The Alaska citizen., 1913-11-10

? or! ot what stern Stufi must not sheritfs be made, And yet Billie Doughty was but doing what Eng land expects every man to do. Once. thus ambushed. Jack had drawn not merely rein and breath. but bead. To shoot the sheriff was a physical possibility spiritual impossibility. Rather arrest than that. Desperate IS was Baraty's case. he couldn't kill q human being no, not even himself If there was any killing tO be done let the law do it.
 Now. though the sheriff had sw m to get him and the country was all agog there was no blood money on Baraty's head. brought in dead or alive not a red cent in il for the Doughty deputy. as Billie could not escape being nicknamcd. Though the affair had ( me to the ears of the governor he was otherwise en- gagged Anyway. il wouldn't have been the money the sheriff was af'- CT, but the man.
 T may be daylight robher. as they say. but what can a poor man do? I was hungry. and God. how I was tempted! don't deserve this Though Tn Ink of the disgrace, Wild Fire. Old floss. and get" Thus Baraty
 Suiting the deed 10 the word. Fear less Jack tock to the open and head ed for the hills. In the rough going Wild Fire was a bear. Still Nemesis crept up inch by inch There was nothing now for il but gun-play Wild Fire sad poor Baraty T hate like hell 10 do it, but here goes." Turning in his sad de. he held a breath and drew a bead and Nemesis was a name. The hunted had shot the horse under the hunter
 The sheriff was down. but not out except f breath and the running Gun is a game at which two can play. Like it's name, Wild Fire went up the hill The crest reach cd Baraty brought up an instant, and they stood horse and rider, outlined against the pale green evening sky while it takes man 10 wave a triumphant hand in good-by. Then Fearless Jack must have forgotten for the time being that Billie Doughty was the best shot in the state
 The race was now afoot. and the game had game leg to offset his headstart Down hill he dotted and went on for all he vas worth-two hits in the mud of real money. Much good his daylight robbery had done him. The river that raced down the valley was now his goal. and after that, the dark.
 Just as Fearless Jack reached the bank of the river the Sheriff won the brow of the hill, and paused there an instant 10 scan the valley, mak- ing a pretty target for desperate bullet as an evil eye could wish to see But Jack Baraty, favored by the shadow. didn't shoot. Instead he threw away his gun and dove into the water. and trailing both legs. "crawled" like a good one. Crawling" " he seemed to crawl so slow is the fastest of all swimming strokes. By the time he gained the far bank there was but the river between him and his pursuer. As he scrambl- ed up the bank he could not help but feel how exposed he Was to was not death, but that Billie Dough ty would wing him. and so get him and hale him back in triumph to their home town, where justice in the awful shape of Shamus-alias ] 'mmie-Hagerty awaited him. What
 
 excuse had he. Baraty, but a lame enc? What plea but poverty? More than lead, Fearless Jack feared the sneers of "Jedge' Hagerty. Liefer would he be raked over the coals Of Satan than of Justice Jimmie who was sure to talk to him like an Irish uncle and tell him how much he Hagerty, hated to do his duty From being the hero of your birth place to being its laughing stock is quite a come-down to a man of Bar aty's stripe.
 Glancing back as he reached solid earth. Jack saw the sheriff take gingerly to the water. and then a hand with a six-shooter in it was seen to glide over the surface of the river with weird effect Billie Doughty was evidently taking part of Napoleon's advice to his men. Pray God and keep your powder dry. Jack Baraty didn't know whether to be glad or sad. Swimming with one hand held out of water is twice as slow as crawling On the other hand, Baraty was uow unarmed. and the sheriff was not staying by that gun and losing ground for nothing. 10 vtf