The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1908-06-12


brush-a most excellent screen-was
tiny cabin. In this tiny cabin |
have lived, closely watched prisoner,
from that day until l 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 l saw him
subsequently, as to what was to be his
ultimate disposal of me. l 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 q
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 a
loud, clear, resonant voice, a joyful
voice, voice whose tones fairly oozed
rapture.
"Hellity damn The Three Bars S
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.
81 never would "a thought it O. the
jedge," he murmured, disconsolately.
Il never would "a thought it,
There was a 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"
Presently there was slight scuffle
by the door and two men quietly left
the improvised courtroom.
DAY before yesterday, in the after
noon," continued Williston, Il man.
aged to knock Nightbird down at tho
threshold as he was about to enter. ]
had secretly worked a cross-beam
from the low, unfinished ceiling. There
was nothing else in the room | nAght
use for a weapon. They were very
careful. / think / killed him, your
honor and gentlemen of the jury.
am not sorry. There was no other
the maker, not the tool. BY the time
/ had made my way back to the Lazy
S l 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, 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 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 a moment their eyes held each
others but it was time enough for
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 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 fulS
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 1t down upon the
fair head of his antagonist Mary
gasped with dread, but Langford
grasped the chair with one muscular
hand, wre3ted 1t 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 dooi