Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1914-09-18

company In the stage were speaking.
with their backs to a ragged pine,
their arms pinioned at their sides and
their silver stars cleaning r%idiculously
on their khaki shirts. two officers Of
the law watched in white wrath the
deliberations Of the rest.
These others, nine men in corduroys,
wide hats and flannel shirts. were
masked. One man alone was bare
headed. barefaced. and he stood among
them with his hands tied and a rope
about his neck. It's huge knot stood
out prominently under his left ear. He
was n bad type, a heavy featured, bold
eyed man. whose record OF evil was
stamped upon his face.
One Of the others was casting the
loose end for a high limb as the new
corners stopped abreast.
With a disdainful disregard for in
reference this bunch Of avengers
worked In silence, not even protesting
against the stopping of the stage.
Not SO the two officers against the
tree.
HOA nGANGu > buACp GAlGA Ou0
hoarsely, get out OF there. you men.
and stop this outraged This man is our
prisoner-suspected horse thief from
Sleepy Portland we were taking him
to Circle to the federal jail when these
men took him from US by force! Get
out and do somethingT'
All left the stage except the travel
ing man, who crouched back in one
corner, and later when the party re-
turned he was found In a faint. As
the bully got out he tried to edge
around so as to get behind some of the
others as much as possible.
The big black guns in the holsters OF
the bully attracted the eyes Of the
sheriff.
II deputize your he yelled. "Cut
these ropes and give me a gun! Stop
themT'
"why-why"- said the bully. "why
this hain't'-
At this moment the rope sailed over
the high limb. fell, swung. was caught
by a dozen eager hands and snatched
taut In an instant
The eight masked men stepped back
all together. took good grip. their
hands reaching high along the rope.
and. lifting one foot each for purchase
and start, heaved hard away.
The rancher was old In the ways OF
the wilderness, and he stood silent, be-
ing unarmed, only his dllatlng. kindly
eyes showing his horror. The bully
was agape with his hands up, trans
fixed in the presence of death.
Only the slim. handsome woman be-
hind them was keenIy alive, it seemed.
As that tragic line swayed faulty back
ward and down her two white handg,
from which she had stripped the
gloves, reached forward. The sensl-
tive fingers closed caressingly around
the gun butts at the bully's hips, there
was a fash of gun metal, a spring Of
the slim blue clnd figure to n side,
and the next instant the hills awoke
to thunder rs the horse thief rose,
struggling. in the air.
The first shot, a p%erceptible second
apart, was for the spokesman who COW
cred the two men and the driver on
the box. and It sent his gun hurtling
against the rocks Of the roadside.
Then. in such swift succession as to
seem a roaring volley. the black guns
spoke together. and one by one. like
leaves falling in a wind. every second
hand dropped, red and shattered, from
the rope above their heads.
The miserable thing at the ropes
end fell to the earth In a heap.
Yells, screams, curses rose in fan
tastic clamor as five men flung useless
arms in panic. The others, their grip
so low as to be shielded by their COM
rades' bodies, sprang away.
Don't move" said a clear voice cut
tingly. 81 have a few shots left"
She nodded to the rancher.
Loosen that rope on that mans
neck. Thanks. Now the officers"
Now" said the woman at last, you
may go-an OF you. And don't look
back"
Without protest the masked line
strung out, a grotesque procession and
disappeared down the white road. It's
progress marked by trailing s~prinkles
In the dust.
Then speech broke out among those
left, and the officers and the old driver
were for almost ~groveling before her.
"What nervel Where do you come
fromY'
But the woman only smiled and
would answer nothing.
She handed the black guns to the
gun man with a smile.
1.-THE west hain't what 1t was" b
said. ITS ben spilled by these John
ny Easternsi'
But the bully had no word. he sim
ply climbed up on the boot beside the
driver.
At shutdown the stage numbered into
the forgotten town among the noun
tains. The woman looked wistfully
around with the light Of dim remem-
bered things in her eyes.
AS they alighted at the t~umbledOwn