The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-08-24
David and
Goliath
By SARAH BAXTER

ster? No? Well, the ella looks som'
thing like young alligator. When a
tackled 1t feigns to be dead. Its bite
frightfully poisonous. The victim liz
gers a long while In great agony, the
dies.
There is-or rather there was-ou
on the plains west of the Missouri rive
q human monster as much to be dread
ed as the ella. This was the desperate
who finds his prowling grounds In new
countries. When America was belnl
occupied by civilized people the hu
man ella was the renegade white. HI
lived with the Indians and fought will
them against their enemies, includin;
those Of his own color. When the say
ages wished to draw the whites int
an ambush they would use the renegad,
for the purpose, and he was not asham
ed to serve them.
4 This human monster In another form
was the terror Of the plains when they
were passing from lawlessness to civ
ilization. He delighted in cruelty
1 l.
which he had obtruded himself TO pre-
vent his murders or punish him there
| for except the revolver, and since that
was his especial implement he was SO
skillful with 1t that he had every adj
vantage.
Mark Rogers, an Indiana farmer,
having sickly wife, sold his farm
and took her with their children to a
region In the southwest then being
taken up by white settlers. There he
"squatted" and raised what crops he
could while his wife was regaining
her strength. A hamlet grew up in
the vicinity, consisting Of four dwell
ings, a store, blacksmith shop and a
saloon. One day Rogers was passing
through the hamlet when a man
known as Texas Bill came out of the
saloon firing his revolver about him as
a boy celebrating the Fourth Of July.
Seeing Rogers, he put bullet into his
left breast, in the region of the heart.
He had nothing whatever against Rog-
ers. He fired at him as he would at a
tree or any other mark.
His victim fell and lay in the road
till some persons took him up and car
ried him home There was little or no
hope that he would survive, and at his
death his invalid widow and her chill
dren would be~in destitute condition.
He fingered along, however, and one
day bis wife heard him muttering to
himself that when he recovered the
man who had shot him would have a
chance to shoot him again or die.
This boded no good for the Rogers
family. Texas Bill would have every
advantage in a fight, and since 1t was
to be expected that il Rogers recover
ed one of the two would die every
one knew that Bill would be on the
watch for his enemy in case he got
out again. There were no courts to
punish the crime or prevent a subse-
quent murder. IL the husband and ia
Their did not die of his wound he would
be killed.
IL remained for a weak woman TO
solve the problem. AS soon as she
Coulu Dt rpdEeu AIpIu htttnuduCt ou
her husband Mrs. Rogers took a bag
and went out on the plain. When she
Il was evident that she had
in the bag. but what 1t
was no one knew and no one cared.
She took it into the cellar and left Il |
here. locking the door. Every day |
after that she would go into the cellar, |
AXE the bag and go down into the |
hamlet, where she would spend some
line answering questions as to her /
husbands condition. but II was motto
d that she was always looking about
Ter and had an eye especially on the
aioon.
One morning while she was thus en-
aged Texas BIZ came ont OF the sa-
bon, smoking long black cigar. His
rousers were tucked In his boots. his
annel shirt was open. exposing his
airy breast. and his face was flushed
nth liquor. A revolver was slung TO
ach hip. and long knife was IN his
cit. Mrs. Rogers left her friends and
dvanced toward him.
There was something about her move
tent 10 tell the others that she had
,me intent concerning her husbands
nemy-a certain resolute look in her
re. qulckness in her walk She
semed like q David advancing to at.
lex a Goliath. Was the bag she car
ed a sling containing a stonei
Texas Bin stood for a moment on the
1rch Of the saloon looking out on the
ISOLATE scene. then staggered down the
cps and walked away from the group
which Mrs. Rogers had formed q
lrt she followed him While doing
she raised the skirt Of her dress and
ON about her waist uncoiled a rope.
hen she came 20 within a few yards
Bili she threw a moose IN the ripe
or his shoulders and when Il zen 10
> elbows gave n a sudden jerk. pin.
ming bis arms
From this moment she moved with
-htninr Ike rapidly. holding the lasso
her left hand. while with her right
= turned the bag over On Bnrs Shout
r. a loafhsorDe thing fastened 81.
y on 70 bis hack. Giring n mighty
" he freed hts arms and grasred
lnt clung 70 him. bot n was too late
save himself from re late wrench.
: n 20. BE- saw the deadly cha
fortunately fer the woman be vas
, futenfiT enrsged win the monster
psv any bod - her ~ he might