The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1910-02-24

when bone and muscle ana nerve were facheu
and the whole body cried out for sleep. The
onset might be swift and reckless, once begun.
but the preparation for that moment was eau.
Ious and slow and often beset with difficulties
The few dwellers in No-man's Land really desir.
GUS Of getting rid Of the outlaws were afraid 10
show any such anxiety. 10 give anything resem-
bling information, or even 10 ofcr shelter 20
the officers. They knew that TO manifest any
interest on the side Of law and order would be
TO incur the enmity of the gangs and bring
down reprisal swift and bloody. Mcdonald
and Burson realized this and however severe
the conditions OF weather and WEAKNESS faced
them rather than impose any risk upon men
whose only onense was TO dwell among very
bad neiEhbors.
Al one time the deputies were after a gang
OF Eve men. wanted for murder and thoft, and
were driving from Higgins into No-man's Land.
with hack and team. their saddles loaded In
behind. as usual. Il was late Ia the year now.
and suddenly In the swift Texas fashion a
nnrthor cam down. with piercing wind and
hne. driving snow, II the reader has never
seen a Texas norther or a Dakota blizzard. he
will hardly understand their prodlcament. Tho
wind leaps up IN a Wild gale almost In an In
slant: the air from being balmy takes on a
sudden bitterness that withers the body and
numbs the heart and pinches the very soul
Then the snow comes, fine and binding sharp
and hard as glass. No living being was ever
created that could sur dive long In the face Of
a storm like that Cattle know when a northcr
IS coming and gather into thick punches. their
heads 60 the center. Birds speed away to the
south, ahead OF Il, or find shelter In hollows
and craunies until the demon has passed by
A storm like that always means death. The
Texas norther and the Dakota blizzard have
strewn the prairies with homes.
Mcdonald and Burson. IN the fact OF such q
tempest. tried 20 press ON. hoping 10 ind a
shelter OF some sort-anything that would
break the wind. But everywhere was only the
wide prairie, level as the sea and lost now
I'm tho swirling drift, II seemed TO them that
they drifted for hours. battling against the
norther. though Il probably was less than ono
hour. when they came upon som stacks Of
prairie hay, which Indicated the habltatlon OF
men, without seeking further. they made for
the shelter Of the stacks. burrowcd themselves
and their horses into them. allowing the latter
TO feed Literally from the hay. There they
remained all night and until the afternoon Of
the next day. the men without food. Tho storm
abated then and the ofncerH. undiscouragod
pressed on. reaching the outlaw camp late In
tho afternoon, instead OF az their f~ayorito
morning hour.
The surprise was quito as complete. how.
ever. for the last thing those bandits expected
was that two officers should suddenly appear
out Of that white devastation TO take them To
JUL NfN ~ WV NNNNA ANNNAlNNNA 10 III
tempt resistance and were on their way 10
Wichita Falls that night. following The road
which 80 many Of their kind had taken.
Indeed u was this capture ~ The end oi
1858 that marked about the end OF the heaviest
work IN that particular section. Tho years
crusade had demonstrated that Eo-man'a Land
was not big enough to hold n band OF COW
thieves and two deputies like Bill Mcdonald
and Lon Burson AZ tho same time. II was no
encouragement 20 a band OF hard worklng ont
laws. Just as they had got their plant esiab.
llshed and things well under way 10 be sud.
denly pounced down upon and put out OF bus.
mess by two men who had no regard for the
customary rules OF hghting but Just rushed
right IN with a lot Of lmperinent orders and
an assortment OF handouts and always had a
big hack ready TO start al a moments notice
for Wichita Falls.
what Is the uae7" one OF the freobootera
Is said to have complained. "A fellow no more
than gets started when that fool comes In and
upsets everything"
What was the user Such OF the Norman.
Land fraternity as sim remained unhung and
out Of jail set out for othor fields NJ labor
some OF them located IN The more barren dis
tricts Of New Mexico and Arizona. Some OF
them settled in the remotor places OF what
was known then as the Cherokee Strip. where
they Joined with conEonlai spirits IN that ter
ritory and. pretending TO DO engaged IN aErl
culture-for they were In a more settled coun
try-Indian ountry-continued their old bust
ness NJ The new stand.