Rocky Ford enterprise., 1910-02-25

InlMl Mi them-but with their rendezvous
M l|NN In the immediate neighborhood
NMU MlIn broken up their work became
uMHHH1llIlN less deliberate. They harbored
@- now farther away-in the remoter
y places Of the Panhandle. In the
Cherokee Strip and in the Businesses of No
mans Land.
Ns-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 1t and the outlaws
owned 1t by possession and force Of arms.
Theye was no law and few law-abiding citi-
xens. II was a fine slightly land-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.
peddiing the meat In Kansas or the Panhfndle.
II was necessary that No-man's land Should
be reclaimed and 1t was partly for this pur-
pose that u. 8. Marshal George A. knight had
commissioned Bill Mcdonald his deputy. Thus
far an statutory law has been disregarded In
No-man's Land-all officers had been defed.
It had been demonstrated that Bill Mcdonald
had . 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 Hardemdn and adjoining
counties. II fell to Bill Mcdonald to begin the
No-Man's Land crusade
He 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-mans Land and he knew
that he bound at last for that lawless
! locality where U. s. deputy marshals were
favorite victims .r
He was alone. but this fact did not disturb
him. There less chance Of frightening
the game. When he reached Hutchinson
county. which Is in the second tier from tho
north Tcxns line. he stopped at Turkey Track
ranch and borrowed a blackboard in which to
bring home his catch.
II 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 dn1cult
here. for the thief probably did not expect to
be followed. 1t was toward tho end Of the
second or third day, at last that the trail be-
cane very fresh and the man In the buck
board came to a halt and set out foot to
locate his game. As silently and cautiously
as an Indian he crcpt through the brush until
he reached 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 1t was likely they
would Join III 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
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.
Dpoard now. got in and drove up leisurely to
-the outlaw camp, looking inonensve and
Ohneless any other fly with horse and
blackboard. driving straight into the spiders
den.
Good morning. boys" he said. pleasantly.
'.youall look mighty comfortable with that fire
going I lost my way and laid out last night
Mebbe you-aIl can tell me something about the
trails around here. tn 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
tho man he wanted. The deputy wore short
overcoat and he had pair of handcufTs in the
left side pocket. He got Just in front OF his
man at last and reached out his right hand
ms II to shake hands with him. 1nstinctively
the man extended his own right hand and ut
that instant McDonald's left with the open
handouts out like a lash-there was a
quick snap. a sudden movements sleight Of
hand movement It was-then another quick
spap and the horse thief. dazed and half stu
pefied, 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 first to break the silence.
Boys" he said. what does this mean?"
One Of the men turned to Mcdonald.
Yes" 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. "and
lin going to take this man back with me and
put him In jail"
''What for"
>"Hor stealing that bay horse out there.
Orae o,tlaw advanced a step.
-sSg you'll just about play hell doing III"