The daily Alaskan., 1912-12-31

! ana WIS 70 lllliA laiilN NHFA tAaN htuAftr to which he had been put that he was in favor of netting ont the customary ] punishment for such au 0feuse hy in. stant hanging of the thief Though they discussed the matter before John ny some time elapsed before he got t | through his thick skull that his life was in danger Ills csptors wranFled over the matter. some 0f them averring ! that they had better delay the hanging ! long enough tc give Johnny an op- l portunity Co lmpHcate those who had | taken the other horses that he'd been stolen: but they were overruled and after lengthy debate they ied the cui- ! prit our for the purpose Of raising ' him at the end of a rope the other end of which had been thrown over the Hmb of a tree Johnny. who. by this time had begun to realize what was taking place. turned white. his knees | knocked together and be had Co be | dragged along
 "whars my hoss gone tor erciaim- ed Eben Parker when the party got outside the house.
 True enough. the beast had disap- peared again. The men were dunn | founded. Those who had urged delay for the purpose of eiicitiur iuforma- ton st once claimed that there was an organized gang to run on horses and Parker's animal had been taken this second time by a confederate from right under their noses. Fresh tracks made by hoofs were plainly visible. and It was decided that two of the men should follow. while the other two remained with tbe prisoner.
 While they were gone Johnny vas locked up in the room he had occu- pied. one of the men guarding the stalrway. thc other watching under the only window
 Now. there was one thing that none of the men noticed Molly Barker had disappeared. Her mother d.d not call their attention Co the fact, and ss for the prisoner. he was not in a coudi ton of mind Co notice anything eN- cept what plainly rprtaine1 Co h.s un- fortunate position The men who went after the horse were gone tll ! late in the evening. when they returned | with the missing horse. on which rode | Moll Barker There was a fourth per son added to the party. who was the sheriff of the county.
 Nou. realizing Johnny's danger, had taken the horse to co for the sherid. that the cuiprit might receive the pro | lection of the low Had she not taken the horse her effort would have result. ! ed In failure and had the men known that she had taken him they would have surmlscd she had gone for as- sistapce. and they would have hanged Johnny before that assistance could have arrived. As it was. Johnny Cor the time being was saved
 The tendcrfoot. hearing a step on the stairs, his heart stood stiIl. He supposed that the men were coming Co take him out for the second time Co hang him. The door whs thrown open. and the sheriff. who entered seeing l his agonlzcd appearance. reassured him by telling him who he was and promising him that he would te safe in his hands and have an opportunity to prove himself innocent of the crime | with which he was charged He heard | Johnny's story and. having become convinced that mistake had been made. told his prisoner Co ro Co sleep where he was and the matter would be adjusted in time.
 Johnny woke up In the morning Co one fact Of especial importance to him. He was alive. and the reason of his being alive was the action of Mol Barker. The first thing he did was Co shudder. the second was Co realize that his heart was going ont Co the shabby girl who had saved him. He had found the woolly west something en- f tirely different from what lt bad been portrayed In the dime novel Never
 theless he had found his romance-s romance as different from what he had always expected as was the wild
 west
 The next day the sheriff persuaded the owner of the stolen horse that Johnny was fresh from the east and unconscious Of committing a crime So the posse went back with the re- covered animal. leaving Johnny Co fol- low hls own sweet will. in holL Johnny failed to see the commonplace
 girl of yesterday Her act and lts in- portance Co him had invested her with a charm not then apparent
 "Dld you go for the sheriT," he ask | cd her. "supposing me Co be innocentf'
 "No, I thort v took the hoss."
 "Then why were you interestedT'
 q don't know"
 "Did you suppose you would get the sheriff here In lime to prevent ny | hanginrT
 No. I didn't think ! would [ could only try"
 "You wouldn't have been in time if the men hadn't missed the horse you had taken. And you wouldn't have been allowed Co go lf they had seen | you startT
 q onhitched the boss when they was ia the house with you, and led him into