The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1906-02-15
The Hero Of Quickst0ne Gap
BY William Mason.

the boy glanced angrily at a yellow and
white mongrel that was nosing about
at the mans feet.
Bill Blankenship'l heve sometFin'
better to do with that gun Of his'n ef
what folk say about him is true" re-
piled the other, a tall, lank mountain
eer, with a dirty yellow beard, as he
leaned on his Winchester.
The boy, who is not over - or 10
years old, who had been up in the hills
with his ather's sheep all day, glanced
quickly at the others face, n SAID
with apparent carelessness;
You needn't come talkin' about that
resenooer to me. You uns down in the
cove been pickin' at Pap ever since
Will Henson rode home with Mary from
Marshall last year. She 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., and
he amt been a deputy marshal but
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 night.
Lem Haskins put a bullet in him, but
he got away. He's hangin' about here
somewhar, but he'll never git away.
All the trails is watched.
He's our meat-what' the matter
with that feist?"
The mongrel had been nosing uneasily
about the nearby bushes for some min
utes. and the boy had eyed him with
covert, anxious glances. The mans at
tention had been attracted by a whine
from the dog, which was running about
the base Of a large boulder, some nfty
feet up a ravine toward which the
mans back had been turned.
Il freed a squirrel in that white oak
-. L ~,oa1- ,,,,I;Jo IanlyE Gl1nSC that
fest Of your'n nosed him." said the
boy indifferently.
Never knowed tina dog to mind a
squirrel ~before-whatS that "A
large stone had come crashing down
the face of the boulder and landed
near the dog, which Immediately COM
menced to ark furiously, placing his
f~orefeet against the boulder and paw
ing as If he wished to climb up.
I'm a-goin' to see What that dogs
got. You been allyn to me, boy!.
said the man. cooking his rlfle ana
starting onward
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 waylaid him
as he rode through the cove and had
wounded him badly, though he had
managed to escape.
He would never forget how Mary
had thrown herself at her fathers feet
and told him that she and Henson
We're to be married; that they had
loved each other for years, and that
her lover was OF 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 how,
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 how he had hid
den from his nernies and managed
at last to reach their cabin. He had
been hunted for hours after his es-
cape, and he expected his pursuers
any mOmen
1t had been hastily arranged to con.
ceal the wounded man up on the
ridge, the ~Blankenships knowing that
Henson's love for Mary was known in
the mountains, n that the men
hunting the wounded officer would be
likely TO visit their house.
The girl refused to leave her lover,
and 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 to
watch the sheep, but really to stand
guard, and the father had returned to
the cabin to do the best he could to
lead the bloodthirsty Searchers from
their victim. The girl and her lover
We're concealed just above the boulder
at the foot of which the dog was now
barking. The lad had watched them
all day without food.
The boy made up his mine quickly.
TN climb up thar and see what it
is" he said, stepping forward at the
mans side. The mountainer was wary,
however, and running to the side of the
ravine dropped behind some bushes and
began to raw forward on his hands
and knees. The boy walked in the
open.
"Git back thar. kid" said the man
hoarsely. EFF you play any tricks on
me I'll blow yer darn heart out!"
But the boy dared the threat, and,
breaking into a run, dashed to the side
of the oulde and climbed to the
bushes above. There sat his sister with
the head Of her wounded lover on her
lap. Sis" he cried, give me his hat
and coat quick" and hastily donning
them he added, Keep still sis. Buds
a coward, and will stay in the gulch a
little before comm on. No matter what
happens, lie still"
WIN that ne crepl SleallNlly through
the underbruSh until he had gotten
some fifty yards further up the gulch.
Then placing himself SO that his head
and shoulders would be visible to any
one standing below In the ravine, he
deliberately dislodged a large stone
with his foot and sent 1t crashing be-
low. A few moments later the crouch
ing girl was started by the report of
a rifle just below her and heard Bud
Dexter say: "G-d-him; I got
him!" and then the SCUM Of his re-
treating footsteps.
Hours later when the uncouth old ia
Their assembled to the hiding lovers and
heard his daughters story he uttered
an oath and strobe rapidly in the d.
rection his boy had aiken. He found
the lad lying or his back with a great
woun in his shoulder.
The boy still breathed. Tenderly the
father carried him back to where the
others were. Then the boy opened his
eyes and tool his sisters hand.