The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1915-09-23
Which Was
Which?
By EuNlcE BLAKE

inning town In the far west with pick
and shovel on his shoulder and, an.
preaching q couple Of miners standing
before saloon, asked some questions
az to whether 1t was worth while to do
any prospecting in the country round
about. One Of the men replied to him,
while the other kept pair Of steel
gray eyes on him from under a SOM
brero hat as he ground hard on q
quid OF tobacco. When the young man
had passed ON the gray eyed man said
to his companion:
We'll, that beats anything ever saw
before! knew Jim Allison had cheek,
but didn't reckon he'd walk into this
town barefaced like that after the
bosses he's run Of"
Jim Allison! You don't mean that's
Jim Allisonr'
'shore! I'd know him If his face
| was charcoaled."
Within another ten minutes half q
dozen men surrounded the stranger
with drawn pistols and called on him
/ to surrender. Astonished, he asked
WuaI 10 was wanted Tor.
You can't brazen 1t out that away,
TN this yere camp, Mr.. Allison. Wen
see that no more bosses are run of.
by runnin' the biggest boss thief Of the
territory up on rope. It'll be on the
other neck this time.'
ALLISON! My names not Allison; it's
Ruggles."
The disclaimer had no effect except
on one man who had once seen Allison
and doubted II this man were he, but
the gray eyed man was so cocksure
! that the prisoner was hurried away
and, since the sheriff was handy, was
turned over to him. 81
1t happened that the jailer's daugh-
ter. Annie Sweetzer, was visiting her
aunt over the divide and one day re-
ceived letter from her mother men.
| tioning among other things that the
noted horse thief, Jim Allison, had de-
liberately walked into the camp, had
been arrested and was to be hanged
the next Friday. Mrs. Sweetzer spoke
OF what decent looking young man
he was and what pity he should have
sunk to horse stealing.
The day Annie received this letter a
party Of men rode into the place. and
IN their center was Jim Allison HIM
self. They rode by the house where
Annie was staying, and she was told
who the prisoner was. She asked why
he had been brought there instead Of
being taken to the mining camp and
was told that he had been run down
with some horses in Stony Gulch. This
set the girl to thinking. Were there
two Jim Allisons?
The same afternoon Annie went
home. The Jail was a small brick
structure back Of her fathers house,
and on her arrival she went out to
have look at the prisoner. The mo-
ment she laid eyes on him she saw
that he was very like the man she had
seen in the morning; but, while the
latter had hangdog look about him,
this one looked honest.
"Pop," she said. that young Teller
out in the Jail isn't a horse thief He
isn't Jim Allison neither"
| "You, Ann. you mind your own bust
ness. Every time good lookin' young
feller is taken in you get soft ON him."
Il tell you, pop, they got Jim Allison
over at Aunt Martha's. l saw 'em
brfngin' him in."
The father had gone out of hearing
before the sentence was finished An
ME went back to the prisoner and told
SIT IL a. l~~
hanged next day and there was not
much time in which to act. The minds
OF the campers were made up that they
had got the man who had been steal
Ing their horses, and they could hard
ly wait till the next day to hang him.
II Annie told them the story of the
other Jim Allison they would attribute
her evidence to be prompted by de-
sire to save the life Of a man with
whom she had fallen in love.
"You Just watt" she said to the pris-
oner. IT'LL tonight III bring you a
flle."
II see."
That's the easiest way. And I'll
bring you a. bed comforter, too, for you
to put over the lock while you're film,
SO they won't hear you at the house."
Annie provided the file and the COM
forter. but that night she heard the
filing. and. fearing others would hear
tt, she set up moaning. declaring she
had bad toothache. When she was
assured that the fling had ceased for
good she quieted down and after mid
night went out and unlocked the outer
door to the jail, the key to which hung
In the kitchen. The prisoner had done
his part Of the work and was ready to
leave.
"Goodby, little GIRL" he said "Quite
likely you have saved my life."
Where you going?' she asked.
Anywhere to get away from here"
'You go<over to where your double
is. That's the safest way. They'll get
you sure. If you so where they've got
the real horse thief It'll be all right"
YOU'RE sensible girl. Ill do It,
Goodby."
"Oh, never mind the goodby: I'm
goin' with you"
The man took her in his arms. Then
they started out on foot and in the
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