The Irish standard., 1908-02-22

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loud, clear, resonant voice, joyful
voice, a voice whose tones fairly oozed
rapture.
"Hellity damn! The Three Bars g
gettin' busy. Mouse.hair!"
Judge Dale started. He glared
angrily in that direction.
Remove that man." he ordered.
curtly. He liked Jim, but he could
not brook this crying contempt of
court. Jim was removed. He went
quietly, but shaking his head reproach.
fully.
II never would a. thought it o. the
jedge," he murmured, disconsolately.
Il never would "a thought it,
There was movement in the back
Of the room. A man was making his
way out, slipping along, cat-like, try
ing to evade attention. Quietly Cor
don motioned to the sheriff and
slipped paper into his hand.
Look sharp" he whispered. his
+. steady eyes on the shifty ones of the
sheriff. IF you let him get away. just
remember the handwriting on the
wall. It's our turn now"
Presently there was slight scufle
by the door and two men quietly left
the improvised courtroom.
DAY before yesterday. in the after.
noon," continued Williston, II man.
aged to knock Nightbird down at the
threshold as he was about to enter I
had secretly worked a cross.beam
from the low, unfinished ceiling. There
was nothing else in the room might
use for weapon. They were very
careful. think killed him, your
honor and gentlemen of the jury.
am not sorry. There was no other
way. But would rather it had been
the maker. not the tool. BY the time
l had made my way back to the Lazy
S was too exhausted to go further;
so I crawled over to my neighbors.
the Whites, and Mother White made
me shake.down. lay there, nearly
dead, until this morning."
He leaned back wearily.
Black stood up. He was not lank
nor lazy now, nor stunning. His body
was drawn to its full height. In the
instant before the spring, Mary, who
was sitting close to the attorneys
table, met his glance squarely. She
read there what he was about to do.
Only moment their eyes held each
others but 1t was time enough for q
swift message of understanding, of
utter dislike, and of a determined will
to defeat the mans purpose, to pass
from the accusing brown eyes to the
cruel ones of the defendant.
Quick as flash Black seized the
chair upon which he had been sitting,
sprang clear of the table and his law.
yers, and landed close to Mary's side.
With his chair as weapon, he meant
to force his way to the nearest win.
dow. Mary's dilated. Unhesitatingly
she seized the half-emptied glass on
the table and dashed the contents full
into the prisoners face. Blinded, he
halted a moment in his mad rush.
Mary's quick maneuver made Lang
ford's opportunity. He grappled with
Black. The crowd went mad with ex.
citement.
The prisoner still retained his chair.
When Langford grappled with him, he
attempted to bring it down upon the
fair head Of his antagonist. Mary
gasped with dread, but Langford
grasped the chair with one muscular
hand, wrested it from the desperado's
hold and threw it to the floor. The
two men locked in a close embrace
Langfords great strength was more
than sufficient to hold the outlaw until
the dazed officers could do their duty
had he been let alone; but two men,
who had been standing near the door
when the prisoner made his unex-
pected leap for liberty, had succeeded
in worming their way through the ex-
cited crowd, and now suddenly threw
themselves upon the ranchman, drag.
ging him back.
stand aside or I'll shoot!"
1t was girls voice, clear and firm.
Mary had been the first to realize that
Blacks friends, not Langford's had
Joined in the struggle. She snatched
her revolver from her cowboy belt
she had not been without either since
the Lazy 8 was burned-and cried out
her challenge. Glancing quickly from
the cleaning barrel to the determined
face Of the young girl, the men let go
their hold of Langford and fell back
precipitately.
Instantly Langford sprang forward.
but Black had made good use of his
moment of grace. Swinging his arms
to the right and left, he had beaten his
way to the window, when Langford
again seized him, but he he'd the ad-
vantage this time and he tore himself
loose. throwing Langford violently
against the window.casing. With his
bare. clinched fist he shivered the
glass and leaped out-into the arms
OF Jim Munson.
The officers made gallant plunges
through the sampeded crowd in their
efforts to get clear of the room to fol.
low the fugitive. But certain men
managed tn keen themselves clumSlly