The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1907-09-03
AN UNFINISHEDTRIAL
By JAMES O'sHAUGHxEssY, JR.

Copyrighted by The Daily Story Pub. Coz
Word was running swiftly through the
redbush country, carrying the news that
Marion Marie was captured. While the
sun was still yellow and lusterless through
the morning haze, and before it had
reached over into the draws and hOllows
Of the clay hills, the men Of the neighbor-
hood were in the saddle and the story of
the taking Of Marion Marie the night be-
lore was on their lips. They were riding
III groups and in pairs and some were
riding sngly, but all their paths we're con
verging toward Squire Yantley's sawmill-
Along the winding roads Bill Ticket was
pressing his tired horses into a hard gal
Top. He was the president Of the Anti
Horse Thief association and he was
spreading the news of the capture and that
was notice TO the members Of the assceia-
ton that he wanted them at the trial
which was to be held at the sawmill.
Takes men to handle ropes when we got
hoss-thieves about" he said,
But the friends of Marion Marie were
among those who were riding over the vel
low clay knob on the east and came gal
Looping across the bottom on the west and
came out on the bride paths that led from
the other directions to the mill. Word had
gone out to them also in the night from
Hez Tickets house. Nan Ticket had dared
to love this man over whose head hung
the odious charge Of horse-stealing. She
was daring even more than that for her
father, her brothers and their friends and
followers had organized the Anti-Horse-Thief
association for the single purpose of cap
turing and if possible of lynching Marion
Marie. Her brother, Bill Telket, was riding
away in the darkness to gather his forces
xrhar eha Of he nd
across fields and by forest paths to give the
alarm.
None of the men was thoughtless enough
to come to the trial unarmed. Most of
them carried longbarreled squirrel rifles
More than half of those gathered there
were friends Of Marion Marie and for that
reason the Anti Horse-Thief association
subject to the humiliating spectacle
of legal inquiry into horse-stealing case.
The millshed, which served as the court
room, was crowded, Squire Yantley was
nervous. Johnny Moore, the sheriff, and
his deputy, Dave Mawpum, sat with their
backs to the wall, revolver in each hand,
with their prisoner between them. Some
men in the room were taller, some were
broader of shoulders, but none was as hand
some in face and in figure as Marie. His
black hair hung down to his shoulders.
He had a red handkerchief knotted at his
throat. His trousers were tucked in the
tops of his boots that were illuminated with
ed and yellow stars and with creseents.
Even the heels of his boots did not escape
.dmiring attention, for they were high and
lender and were jingling with spurs.
II amt never tried no hoss-thief cases."
| aid Squire Yantley, but if ven Just keep
.ood order guess well get along all right"
And he leaned over to Sheriff Moore for
dx-iro to h.da Of 1rrradrra Than
re called upon the prisoner to enter his
flea.
/ IL amt guilty. saiG Marie, as he stood
erect and tossed back his hair.
well who is?" demanded the squire.
There's the hoss-thief,' he cried, point
nz with his arm outstretched. bill Telkeb
stole the mare"
Bill Telket sprang to his feet. The
sembage was suddenly in motion. Back
ward and forward and sidewise, it swayed
ominously and weapons were clicking, but
there was no outbreak or rush or clash.
murmur arose in the rear of the room.
The crowd parted. making a path through
it's center, till girl rushed into the open
space where the prisoner stood in an atti-
tude of defiance, facing Bill Ticket. She
pulled from her head a blue sunbonnet,
whose edges dropped and half hid her face
Z rs SIT 0ib 81 hcA hdtff IcA7DAbNh anu
! glinting fell in masses like mantle on her
shoulders Red bushes fretted in her pal
lid cheeks. The murmurs of the throng
hushed and everyone was staring.
Nan, what brings you here" cried Bill
Ticket
Il come teh save a man that never"
Itch save a hoss-thef"
"You'eh my brother Bill, 'en / love yeh,
EN- l come TO stop yeh from sayin' in
court tibet Marion Mares hoss-thief.
Squire, Marion isn't no boss thief. He neveh
stole the marel"
well, who did steal 'er, Nam asked
the court.
Don't ask me, squire. can't tell yeh.
but Marion didn't"
"Ef yeh don tell, Nan, wen hef tsh
penitenshy i'm"
"Yeh CANT; yeh csintl Thsy'se men
here; they won't let yehl"
Here. Nan, theyse enough O. that" said
Bill Ticket, hercely, as be seized his sister
by the wrist and drew her rudely back.
She turned on her brother and he shrunk
rom the flashing of her dark eyes. She
released her wrist from his grasp. A half
ubdued roar went up from the crowd and
it moved forward. A man in the front
'ank was holding up a revolver. The girl
sprang at him and snatched the weapon
with such suddenness that she had
wrenched it from him before he could
tighten his strong fingers its handle.
Quicker than the men were thinking she
was at the side of the prisoner.
Here Marion" she whispered. placing
the revolver in his hand. Run fur it. Fight
yer way out. Yer boss is at the crick."
while she held up her face TO him, be
bent his mead and kissed her. Then with
a ringing yell, he feaped straight at the
crowd, which opened a pathway Tor hin,
and then c,osed in behind him. Nan threw
herself in front Of the sheriff and his dep
uties and impeded them. 1t was for a
second, only. but it was sufficient time to
put struggling frantic men between them
and their prisoner, whose friends and enc
mics closed in a savage struggle, forced
one another forward and heat one another
back, but no one halted Marie or brought
L. = L l. 4