Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1909-07-31
uRDAY. july a1. 1000.

dusk they divided: two men lurking in
the brush along the creek rode as
close as they could. unobserved. to
ward the crossing. while Du Sang aud
the cowboy Karg. known as Flat Nose.
rode down to Bags ranch at the foot
of the pass.
At that point Dan Baggs. an old To-
connective engineer, had taken a home
stead. got together a little bunch Of
cattle. and was living alone with his
son. a boy of ten years IL was a
hard country and too close TO vii
iiams Cache for comfort. but Dan got
on with everybody because the tough
est man in the Cache country could
get a meal. a feed for his horse. and a
place 10 sleep at Bags. without
charge. when he needed II.
Ed Banks. by hard riding. got TO the
crossing at five o'clock. and told Bags
OF the hold-up and the shooting OF
oliver Sellers. The news stirred the
old engineman. and his excitement
threw him OF his guard Banks rode
straight on for the middle pass. leav-
ing word that two Of his men would be
along within half an hour 20 watch the
pass and the ranch crossing. and asked
Bags TO put mp some kind OF a fight for
the crossing until more Of the posse
came up-at the least. TO make sure
that nobody got any fresh horses.
The boy was cooking supper in the
kitchen, and Baggs had done his milk
ing and gone back to the corral. when
two men rode around the corner OF the
barn and asked IL they could get
something TO eat. Poor Baggs sold his
life in six words. why. yes: be YOU
Banks men?"
Du Sang answered: NO. were from
Sheriff Coon's office az Oroville. look.
ing up a bunch OK Duck Bar steers
that's been run somewhere MP Deep
creek. Can we stay here all uight?"
They ,dismounted and disarmed
Bags suspicious, though the condi.
ton OF their horses might have warned
him had he had his senses. The un-
fortunate man had probably fixed it in
his mind that "A ride from Tower w 10
Deep creek in Is hours was a physical
impossibility
Stay here? Sure, I want YOU 20
stay said Baggs bluny. Looks 20
me like I seen you down az Crawling
stone, amt L." he asked OF Karg.
karg was lighting a cigarette Il
used TO mark at the Dunning ranch. '
he answered throwing away his
match
That's hit. Good, The boys cook.
ing supper. Step up 20 the kitchen
and tell him 20 cut ham for four more. b
"Four2"
Two OF Ed Banks men viii be here
by six o'clock. Heard about the hold.
up2 They stopped Number Three az
Tower w last night and shot ollie
Sellers. as white boy as ever pulled
a throttle. Boys. man thatIl kill a
locomotive engineer is worse'n an In
dian; I'd help skin him"
THE he'll you would" cried Du
Sang. We'll. don't YOU want to start
in on me? killed Sellers. Look al
me; ain't I handsome What you 90.
ing TO DO about itgv
Before Baggs could think Du SANG
was shooting him down. II was wan.
ton Du Sang stood In no need OF the
butchery; the escape could have been
made without il. His victim had pulled
an engine throttle too long 10 show
the white feather. but he was dying
by the time he had dragged a revolver
from his pocket. Du Sang did the
killing alone. At least. Flat Nose
who alone saw all Of the murder. after.
ward maintained that he did not draw
because he had no occasion To- and
that Baggs was dead before he, Karg.
had finished his cigarette. With his
right arm broken and Two bullets
through his chest. Baggs fell on his
face. That. however. did not check
his murderer. Rising to his knees
Bags begged Cor his life. For Gods
sakel I'm helpless. gentlemen. I'm
helpless Don't kill me like a dogi'
But Du Sang. emptying his pistol
threw his rifle 10 his shoulder and sent
bullet after bullet crashing through
the shapeless form Writhing and
twitching before him until he had
beaten it in the dust soft and fiat and
still
Banks men came up within an hour
to find the ranchhouse deserted. They
NeNW a III tue OtlOW. and
near the corral gate they found the
little boy in the darkness. screaming
beside his fathers body. The sherin's
men carried the old engineman 20 the
house; others OF the posse crossed the
creek during the evening, and at II
p o'clock Whispering Smith rode down
from the south pass TO find that -four
OF the men they were after had taken
fresh horses. after killing Bags. and
passed safely through the Gordon
Banks had drawn around the pass and
along Deep creek. Bill Dancing, who
had ridden with Banks men, was al
the house when Whispering Smith ar
rived. He found some supper in the
kitchen, and the tired man and the
giant ate together.
Whispering Smith was too sxperi
enced eampaigner to complain. His
party had struck trail so miles north
of Sleepy Cat and followed II TO the
Missions. He knew now who he was
after, and knew that they were bottled
up In the Cache for the night. This