The Tupelo journal., 1910-02-25

W&QMllUu broken up Cnelr WOTk UeCdAuo
nUHNIIIlNUl less deliberate. They harbored
@.- now farther away-in the remoter
places of the Panhandle, in the
Cherokee Strip and in the Businesses of No
mans Land.
No-man's Land was set down on the map
as a part of Indian territory, but really be-
longed to nobody at all. Different ones OF the
surrounding states claimed it and the outlaws
owned it by possession and force of arms.
There was no law and few law-abiding citi-
zens. 1t was a fine, slightly and-with good
grass and plenty of water-level land, some
of it, though there was rough country there,
too-with good places for outlaws to hide.
Here they built their dugouts or cabins, estab-
lished their households and herded their stolen
stock. Some of the cattle they butchered,
peddling the meat in Kansas or the Panhandle.
1t was necessary that No-man's land should
be reclaimed and it was partly for this pur-
pose that u. S. Marshal George A. Knight had
commissioned Bill Mcdonald his deputy. Thus
far all statutory law has been disregarded in
No-man's landau officers had been defied.
1t had been demonstrated that Bill Mcdonald
had a convincing way with his words and
movements and that he had a nose for locat-
ing COW thieves. So, when the Brookens and
other established dealers of the range" had
been evicted from Hardeman and adjoining
counties, it fell to Bill Mcdonald to begin the
No-Man's Land crusade.
He was working over in the Panhandle in
1887 when he learned of a horse that had been
stolen somewhere below and he set out in pur-
suit of the thief. Such trail as he could find
led straight for No-man's Land and he knew
that he was bound at last for that lawless
locality where U. S. deputy marshals were
favorite victims.
He was alone, but this fact did not disturb
him. There was less chance of frightening
the game. When he reached Hutchinson
county, which is in the second tier from the
north Texas line, he stopped at Turkey Track
ranch and borrowed a blackboard In which to
bring home his catch.
1t was a long, tiresome drive across
Hutchinson and Hansford counties and UP
through No-man's Land, to the waters of Bea-
yer creek. The trail was not very difficult
here, for the thief probably did not expect to
be followed. 1t was toward the end Of the
second or third day. at last, that the trail be-
came very fresh and the man in the buck
board came to a halt and set out on foot to
locate his game. AS silently and cautiously
as an Indian he crept through the brush until
he reached a place where, peering through. he
located, some distance away on the river bank,
a camp consisting of four men and the same
number of horses. His man had found COM
rades, that was evident, and it was likely they
would Join in his defense. Mcdonald lay in
the brush, watching them, as long as it was
light and then crept closer, trying to identify
the horse he was after and which of the men
had him in charge. He had no intention OF
beginning operations that night.
He was obliged to wait until daylight be-
fore he could be sure of his ground; then,
awake and watching, he saw the different men
go to look after their horses. He located a
bay horse that answered the description Of the
stolen animal and identified the man who had
him in charge. He crept back to his buck
board now, got in and drove up leisurely to
the outlaw camp, looking as 1noffens1ve and
guileless as any other fly with a horse and
blackboard, driving straight into the spiders
den.
Good morning, boys" he said, pleasantly,
"you-all look mighty comfortable with that fire
going. / lost my way and laid out last night.
Mebbe you-all can tell me something about the
trails around here. TIL don't seem to be none
that | can find"
They invited him cordially to sit down and
warm himself and said they would show him
the trail. Mcdonald stepped out and walked
over to the fire, still talking about the coun-
try and the weather. working over close to
the man he wanted. The deputy wore a short
overcoat and he had a pair of handouts in the
left side pocket. He got just in front OF his
man at last and reached out his right hand
as if to shake hands with him. Instinctively
the man extended his own right hand and at
that instant McDonald's left with the open
handouts was out like a fash-there was a
quick snap, a sudden movement-a sleight OF
hand movement it was-then another quick
snap and the horse thief, dazed and half stu
pefed, stood gazing down at the manacles on
his wrists, while Bill Mcdonald, a gun in each
hand, quietly regarded the other three mem
bers of the camp.
The captive was first to break the silence.
Boys" he said. what does this mean?"
One of the men turned to Mcdonald.
Eyes" he said, what does this mean? Who
are you and what are you going to do with
that man?"
I'm Deputy United States Marshal McDon-
aid of Texas" was the cheerful reply, land
I'm going to take this man back with me and
put him in Jail"
What for?"
For stealing that bay horse out there"
The outlaw advanced a step.
And you'll just about play he'll doing it,"