The daily tribune., 1909-02-15


arrest. neither" he 'saal,y ass,areA,
looking fearlessly into the .sheri1's
eyes.
why don't r.' asked the surprised
Mckinney. Resistance he was ready
for, but this, calm and unmoved re-
tusal Of Bill Gordon to be arrested
staggered him.
BECAUSE z answered. Gordon, with
Anal smile Of triumph. Il ailt IN
oolorado!"
You taia't whatf" thundered .tAs
sheriff.
II amt In Colorado" repeated Cor
don. with the same calm air OF ~
surance, %" You are." he went on has.
tily. seeing that Mckinney evidently
thought he was insane, "but 4 amt.
You see, the line runs right through
my shack Beds In Utah, chair Is In
Colorado. That nail keg over there il
in Arizony and that old saddle in the
other corners in New Mexico. I'm ON
the bed. 80 I'm in Utah an, you can't
serve no warrant In Utah, Tom. You'll
admit that?"
Sure. / admit that said Sheriff
Mckinney in q dazed and uncertain
way.
well. then,T continued the imper-
turbable Gordon, your warrant Amt
no good. All I've got to do is to stay
over hero in Utah an you can't touch
me-"
"But-but how'd you know whsrt
the line was!" demanded the sheriff
tsuspiciously., He had recovered from
tho first shock of surprise and was
preparing for fght again. How do
know this amt game you're putin
up on me? I'd make a fine figure go
In back to McElmo with yarn like
that, wouldn't I? I'd be run out Of
town before conld resign"
'Lemme tell you about IT,. said Cor.
don. stretching himself comfortably
on the bed. He was no longer in fear
of the sheriff's warrant and was eager
to expatate upon his great scheme.
II seen 1t all set out in newspaper
about a month ago about this here
place, l wes up To Monticello, up here
on the Utah side.. you know, an I
found a newspaper kickin' around
there what had all this in IT, II told
how the state lines of Colorado an
Utah an Arizony an New Mexico all
come together in . bunch an how
four cowboys could sit on their horses
an hold, hands an all be in dinersnt
states. An 1t went on about how the
cowboys had built up a pile OF stones
to mark the spot where all the four
lines come together an 1t had = pio-
ture OF the pile Of stones an four men
on horses all holdin' hands"
% Bill paused to refill his pipe from
tho pouch which still lay beside, him
and as he did so he was reminded Of
the incident OF the evening.
That's why l wanted you to toss
me your tobacco" he said with .
smile. Il didn't want to take .
chance in Colorado for = minute"
Il wish had knowed It thsn,~
srunted the sheriff. II mightn't have
been 30 obligin'."
We'll. ] got to thinkin' about that
thing, went on Gordon whom the pipe
was well alight. and got to wonder
In II that wouldn't be handy place
to live. You know, lots Of fellows
build their shacks on the line between
two states because they may not want
TO stay In one state all the time. There
II occasions when many a-man wants
to move along little an II he can do
1t by movin' across the room II saves
lots OF travelin'. But, thinks I,
s'posin' a fellow has two visitors at
once that wants to have little chat
with him. one from each statsf Then
what3 thinks /. An it struck mo that
II q fellow could live in about four
states-not more than four-it might
often come handy" -,
There amt no manner of doubt"
interrupted Sheriff Mckinney. that
It would do for you, BILL
Il thought about. that thing 20
much" went on Gordon, that i came
down here lookin' for that there pile
Of stones. An I found 'em an this
here 10 the, place 1 built thia shack
around that pile OF. stones Just ~
square as them fellows that lays out
the railroad linss could make II. took
down the pile, OF stones because they
was in the way. but this Is the r,aos.
Tom. an you can take my word for
IL The beds In Utah. the chairs In
Colorado. the kegs in Arizony an the
saddle over there's in New Mexico"
The Colorado sheriff was silent for
= few minutes, wrapped In deep
thought on the ,perplexing problem
with which he was face to face. The
storm still ragged with iupabatsd fury.
the rain beat upon the fiimsy roof Of
the cabin and the wind roared around
the door and windows. Bill Gordon
smoked steadily and regarded the
sheriff with satisfied amusement until
both men we're startled by q hail from
without.
Hello. the housei" called Z sten.
torian voice above the storm. Bill
Gordon looked uneasily at the sher-
IL.