The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1908-06-18

|
hills. In the midst of this under
brush-a most excellent screen-wal
tiny cabin. In this tiny cabin
have lived. a closely watched prisoner,
from that day until escaped"
The defendant stirred little uneas.
lily. Was he thinking OF Nightbird
with the dark, frozen face-who had
not answered to his call?
BLACK left me soon after. He did
not unbind me, rather bound me the
tighter. There was no one then to
| watch me. He deigned to inform me
that he had found it rather inconven.
lent to kill me after the relief party
rode up, as then there was no abso-
lutte surety of his making clean get
away. and being caught In the act
would be bound to be unpleasant, very
unpleasant just then. SO he had alter
ed his plans little-for the present.
He gave me no hint either that time,
nor either of the two times saw him
subsequently, as to what was to be his
ultimate disposal of me. / could only
suppose that after this trial was well
over in his favor, and fear of indict-
ment for arson and murder had blown
over-if blow over it did-he would
then quietly put an end to me. Dead
men tell no tales. The shanty in the
gulch did not seem to be much of
rendezvous for secret meetings. l led
lonely existence. My jailers were
mostly Enthusiastically Charlie
Nightbird. Two or three times Jake
Sanderson was my guard"
Then from the doorway came
loud, clear, resonant voice, joyful
voice, voice whose tones fairly oozed
rapture.
."Hellity damn. The Three Bars 3
gettin' busy, Mouse-hair!"
Judge Dale started. He glared
angrily in that direction.
Remove that mani" he ordered,
CURLY. 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.
Il 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 a 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"
|
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
-thresha1d- 90 he was about TO ontar.-I
had secretly worked cross-beam
from the low, unfinished ceiling. There
was nothing else In the room might
use for weapon. They were very
careful. 1 think killed him, your
honor and gentlemen of the jury.
am not sorry. There was no other
way. But / would rather 1t had been
the maker. not the tool. By the time
had made my way back to the Lazy
S was too exhausted to go further;
SO l crawled over to my neighbors,
the Whites. and Mother White made
me a shake-down. l lay there, nec.rly
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 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
swift message of understanding, of
utter dislike. land 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.
Marys 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 close embrace.
Langford's great strength was more
than sufficient to hold the outlaw until