The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1908-07-24

and met Black on the corner, running.
He stopped, cried out, You, too, damn
you and that's the last knew until
the boys picked me up"
These were the most interested
Langford, Gordon, Williston Had they
been in the count, things might have
been different 1t is very probable a
! posse would have been formed for i'm
mediate pursuit. But others must do
what had been better done had it not
been for those shots in the dark.
| There was blood outside Gordon's win
| dow; yet Black had not crawled home
| to die. He had not gone home at ALL
| a least, that is what the sheriff said
| No one had seen the convicted man
after his desperate and spectacular
exit from the courtr0Om-n0 one at
least but Louise, Mary, and her faith
err. Mary's shot had not killed him, but
it had saved Richard GOrdOn'S life,
which was far better thing. 1t was
impossible to track him out Of town,
for the cattle had trampled the snow
in every direction.
The authorities could gather no out
side information. The outlying claims
and ranches refuted Indignantly any
hint Of their having given aid or
shelter to the fugitive. Or Of having
any cOgnizance whatsoever regarding
his possible Whereabouts. So the pur-
suit, at first hot and excited, gradual
ly wearied of following false leads
cOntented itself with desultOry jOurn.
eys when prodded thereto by the COM
polling power of public OPINION
ally ceased altogether even as a pre-
tence.
One Of the first things done follow
ing the dramatic day in court had
been to send the officers out to the
little shanty in the valley where the
half-breed lay dead across the thresh-
Old A watch was also set upon this
place; but no one ever came there.
August had come again, and Judge
Dale was in kemah to hear a court
case.
Langford had ridden in from the
ranch on purpose to see Judge Dale.
His clothes were spattered with mud
There had been a succession Of
storms, lasting for several days; last
night cloud had burst out west some
where. All the creeks were swollen.
Judge, I believe Jesse Black has
been on that island Of his all the
time"
What makes you think so, Lang
ford?'
Because our sheriff is four-fush-
ing-he always was in sympathy with
the gang, you know. Besides, where
else can Black be-"
Dale puckered his lips thoughtfully.
What have you heard?" he asked.
"Rumors are getting pretty thick
that he has been seen in that neigh
borhood on several occasions. 1t is
my honest belief he has never left it."
What did you think of doing about
it, Langford?"
II want you to give me bench war
rant, judge. am confident that I can
get him. 1t is the shame of the coun-
ty that he is still at large"
you have to deal with one of the
worst and most desperate outlaws in
the United States. You must know it
will be a very hazardous undertaking,
granting your surmises to be correct,
and fraught with grave peril for some
one"
Il understand that fully"
"This duty is another's, not yours"
"But that other is incompetent"
"My dear fellow. said the Judge,
rising and laying his hand on Lang
fords big shoulder, do you really
want to undertake this?"
Il certainly do"
Then l will give you the warrant,
gladly. You are the one man in the
state to do it-unless 7 except the gal
liant little deputy marshal You know
the danger. l admire your grit, my
boy. Get him if you can; but take care
of yourself. Your life is worth so
much more than his. Who will you
take with you?"
"Munson, of course. He will go in
spite of the devil, and he's the best
man l know for anything like this
Then l thought of taking the deputy
sheriff. He's been true blue all along,
and has done the very best possible
under the conditions
very good. Take Johnson, too. He'll
be glad to go. He's the Quickest little
fighter in the world,-not a cowardly
hair in his head"
So it was agreed, and the next
morning, bright and early, the little
posse, reinforced by others who had
earnestly solicited the privilege of 60
ing along, started out on it's journey.
The rains were over hut tho roads