Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-08-20

using his lantern warily. When half
way, he heard the whinny of a horse
which he could not see. A moment later
an animal shrank away from him in the
darkness and was still again. Then an
other horse whinnied by the window
whose broken glass he had found on the
outside. There were, then, two horses'
from which he argued that there were
at least two persons in the house. ne
found the doors and lifted the heavy par
that held them and drew the bolts at
top and bottom. AS the doors swung
open slowly Raridan ran up to see II
anything was wanted.
"AH right said Saxton in a low tone.
"They're mighty quiet if they're here.
But there's no doubt about the horses.
You stay where you are and III explore
a little
The horses stamped fretfully as he
| went toward the stairway, but all was
| quiet above. He felt his way slowly
I'D the stair-rail. whose heavy dust stuck
to his fingers. Having gained the upper
hall, he paused to take fresh bearings.
His memory brought back gradually the
position of the rooms. In putting out
his hand he touched a picture which
swung slightly on its wire and grated
| harshly against the rough plaster OF the
wall. AT the same instant he heard Il
noise directly in front of him as OF some
one moving about in the chamber at the
head of the stairs. The knob OF a door
was suddenly grasped from within. John
waited, crouched down, and drew his re-
volver from the side pocket of his coat.
The door stuck in the frame, but being
violently shaken. suddenly pulled free.
The person who had opened the door
stepped back into the room and scratched
a match.
awake I'D there" called a voice with
in the room.
Saxton crept softly across the hall,
settling the revolver into his hand ready
for use. A man could be heard mum
bling.
"Hurry up boy, it's time we were out
of this"
The owner of the voice now rcappear-
ed at the door holding a lantern: he was
pushing some one in front of hin. The
crisis had come quickly; John SaXton
knew that he had found Grant Porter;
and he remembered that he was there to
get the boy whether he caught his adj
ductor or not.
The man was carrying the lantern in
his right hand and pushing the boy to-
ward the staircase with his left. AS he
came well out of the door, Saxton sprang
up and kicked the lantern from the mans
hand. AT the same moment he grabbed
the boy by the collar, drew him back
and stepped in front of him. The Ian
tern crashed against the wall opposite
and went rolling down the stairway with
ita light extinguished. Saxton had drop
49, = - +~ .nl A., In11 .r,, ~
darkness.
"Stop where you are, Snyder said
Saxton, "or I'll shoot. I'm John Saxton !;
you may remember me- He spoke in
steady, even tones.
The lantern, rolling down the stairway,
startled the horses, which stamped rest
lessly on the floor. The wind whistled
dismally outside. He heard Snyder, as
feeling his way toward the staircase.
You may as well stop there Saxton
said, without moving, and holding the
boy to the floor with his left hand. He
spoke in sharp, even tones. Its all
right, Grant" he added in the same key
to the boy, who was crying with fright.
"Stay where you are. The house is
surrounded, Snyder" he went on. you
may as well give in"
The mar said nothing. He had found
the stairway. Suddenly a revolver flash
ed and cracked, and the man went leap
ing down the stairs. The bah whistled
over Saxton's head, and the boy clutched
him about the legs. A bit Of plaster,
shaken loose by the bullet, fell from the
ceiling. The noise of the revolver roared
through the house:
Its all right, Grant" Saxton said
again.
The retreating man slipped and fell
Mt the landing. midway Of the stairs, ana
as he stumbled to his feet Saxton ran
back into the room from which the fellow
had emerged. lie threw up the window
with a crash and shouted to the men in
the darkness below
Hes coming! Get out of the way
and let him go! The boys all right !"
He hurried back into the hall where he
u had left Grant, who crouched moaning
I in the dark.
you stay here q minute, Grant. They
won't get you again." he called as he ran
Gown the steps. One of the horses be.
lw was snorting with fright and making
a great clatter with it's hoofs. From the
sound Saxton knew that the fleeing man
was trying to mount, and as he plunged
down the last half of the stairway the
horse broke through the door with the
nan on his back.
"Let him go, Wary" yelled Saxtor
with all his lungs.
The horse was already across the
tlieshold at n leap, his rider bending low
over the animals neck to avoid the tor
of the door. Raridan ran forward, tax
ing his bearing by sounds.
"Stop y, he shouted. Come on, Whea-
Ton !" Wheaton was running towart
him at the top of his speed; Raridar
sprang in front of the horse and grabbed
at the tkroat-latch of its bride. The
horse, surprised, and terrified by the
noise. and feeling the rider digging his
heels into his sides, rea-cd, carrying
| Wary of his feet.
Let 60, you fool" screamed the rider
LET 60. I say 7"
LET him alone,'' cried Wheaton, now
! lose at hand but Raridan still held to
the strap at the throat of the ~plunging
horse.
The rider sat up straight on his horse
and his revolver parked into the night
twice in sharp succession, the sounds
crashing against the house, and the
flashes lighting up the struggling horse
and rider, and Raridan, clutching at the
bride. Raridan's hold loosened at the
FIRST shot, and as the second echoed into
the night. the horse leaped free, running
madly down the road, past Bishop Dela-
field, who was coming rapidly toward the
house. Wheaton and Saxton met in the