The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-10-17

you must 20 and rest. After you have
eaten l viii settle with you. You haze
earned your reward"
Manuel grinned appreciatively and
, led his tired horse around to the corral.
while Mark Smith paced up and down
the hard baked path before the door.
He had STAYED it of for months, but
! now it had c0me. Vados, the outlaw,
had held his men with an iron hand.
and not once had he permitted drunk
enness to spoil his wild raids upon
the peaceful settlements over the bor-
der. They came and went in the night
like shadows. vados knew his half
savage followers. and he had not dared
allow them liquor.
But now he had broken loose him
self, and his men were quick to follow
their leader.
What chance had law and order,
even the emblem Of a great govern
ment, in the face of madness? And
these were nothing better now that
they had had a taste of the pulQue.
While Mark Smith acknowledged
this, he set his jaw tight and. mount
ing his horse, rode from n to another
Of the outlying ranches, giving warn
ing of the coming raid. He advised
his n%eighbors to gather at his place.
His line was drawn closer as he
neared the town. and at last there
remained only one house, that Of James
Bradley.
Ellen's father was at the gate when
Mark rode up.
'I've heard all about it. What's your
plan, Mark?" he asked.
"Gather all the women and children
at my place with an armed guard. l
want the men to go with me to meet
vados and try to wipe him out before
he does any damage. I've sent a
couple of messengers to Arko to tele-
graph for assistance from Ell 8
"Good. I'll hitch up and bring my
folks over. l hope you'll let me be on
the skirmish line" added the old man
wistfully.
'Suit yourself, but we need a steady
head to hold the fort. you know" smll'
ed Mark YEARLY.
, Just at sunset the last of the fugi-
t tives rode through the gate OF Marx
Smiths ranch. 1t was a very martial
sight that met their eyes, and it re-
: newed Courage in many a timid heart.
: From every peak Of the roof there
was a standard from which waved the
stars and stripes. Every window had
its pole with futtering flag. and even
the stables were breaking out In pa
triotic colors. On either side OF the
gate was a tall pole. where two large
flags waved protectingly over the refu
gees.
James Bradley and his wife hat
come over in a blackboard with SOM
4 Of their most precious belongings.
"Where is Elem asked Smith al
he assisted Mrs. Bradley to the ground
Ellen's parents cast startled glance
4 around.
a ~Why. isn't she here? She starte
on on her horse and said she wOul
get here first"
"Tll fetch her." gritted Mark savage
", and. throwing himself on a horse
he tore away toward the town
But in the deserted town there wa
no trace of Ellen Bradley. Mark foun
! himself riding frantically in pursuit O
! the girl who had flouted him for
whim. At last he dashed toward tn
river and followed a fresh trail aion
the bank. Possibly Ellen was takin
the longer way, but she must know
was a dangerous way today. Vado
! might be lying in ambush. waiting 10
the friendly night to owe his move
ments.
It was dark when he reached tn
river. Here a strange sight met hi
:. startled eyes.
This was the narrOwest part. and
was here that, the outlaws would eros
ID if they were to reach Smiths ranc
~ that night. as they had threatened.
narrow wooden bridge spanned tn
y river.
~ A dark bulk of shadow resolved int
:. a stationary horse and white ella
rider. Above the rider there appeare
=. to float in midair q large Transparent
.e with the stars and stripes painted viz
. idly on four sides. Within the trans
= parency there burned a light tina
. threw the flags into strong relief.
. Mark Smith had carried that trans
= l,arency in the last political campaign
:. That was not all.
:. There was an ominous cracking. wit
the smell OF burning wood. fSuddenl
the bridge burst into danes and dis
closed on the opposite bank a pars
fyzed group Of lrufiians. vad0s and hi
band. They stared at the m0tionles
6gure CARRIED in white UNFOLDING tn
glowing transparency. then ut tn
!, burning bridge. and with q accor
= they turned and 6ed In drunken terro
toward the hills. Another day w0ul
!. 6nd their heads clearer and their coul
4 age renewed and they might return I
= Yeager. but BY that time the troop
, would have arrived.
4 Now Smith rode up to the motion
= less white figure on the horse an
found 1t to be Ellen Bradley.
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