The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1913-11-13
!ess. Ii was the sheriff.


white amt defiant. He strained at
his bonds silently. while bis captors
watched his futile struggles There
was something terrible and menacing
in the quietness with which they
gonted--a suggestion of some horror
to come. At last he desisted and burst
forth:
You've got me. all right. You did
this Bailey. you - traitors"
He's never been traitor, as far
as we Know" sneered one Of the four.
In fact. ! might say he's been strictly
Oh the square with u.s."
II didn't think you made war on
women. either. Marsh Tremper, but it
seems you're everything from dog
thief down. Why couldn't you fight
me alone. In the daylight. like man 7"
"You don't wait till q rattIer's cotled
before you stamp his head off," said
the former speaker. Its either you
or US. aud ! reckon it's you"
SO these were the rremper boys. eh?
The worst desperadoes in the south
west. and Bailey was their ally. The
watcher eyed them. mildly curious.
aud it seemed to him that they were as
bad a quartet as rumor had painted
bad even for this country of tad
men. The sheriff was a fool for get
ting mixed up with such people.
Shorty knew enough to mind his own
business. anyway. if others didn't. he
was a peaceful man aud didn't intend
to get mixed up with outlaws. His
mellow meGitations were interrupted
by the hoarSe speech OF the sheriff,
who had broken down into his rag0
again and struggled madly while words
ran from him.
let me 20. -- you! Let me free!
want to fight the coward that struck
my wife. You've killed her! Who
was it: Let me get at him!'
Shorty stifened as though a douche
of ice water had struck him. Killed
her. Struck his wifer' My God! Not
that sweet creature OF his dreams
who had talked and smiled at him
without noting his deformity!
An awful anger rose i'll him. and he
moved out into the light.
"Han's up
Whatever of weakness may have
dragged at his legs, none sounded in
the. great believing command that
flooded the room. At the compelling
volume of the sound every man whirl-
ed and eight empty hands shot sky
ward Their startled eyes beheld a
mans squat body weaving uncertainty
on the limbs of an insect, while in each
hand shone blue-black Colt that
waved aud circled in maddcning. err
ratio orbits
At the command Marsh Tremper's
mind had leaped to the fact that be-
hind him was one man. one against
five, and be took gamblers chance.
As be whirled be drew and fred
None but the dwarf of Bar \ could
have lived. for he was the deadliest
hip shot in the territory. His bullet
crashed into the wall hands breadth
over Shorty's cowlick. 1t was clean
heart shot. the practiced whirl and
Zip of the finished gun fighter, but the
roar of his explosion was echoed by
another, and the elder Tremper spun
unsteadily against the table with a
broken shoulder
."Too high" moancd the big voice
"Dern the liquor::'
He swayed drunkeniy. but at the
slightest shift Of his quarry the aim
less wanderings Of black muzzle
stopped on the spot and the body be.
hind the guns was congested with
deadly menace.
Face the WALL" be cried. Quick!
Keep 'em up higher" They sullenly
obeyed, their wounded leader reach
ing with his uninjured member.
To the complacent Shorty it seemed
that things we're working nicely,
though he was disturbingly conscious
Of his alcoholic lack of balance and
tortured by the fear that he might
suddenly lose the iron grip of his fac
ulties.
Then, for the second time that night.
from the stairs came the voice that
threw him into the dreadful confusion
Of his modesty.
"Oh, Ross" it cried. i've brought
your gun!' And there on the steps,
disheveled. pallid and quivering, was
the bride, and grasped in one trem-
bling hand was her husbands weapon.
"Ah-h!' sighed Shorty seraphically
as the vision beat in upon bis misty
conceptions. ''She amt hurt!"
In his mind there was no room for
desperadoes contemporaneously with
her. Then he became conscious of the
lady's raipent and his brown cheeks
famed brick red. while he dropped his
eyes. In his shrinking. groveling mod
esty be made for bis dark corner.
One Of those at bay, familiar with
this strange abashment, seized the mo-
ment, but ut bis motion the sheriff
screamed, Look out!'
The quick danger in the cry brought
back with a surge the men against the
wall. and Shorty swung instantly. dr.
ing at the outstretched hand Of Bailey
as it reached for Tremper's weapon.
The landlord Strengthened. gazing
afrrightedly at his finger tips.
s"TOO lOwv' and ShOrty'S voice held