The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-04-05


placed the package OF food against the door
and returned to his companion. Had to
leave it outside" he reported, Wen come
back this way an see if she's taken it in"
A horseman rode over bill to the south Of
the cabin and looked searchingly below him,
noting the pile Of wood and the tracks of the
wagon He dismounted and began to recon
noiter, for he had not avoided the trails and
towns TO slip up at his journeys end Snow
was in the air and he knew that in two days
the range would be covered deep enough to
check all but necessary riding. Ii would
deter any puncher of the O-Bar-O from riding
to the bills out Of mere curiosity. The smoke
from the chimney looked good after his long
ride, for it meant FIRE, and be was cold He
did not know who might be inside the cabin,
but he would find out quickly enough As he
watched he saw woman pass by window
and he walked quickly down the hill, When
lie turned the corner of the house SO as 10 get
to the kitchen, he saw that the rear doorwas
open, and that the woman was trying to drag
an empty water-barrel through it.
"All alone2" he asked, pleasantly, thumb
ing the hammerof his Winchester and pcering
past her into the house.
She started and exclaimed, and the barrel,
rolling down the slope, got in his way As he
cleared it the door slammed shut and he
heard the heavy bar drop into its socket. He
threw himself against the thick planks in vain
and beat upon them with the butt OF his rifle
in burst OF rage Another thud reached his
ears and he cursed himself for not having run
to the other door instead Of losing time over
one barred beyond all hope OF entrance by
rifle butt
"Open this door" he shouted sayagely
"I'l bust it to splinters in q minute, d'y hear
Open it, | amt in no joking frame OF mind,
even if you arel"
lie looked around for some means Of fore
ing the barrier and espied heavy chopping
log not far away Laughing savagey he ran
to it and managed 10 drag it 10 the kitchen.
After great effort he got il from the ground
and on his shoulder, and staggering forward
under il, rammed it against the door The
impact doomed out sulenly, then again and
again, eehong from hill to hill in the crisp air
IN show her" he gritted.
The battering ram was so heavy and un-
wieldy that he could not use it handily
enough to get quick results, and the door,
made of two thicknesses Of two-inch oak
planks and barred top and bottom, was bar
rier TO be reckoned with. But it was giving,
slowly, but giving. Split from top to bottom
and held together by the diagonally placed
second layer of planks and by the thick oak
bars, it was beginning to weaken and each
booming echo among the hills marked his
progress.
Waffles, riding down the pass hall mile
behind his men, suddenly paused and listened
intently A dull, booming came to his ears.
What was it2 A held-gun fred miles away
might sound like that, but there were no field
guns on that range he told himself Dyna-
mite? No-he knew the sound Of that, any
how, who would use dynamite in the hills1
Thought occurs quickly and he was gallopng
uoNk dlpllE tUt lldll d. Tut CtllV ultu Oll'
Something was wrong at the cabin and no
amount Of conjecture would tell him what it
was She must see for himself Another
crash, louder than the first, came 10 his ears
and was followed BY others A COW pony can
cover much ground in few minutes when it
tries and his "clay-bank" was trying.
As he turned the bend and the cabin came
into view he saw figure staggering under a
large log, and another crash awoke the
echoes iB
"What tn hi" he cried, drawing rein
suddenly. His hand raised and cloud Of
smoke flashed past the clay-bank s head, and
then the animal plunged through i, Tor the
range was too great for a Colt Again his
hand raised and cloud OF smoke cnycloped
the horses head and then the animal went
down suddenly, pinning its rilcr u-2sr it
l.