Gunnison news-champion., 1908-02-14

given b. II that sh~ Wt1ossssns u6xh;
coUs; oa bis sSre pssascstua, UThAi
had he aoae to merit tAas psssA bsn~;
kncsing that Jssse haanck UAs sDcs
more q; liberty. fully sealassaG q vAat
ii~soas testta0oy wAso she vueslers
shouid be ssosGAt to trts,. - - sal
stupidly back aAd Aoa~ nsthiag. And
he had promiss1- WousA WAaanssoa
have had The cosra0~ Sithout that
promises Why we're oGa soane Il his
cowboys esea BOO saseptaG StoA IN
eve upon that little cIatn sAack uAere
lived thai scholar-RAa vkc sss na
o. for the rough life A the pan1ns.
usaybe. but Who haA bs.ea hssve
enough and high minded enough - lay
hi~ all On the white altar II taalinx
vhsf he knew for rights sake. Ane
the girl
God The girl" he cried alead
What did you say. boss . asked
jim. pounding alongside.
Nothing" said IAasford. cartly
He spurred his mare savascly. In
the shock of surprise. Aad the stins
that his neglected word brought him.
he had forgotten the girl-Willistou' :
little girl" with the grave eyes-the
girl who was not 10 hut 20 and more
the girl who had waited for him.
whom he had sent ON her loug way
alone. joyously. as one free u duty
that promised To be irksome-the girl
who had brought the blood Ia his face
when. ashamed. he had galloped on
TO the spring-the girl who had closed
her door when a mans curious eyes
had roved that way. How could he
forget?
The little cavalcade swept On with
increased speed following the lead
Of the master. soon the sound of
shooting was borne to them distinctly
through the quiet night.
Thank God. boys" cried I.angford.
digging in his spurs once more. They
are not surprised, Listen, God,
What plucky fight, II they can only
hold OUT"
At that moment a tiny tongue Of
fame lcaped up away to the front
VI 'u'is III tiV INV
q beacon light Now there were two
they grew spread. leaped heaven
ward in mad revel LangforA's heart
sank like lead. He grOaned IN ~ ex-
ceeding bitterness Of spirit. The
worst had happened. Would they be
N time? These claim shantiss burn
like paper. And the girl! Ne aouhteA
not that she mad sustained her share
Of the good fight She had fOssGht
like a man. she must die like . man
would be the outlaws reasoning He
believed she would die like = man-
II that meant bravely-but something
clutched ut his heart rt-strings with the
thought. Her big. solemn eyes came
back to him now as they had looked
when she had lifted them to him
gravely as he sat his horse and she
had said she had waited for him. Was
she waiting now?
The boys rallied to the new i'm
petus gloriously. They knew BOW
what II meant and their hardy hearts
thrilled to the excitement Of it, and
the danger. They swept from the main
trail into the DINNER one leading to
Williston's. without diminution Of
speed. Presently, the boss drew rein
with a suddenness that would have
played havoc with the equil 1riuii of
hess seasoned horsemen than cowboys
They followed with the precision and
accord Of trained cavalrymen. Nov
and then could be seen a black, SIMS
ter fgure patrolling the burning home
stead. but Juggling closely the outer
skirt Of darkness. waiting for the
doomed door to open.
''Boys." began Langford. But he
never gave the intended command to
charge at once with wild shouting and
shooting to frighten away the maraud-
ers and give warning to the besieged
that rescue was at hand. For at that
moment the door opened and Willis
ton and his daughter stepped out in
full view Of raider and rescuer. Would
there be parley? A man. siouching in
his saddle. rode up into the circle of
lurid light. Was IL Jesse Black There
was something hauntingly familiar
about the droop OF the shoulders. That
Was all; hardly enough to hang q
man.
Langford raised his rife quickly.
His nerves were perfectly steady. His
sight was never truer. His bvllet
went straight to the rife arm OF tie
outlaw; With . ringing shout he raj
lied his co0raaes. spurred his psay
forward. anA the little party eharssl
The astou.Aed raiSers with . fury Il
shots that made eoch rustler stnoA
veil to bis ovn s.pport. leaving tAe
Willistoa's. for the time being, ffve
FROM thelr axteatSoa.
The AespersAoes were - the ~.
They cared 10 take 10 risk Il iApeei-
ecatioa. II Was not easy to AeternAns
osw Oaay there were. nere sesw~a
. haH1seea o. Oore. ut pruAohay
SUar q I've 1t tie most would opn