Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-02-06
The Argus Daily Story
The Wives of Pine Flat-By F. A. Mitchell
Copyrighted. 1911. by Associated Literary Bureau.

ten miles from the Flat. The school,
master rode over and learned from the
telegraph operator the day and hour
the women would arrive. Their train
would reach the station at o'clock in
the morning
At o'clock the same morning
company marched from the Flat escort
ing several empty wagons to a station
on the railroad six miles farther east
than Deadhead. When the train drew
up at the platform a committee pur-
porting to be Gulchers went aboard
the train and politely invited the la
dies to alight, stating that they had
decided to take them of there in
stead of DeadSead. The women I'M
mediately gathered their belongings
and left the train. There were twen-
ty of them, and they flied the wagons
that had been brought to carry them
to Pine Flat. whittier they were escort
ed by the citizens of that place.
When the train arrived at Deadhead
without its precious freight and the
GuIchers learned how they had been
tricked their fury was like that of
raging prairie fire. They held con-
ference, at which for half an hour all
talked at once. thus losing half an hour.
BY the time they were ready to listen
to reason 1t was evident that their
property would arrive in the enemy's
camp long before the Gulchers could
get there and the Flatters would have
abundant time to plan a defense. Will
kins, who saw that they had been out
witted beyond hope Of recovery. coun-
seled a return to their shanties and
sending for another carload OF the
same kind Of freight. He contrived to
bring enough of the men to his way of
thinking to render 1t impossible for the
rest to recover the women by force
The disappointed men returned to the
Gulch, some cursing the mismanage-
ment Of those in charge of the affair,
some swearing vengeance on the Flat
tiers, while one crusty old fellow who
had been married, but had gone west
to escape from a termagant wife, said
they didn't know when they were we'll
of.
wilkins set himself theoretically
about getting a new shipment, but the
eastern parties who had fsade the con-
signment would do nothing further till
they had heard from the women who
| had already been sent. The reports
they made were at first not reassuring.
At least the consignors looked upon the
| carrying of of the women by those for
| whom they were not intended as in
dicative Of a very wild social condi-
ton and wrote wilkins that they would
take no further steps as to future con-
signments.
When this communication was re-
ceived the men Of Quartz Gulch, who
were called together to hear it read, re-
solved, every one, to march against
their enemies and either get the wom-
en- or die. Six weeks had elapsed, and.
though the distribution Of twenty wo-
men as partners for more than hun
dred men came very near breaking up
the settlement, it was finally left to the
former to choose their mates, which
they did and soon the women were
all married. They did not know
till the last wedding had taken place
that they were captured property. But
this made no difference to them. In
deed they rather admired their hus-
bands for their enterprise.
But one day a citizen Of the Flat
came galloping into town shouting
1.-THE Gulchers are coming" Every
ablebodied man, some with rifles, the
rest with revolvers, were marching on
the town. The Flatters had at first
looked for this invasion and prepared
Cos hat lr,S1o IN
interval it was unexpected. The long
roll was beaten, or, rather, big dinner
bell was rung in the center Of the town,
the signal that had been agreed on six
weeks before when the robbery had
been perpetrated On the arrival Of the
enemy the defenders Of Pine Flat, or,
rather, of the twenty wives within IL,
were drawn up in battle array, and as
soon as the former were within shoot
ing distance the fight began.
But a few had fallen, and they only
wounded, when the wives ran out and,
rushing in between the hostile lines,
forced the contestants to cease firing.
Then they told the men who had come
for them that they were married, were
already engaged in identifying their
homes and that nothing would induce
them to leave their husbands. The
Gulchers, they said, might as well 60
back home, for even If they conquered
the women would not go with them
Wilkins said he thought he could draw
Of his men If the women would prom.
Use to write such accounts of their sit
uation as would induce a new bevy to
come out to Quartz Gulch. This the
ladies agreed to do, and the enemy
marched away.
In due time another consignment ar
rived ticketed for the Gulchers, and
fearing another raid upon their proper
, ty. the latter marched under cover OF
the night to station where they were
quite sure they would find their yei
unseen wives. But their enemies scorn
ed to be piggish-indeed, they had Dt
need to be. for they had arranged for
. shipment on their own account Tht
, Gulchers' load arrived safely, and boil
Quartz Gulch and Pine Flat are nov
eminently respectable places