Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-10-21

the runnin' to the barn or both 1ao
brought on a hemOrrhage.
Don't kill Kate heard Susie say,
and that was the last, for then 1 was
out o. hearin
II leaned down on the mares neck
and patted her and said, Yer doin'
this for Susie, and 1 know you'll do
yer best
Il reckon she understood, for she jist
got down TO a steady gait that she
could keep all day and reel off the
miles while she was a dom in. l
knowed Walcott's life depended on my
gittin' there as soon as Stggs, fer 1
didn't reckon Stiggs would give his en-
envy any advantage. His way was to
ride up behind a man, make show
O. givin' him a chanel by calm out to
him and shoot him before he could
turn.
"Stiggs had got a good start o me,
and he never rode a poor horse. But
he didn't know any one was after him.
Nevertheless it would be nip and tuck
with me to overhaul him. Kate kept
her steady gait till we got within about
five miles O the Walcott ranch, when
across the grain ground l saw Sdggs
ridin' along at good pace. Then l
said 10 my mare:
Now or never. Kate. Remember
what Susie said 10 you
"She knowed what I was a sayin',
and she got over the ground like a
greyhound. We was within a mile O.
the ranch when, strikin' a soft bit O.
ground, the mare stumbled and fell,
shootin' me over her head. l tried to
pull her up, but it was no use Her
LETT foreleg was broke.
81 used my own legs the rest O. the
way.I | neared the ranch in time to
see Stiggs lettn' down the bars to 90
in. AS bad luck would have it, there
was Walcott standin' with his back 10
Jim, watchin' a man who was putin
a horse through his PAGES. / seen
StiGgs remount and ride up toward the
man in the yard, drawin' his revolver
at the same time.
Before startin', thinkin' there might
be occasion for a long range shot
I'd hooked Winchester to my sad
die and brought it from where Kate
fell. Stiggs must "a been 200 to
1900 yards away, but l knew Wal
colts life depended on my bringtn' his
enemy down at that distance. 1 took
a good aim, fred, and Stggs tumbled
ohm his horse"
The narrator paused to light . pipe.
u suppose ! said, this is the kill
ing you referred to that has always
troubled you. You excused the man
because he acted from love-
81 troubled about KILN Jim Suggs.
Not much It's another KILN that
bothers me AS soon as I seen Stiggs
drop ! went back to Kate. She had
saved the man Susie loved, and Susie
had told ne not to kill her. But there
was Kate lyin' on her side with bro
ken leg There's but one thing to do
with a horse in that conditiOn-shoot
him. Kate when she saw me comm
whinnied, and when 1 reached her
there was a mighty sad look in her
eye. She was an intelligent animal
and knowed that it was all up with
her
Il TUX my revolver from its case.
Kate glanced at it and at me. If ever
a horse said in plain language Don't
kill Kate that horse said it. Or was
Il because / was seem the little girl
standin' there with the drop Of blood
on her ip-the death MARYLAND heard
her say il ag'in?
I scarcely think I'm the kind o
man 10 be chicken hearted. Leasta-
ways 1 wouldn't mind cuttin' u deers
throat after shootin' it when it looks
appealin' like outer its soft eyes. but
showed the white feather at shOotin'
Kate. And l never could tell whether
il was most because I loved Kate or
whether l was conscience struck at
havin TO go back on the little gal that
tole me not TO kill her. l walked away
fer few rods, then turned and come
back Whom di7 that I could -blowed
Continued on Page Fifteen.)