:
You needn't come talkin' about that
to me, You uns down in the
cove been pickin' at Pap ever since
Will Henson rode home with Mary from
Marshall last year. h never told him
nuthin', an he amt been back to the
Gap since. Pap amt seen him since
he left the sittlemint five years ago, ana
he amt been a deputy marshal put
four"
"'Twant long after that ride with
Mary that he busted our still in the
cove. We been a layin' for him ever
since, and we nearly got him last nlght.
Lem Haskins put a bullet IN MN, oul
he got away. He's hangin' about here
somewhar, but he'll never git away.
All the trails is watched.
He's our ~mGat-what's the matter
with that feist?" -
The mongrel been nosing uneasily
about the nearby bushes for some MIN
utes, and the boy had eyed him with
covert. anxious chances. The mans at
tention had been attracted by q Whlne
from the dog, Which was running about
the base Of u large boulder, some nlty
feet up a ravine TOWARD which the
mans back had been turned.
Il freed q squirrel In that WHITE oak
by the rock awhile back. Guess tiat
feist of your'n nosed aim. said the
boy indifferently.
Never knowed that dog to mind a
squirrel before-whats tnat! a
large stone a come crashing, down
the face of the boulder and landed
near the dog, which ammeolately VIZ We
menced to bark f~uriously, placing ms
f~orefeet against the boulder and paw
ing as if he wished to climb up.
I'm a-goin' to see what thai dogs
got. You been a-lyin' to me, y
said the man, cooking his rifle ana
starting forward.
The boy was in desperate straits.
He thought of the look on his sisters
face the night before when his father
had entered their cabin and told them
that he guessed Bill Henson was done
for, that the boys" had waylald MN
as he rode through the cove and had
wounded him badly, though he hao
managed to escape.
He would never forget how Mary
had thrown herself at her fathers feet
and told him that she n henson
were to be married; that they nao
owed each other for years, n that
her lover was on his way back to ask
her father to let him take her to Mar
shall to be married when he was am
pushed.
The old father had lifted her to her
feet and told her he would go out to
try to find henson. 1t was while the
father was trying to soothe the girl
that the door had opened and Henson
himself staggered into the room. The
boy remembered with a shock now.
with a scream Of JOY, his sister had
thrown her arms about her lover and
vowed never to let him out Of her
sight again.
Henson told them O he had hid
den from his enemies and manage
at last to reach their cabin. He had
been hunted for hours after his es-
cane, n ne expected his pursuers
any moment.
1t had been hastily arranged to con.
ceal the wounded man up on the
ridge, the Blankenships knowing thai
Henson's love for Mary was known II
the mountains, II that the mer
hunting the ounde officer would be
likely to visit their house.
h girl refused to cave her lover
II it was found necessary to take
her with them. They had crept eau
tiously up the mountain and arrived
at the little cabin just before day
break. The lad was left, apparently II
watch the sheep, but really to stanC
! guard, and the father had returned t
l the cabin to do the best he could t
lead the bloodthirsty searchers from
their victim. The girl and her love
at the foo of which the dog was nov
l barking. The lad had watched then
all day without food.
i The boy made up his mind quickly
| IN climb up thar and see what
is" he said, stepping forward at tn
mans side. The mOuntainer was wary
however, and running to the side of tn
{ ravine dropped behind some bushes an
began to crawl Onward OF his hand
I and knees. The boy walked in III
open.
cit back thar, kid" said the MAJ
hoarsely. EFF you play any tricks o.
me I'll blow yer darn heart QUIT"
But the boy dared the threat, and
breaking into a run, dashed to the sid
' Of the boulder and climbed to tn
bushes above. There sat his sister VT.
the head Of her wounded lover on he
T lap. Sis" he cried, give me his ha
g and coat quick." and hastily donnin
them he added, Keep still sis. Bud
y a coward, and will stay in the gulch
little before comm on. No matter wha
z happens, lie still"
V With that he crept stealthily throug
- ~ ~ Wi ch ~ hn hn1 pnf3n
= some fifty yards further up the gulcl
Then placing himself so that his hea
II and shoulders would be visible to an
one standing below in the ravine, h
"a deliberately dislodged a large ston
with his foot and sent it crashing be
~ low. A few moments later the crouch
ls ing girl was started by the report {
u q rifle inst below her and heard Blu