The Tupelo journal., 1910-02-25

began working a little in the direction of the
guns. The idea was to distract the officers
attention for a moment and get the drop on
him. 1t was a good game. but it failed to
work in this instance. Mcdonald brought his
guns exactly to bear on the men in front Of
him.
Throw up your hands!" he commanded,
"every one of you, quick! Throw them up,
you scoundrels!"
Three pairs of hands went up. That COM
mand from Bill Mcdonald has almost never
been disobeyed.
Nov face the other way!" was the next
command.
The men faced about, their hands still high
above their heads. With one six-shooter still
on them, Mcdonald went up behind each man
and disarmed him, sticking the revolvers In
his own belt. Then he went over and took the
cartridges out Of the Winchesters. He now
marched his men to where the horses were
hitched, secured the stolen one and tied him
to the blackboard. Then he ordered his pris-
oner to get In and proceeded to shackle him
to the Stats of the vehicle. The other three
men, meantime, were kept in a group, a rod
or so ahead, in the direction Of Texas.
Nov, march for Texas, you devils,' Nc
Donald said, when he was seated beside his
prisoner. The procession started, the men
complaining that they had done nothing and
that he had no right to take them back, even
il he was authorized to take the other man.
Mcdonald said:
"You fellows have been in the habit over
here of resisting and killing officers, or driv-
ing them out, and doing as you please. l Just
want to show you how easy it is to take your
kind. Come, move right along there. now. I
don't know what you've done. but you prob
ably stole all those horses back there"
The men now began to beg for their horses.
complaining that the animals left behind
would stay there and starve. Mcdonald really
had no intention of taking them all the way
back with him. His purpose was to get them
far enough away SO that they would not be
likely to try to overtake him and catch him
asleep when he should halt for the night. He
made no concessions, however, until they were
well along toward the Texas lines. Then he
said:
"Now, If you fellows think you can behave
yourselves and want TO go back there and
tend to your horses, / may let you go back
on that account. But you can make up your
minds, and you can tell your friends about 1t,
that I'm not afraid of any of you, and I'm
going to clear you dam'd thieves out of this
country. I'm going to show you that there's
one man you won't kill nor run out. Now, will
you do what / tell you?"
The men protested that they were good
citizens and that if he would let them off they
would undertake missionary work in the cause
of law and order. He let them go then, and
handed back their unloaded arms, promising
them another fate If he ever caught them in
mischief. He watched them disappear behind
the first rise; then. whipping up, he made the
best time he could for Turkey Track ranch,
where he rested a day, delivered the bor-
rowed blackboard. taking his prisoner next
morning to Jail.
It was natural that other work In No-man'S
Land should follow this first experiment. 1t
having been demonstrated that Bill Mcdonald
could go into that infested place and not only
come out alive but bring back his man, other
and more extensive contracts were laid out
for him.
Mcdonald on his part vas ready for the
undertaking, 1t being a sort which he found
always most congenial. Deciding that it was
a good thing to have a reliable partner in the
handling of a gang, he selected for his associ-
ate another deputy marshal-one Lon Burson
Of Henrietta-a quiet, athletic fellow with
plenty of grit and endurance.
II could always rely upon Lon" McDon-
aid said, in speaking of that period long after;
81 believed / knew just what he would do.
every time, and he never failed me-"
They began on what was thorght to be one
of the worst gangs, a band of nine, who had
established on Beaver creek a general head
quarters from which they conducted a miscel-
laneous business in crime-stealing cattle and
-horses-robbing trains and shooting down
bank officials when occasion offered.
Mcdonald had laid out the plan Of at
tack, which was to arrive on the scene at
his favorite early hour-daybreak-and then