The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1908-05-01

remember the handwriting on the
wall. It's our turn now"
Presently there was slight scufae
by the door and two men quietly left
the improvised courtroom.
DAY before yesterday, in the after
noon," continued Williston, 81 man:
aged to knock Nightbird down at the
threshold as he was about to enter. I
had secretly worked cross-beam
from the low unfinished ceiling. There
was nothing else in the room might
use for a weapon. They were very
careful. I think I killed him, your
honor and gentlemen of the Jury, I
am not sorry. There was no other
way. But l would rather it had been
the maker, not the tool. By the time
I had made my way back to the Lazy
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 YEARLY.
Black stood up. He was not lank
nor lazy now, nor shutting. His body
was drawn to it's 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 a moment their eyes held each
others but it was time enough for g.
swift message of understanding, of
utter dislike, and of determined will
to defeat the mans purpose, to pass
from the accusing brown eyes to the
cruel ones of the defendant.
Quick as a 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.
element.
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.
Langford's 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 a 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 s was burned-and cried out
her challenge. CHANGING 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 hi!
way to the window, when Langfort
again seized him, but he he'd the ad
vantage this time and he tore himsel
loose, throwing Langford violentl.
against the embarrassing. With hi
bare, clinched fist he shivered tn
glass and leaped out-into the arm
i OF Jim Munson.
! The officers made. gallant plunge
through the sampeded crowd in thei
efforts to get clear of the room to fol
low the fugitive. But certain me-
managed to keep themselves clumsily
but with marvellous adroitness, never
theless, between the deputies and tn
doors and windows, so that severa
moments elapsed before the outsid
!; was finally gained. -.
Meanwhile jim struggled heroicall
with the outlaw. Black was far s,
| perior to him in weight and strengt
of limb, but Jim was quick and toug
and daring. Expelled from the cour
room, he had been watching throug
the window. He had seen Mary
quick action and his eboss's splendi
attack. He had also seen the littl
gun play" and his eyes glowed in a.
miration of ''Williston's little girl
though his generous heart ached fl
love Of the woman who was not If
him. He saw Black coming. He VIZ
ready for him. He grappled wit
him at once. If the boss or the Officer
would only come now!
When they did come they found il
stretched at length on the froze
ground. He sat up slowly. !.