The log cabin Democrat., 1909-09-21

and had reason to believe, until they sighted Banks men, that their path was open.
 They halted to take counsel on the suspicious-looking posse far below them, and while their cruelty ex. hausted horses rested, Du Sang, al ways in Sinclair's absence the brains of the gang, planned the escape over Deep creek at Bags crossing. At 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 and the cowboy Karg, known as Flat Nose, rode down to Baggs' ranch at the foot of the pass.
 At that point Dan Baggs, an old To- comotive engineer, had taken a home stead got together little bunch of cattle, and was living alone with his son, a boy of ten years. It was a hard country and too close to Will Hams Cache for comfort, but Dan got on with everybody because the tough est man in the Cache country could get meal, feed for his horse, and place to sleep at Baggs', without charge. when he needed it.
 Ed Banks, by hard riding, got to the crossing at five o'clock, and told Baggs of the hold-up and the shooting of Oliver Sollers. The news stirred the old engineman, and his excitement threw him off 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 to watch the pass and the ranch crossing, and asked Bags to put up 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 l two men rode around the corner of the barn and asked if they could get something to eat. Poor Bags sold his life in six words: Why, yes; be you 1 Banks men?"
 Du Sang answered: NO; we're from Sheriff Coons office at Oroville. look | 1 that's been run somewhere up Deep creek. Can we stay here all night?'
 They dismounted and disarmed Bags suspicious, though the condi- | tion of their horses might have warned him had he had his senses. The un- fortunate man had probably fixed it in his mind that ride from Tower w to Deep creek in 16 hours was physical | impossibility.
 Stay here? Sure! I want you to stay" said Baggs, blufly. Looks to me like I seen you down at Crawling Stone, ain't I?" he asked of Karg.
 Karg was lighting a cigarette. T used to mark at the Cunning ranch" 7" he answered. throwing away his match.
 That's hit Good The boys cook | ing supper. Step up to the kitchen and tell him to cut ham for four more" !" "Four?"
 Two of Ed Banks men will be here l by six o'clock. Heard about the hold up? They stopped Number Three at | Tower w last night and shot Ollie | Sollers, as white a boy as ever pulled a throttle. Boys, a man that'll kill a | locomotive engineer is worse'n an h. dian; I'd help skin him.
 The hell you would!" cried Du Sang Well, don't you want to start in on me? I killed Sellers. Look at me; ain't I handsome? What you go- ing to do about it?"
 Before Bags could think Du Sang was shooting him down. It was wan ton. Du Sang stood in no need of the butchery; the escape could have been made without 1t. His victim had pulled an engine throttle too long to show | the white feather but he was dying by the time he had dragged 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 l that Bags was dead before he, Karg, | had finished his cigarette. With his right arm broken and two bullets through his chest, Bags fell on his l lace. Hat, uONtNtI, HOt Nutth | his murderer. Rising to his knees, Bags begged for his life. For God s sake! I'm helpless, gentlemen. I'm helpless. Don't kill me like dog!" But Du Sang. emptying his pistol, threw his rife to his shoulder and sent bullet after bullet crashing through the shapeless form writhing and | twitchinS before him until he had beaten it in the dust soft and flat and | still
 Banks men came up within an hour l to find the ranchhouse deserted. They l saw a lantern in the yard below, and near the corral gate they found the | little boy in the darkness. screaming beside his fathers body. The sheriff s men carried the old engineman to the house; others of the posse crossed the creek during the evening, and at II 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, ald | passed safely through the cordon