La Junta tribune., 1915-02-27

brake. and the iuinisprtng uid staee
Iurched to sand 10 the presence Of
grim tragedy
At the side Of the road where II
turned around shoulder aud spread
out 10 . wide ledge = doGeu mru went
about . work ~ wild. NJ snsxlng 10
Its steadiness rs 10 bring forward with
q jerk that old west u which the little
company In the stage were sI~-,king.
With their backs 10 . r~gg~d pine.
their arms pinionsd nj their sides and
their silver star. gieam ming ridiculo,isly
on their khaki shirts. two atl9r~rs nf
the law watched In white wrntb the
deliberations ~ the r~-t
Tbexe Others. nine nn..u In ,uciuruys.
wide hats and fnnn..i sh.r,s. w.-,.
masked One man alone wa. hare
hen,l..d. barrfn',-i an.i i,- sissi an,nn.
them with hiS h,nis th-i and II rn,..
abOu, his n.-.k lis huge knot st.D |
out prominently under his left ear liz.
was n had type. n heavy featured. tpld
eyed man. whos. rvsNri " ~vI: VS.
stamped nisn his face
One Uf the Ufhpfu WAS casting the
ioos~ end for high limb % he new
comer~ stopped abreast.
With = disiatnfui disresarvi for 10.
terfereuce this bunch VI avengers
worked In silence. not ~ven protesting
against the stopping Of the stage.
Not ~ the two OnDresD agaiost the
tree
For heavens sake." cried one
hoarsely. get out Of there. you men.
and stop this outrage. This man ls our
prisoner 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 something
All left the stage except the travel.
Ing man. who crouched back 10 one
corner. and later when the party re.
turned he was found In . faint. As
the bully got out be tried to edge
around % - to get behind some Of the
others ~ much Ms possible.
The big black guns In the bolsters OF
the bully sttrscted the eyes Of the
sheriff.
~ deputixe you- be yelled. "Cut
these ropes and give me q gun! Stop
them
"why-why"- said the bully. why
this hnint"-
Al this moment the rope sailed over
the high limb. fell. swung. was caught
by . dozen eager hands and snstched
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. bea ysd hard away.
The rancher was old IN the ways OF
the wilderness. and he stood silent. be-
Ing unnrmed. only his dllsting. kindly
eyes showing his horror. The bully
was agape with bis hands up. trans.
nxed In the presence OF death.
Only the slim. handsome woman b.
hind them was keeniy slive. II seemed.
A that tragic line swsyed tsutiy back.
ward and down her two white hands.
from which she had stripped the
gloves. reached forward. TIE sensl.
tive nngess closed careasingiy arvund
the gun butts at the bully's hips, thsQa
was q dash Of gun metal. a spring of
tho slim blue clad figure 20 one side.
and the next instant the hills awoks
to thunder as the horse thief rvse.
struggling. In the mir.
The first shot. n pcrceptlble Second
apart. was for the spokesman who cor-
cred the two mcn and the driver "n
III. box. aud II sent his gun hur;llns
against the rorks OF the roadside
Then. Ia ,irh swift succrssion as to
seem roarinr yoiley. IN. black guns
spoke together. and one 10y one. Ike
leaves falling In n wind. every second
hand dropped. red aud shattered. from
the rope above their heads.
Tn. miserable thing at the ropes
end fell to the earth In heap.
Yclls. screams. curses rvse 10 ian
instic ciamor as nve men nuns useless
arms In panic. The othcrs. their grip
so low ~ To be shielded by their com.
ndes' todics. spran. sway.
Don't move." said = clear voice cut.
tingiy. u have = few shots left"
She nodded 60 the rancber.
Loosen that rope on that mans
neck. Thanks Now the ollscerx."
"Now." said the woman at last. you
may go--aii " you. Aud don't look
hack
without protest the masked line
strung out. . srotesque process'on. npd
disappeared down the white road. It's
progress marked BY trsiling spsinkl-s
In the dust.
Then speech broke out among tho.
left. aud the otiscrn aud The old driver
were Tor almost grovellng before h.f.
"whst nerve: whsss d0 you CON.
fromY'
But the woman Only smiled aud
would answer nothing.
She handed the biack guns 10 th.
gun msn with Q smile.
The vest hain't what Il was." she