Gunnison news-champion., 1908-01-31

8<s0seA%tG& Us0seQ S9x t08r~ ~ -
kaaay'~ eslSsa AAry. u . oAann1
whi~Ser TCouse Acss-sh~y are auaD
.; tA< sA<ds-
] Nsaas~ses sssps-~d " ths ssck -
zoe Susckly.
'CAAas~ pasc~s.~ A< 500 srisay.
-kAAAy.-
Yes
Keep w your .Yss.- sAe ssssaasd
bcts~rs great Ae~A -psaes
'osssiy. tO ySu tA< sa0& n1nnB
coOrsAs and sA0Ss 70 KIN
There sss . sasa&s nsse N ~ ~
Sords. For hisseh. Il ~ aA uoseas
~ much. but Aary-A@ ptnssd -
false faith N sny thoueAt II posa11laD
chivalEous tpteet 90 the part Il -
raiders TO cxe0y,t his daughter esu0
the xriR tate that awaited him- -
had ID deal With . desperate naa;
there ~ould be- no caeReHcy u ~
desperate mans rctaliatiea-
To his Quickened hearing caDe ~
sound of stealthy creepaag osoe
thing moved directly In froat q haa.
but sssssae distance away. "aAasA evsry
shadow You sec. especially = \
moves" we're the Aghtias erdess. -
his Sas the third shss Of thss niUAA
Hell, I've got 1t In the leg" csisA
. rough voice full of intense aaGer
and pain. and there we're sounds II .
precipitate retreat.
Out under protection a the laag
roo of lo~ built sheds other osAsrs
we're being tersely given and silently
received.
Nov, men. III shoot the Arxt maa
of you Who blubbers when he's hit.
Dye hear? There have beea breaks
enough In this affair already. I a<uat
intend for that pctticoat man and hts
pulin' petticoat Kid In there TO get aay
satisfaction ont o. this at all Hear
me-"
There was no response. None VAS
needed
Some shots found harmless ioAs-
meBt in the outer walls Of the shanty
I They were the result of an unavailing
attempt to pick the window whence
/ Williston's shot had come. Mary
could not keep back little womanish
/ gasp Of nervous dread.
Grip yom nerve. Mary" said her
father. That's nothing-shootiRG
from down there. just lie low and
they can do nothing. Only watch,
child, watch, They must not creep
Mp on us. Oh, for y moon"
She did grip her nerve. and her
4 hand ceased its trembling. In the
1 darkness her eyes were big and
solemn. Sometime. tomorrow. the re-
action would come. but tonight
Yes. father, keep up your own
nerve" she said in a brave little Voice
that made the man catch his breath.
Again the heavy minutes dragged
away. Al each of the two windows
crouched q tense figure, brain alert.
eyes In iron control. 1t vas q fright-
ful strain, this waiting game. CsslA
one be sure nothing had escaped sos's
vigilaaoe! Star1tght was ascep4tve,
aDl sae's eyes auSt DosAs dA1ft -
keep the mastery over tAe4S httbs
hOrisOa. II might well be that so0e
one OF those ghostly and hiddeA sen
tinels patrOlling the lonely Homestead
had wormed himself past staring eye
balls, crawling, crawling, crawling; It
might well be that at any moment .
sudden light fiaring up from some
corner would tell the tale of the end.
Now and then could be heard the
soft thud Of q hoOf as some one rode
to execute an order. Occasionally.
something moved out by the sheds
Such movement, il discernible from
the house, was sure TO be followed on
the instant by quick, sharp remon-
STRANGE from WillistOn's rife. How
long could 1t last? Would his nerve
wear away with the night? Could he
keep his will dominant? II so. he
must drag his mind resolutely away
from that nerve-racking. still. and un-
seen creeping, creeping. creeping.
nearer and nearer. How the stiffness
weighed upon him, and still his mind
dwelt upon that sinuous, fat-bellied
creeping. crawling. worming! God, 1t
was awful. He fought 1t desperately.
He knew he was lost II he could not
stop thinking about 1t. The sweat
came out in big beads On his forehead.
on his body; he prickled with the heat
Of the effort. Then it left him-the
awful horror-left him curiousiy cold,
but steady OF nerve and with q will of
iron and eyes. cats eyes. for their
seeing in the dark. Now that he was
calm once more he let himself weigh
the chances Of succor. They were
pitifully remote. The Lazy 3 was
situated in a lonely stretch of prairie
land far from any direct trail True,
it lay between Kemah, the county
seat, and the Three Bars ranch, but
1t was . good half mile from the
straight routs. Even 10. 1t was . late
hour for any one TO be passing by II
was not q Travelled trail except for the
boys Of the Three Bars, and they
were known. to be great home-stayers
and little given to spreeing. As for
the rustlers. IL rustlers they were.