The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-10-22
David and
Goliath
By SARAH BAXTER

Did O never hear Of the ella mon
ster? No? Well, the ella looks some
thing like a young alligator. When at
tackled it feigns t be dead. Its bite is
frightfully poisonous. The victim lin
gers a long while in great agony. then
dies.
There is-or rather there was-Out
ON the plains west of the Missouri river
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 being
occupied by a civilized people the hui
man ella was the renegade white. He
lived with the Indians and fought with
them against their enemies. including
those Of his own color. When the saw
ages wished to draw the whites into
IN ambush they would use the renegade
for the purpose, and he was not asham-
ed to serve them.
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.
There was no law In the country on
which he had obtruded himself to pre-
rent his murders or punish him there
for except the revolver. and since that
was his especial implement he was SO
skillful with it that he had every ad-
vantage.
Mark Rogers, IN Indiana farmer,
having a 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, a blacksmith shop and a
saloon. One day Rogers was passing
through the hamlet when q maj
known as Texas Bill came out of the
saloon firing his revolver about him as
q boy celebrating the Fourth Of July.
Seeing Rogers, he put n bullet into his
left breast. in tn. region Of the heart.
He had nothing whatever against Rog-
ers. He fired at him rs he would at q
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 a destitute condition.
He fingered along. however, and n
day his 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 BODIED no good for the Rogers
family. Texas Bill would have every
advantage in a fight. and since it was
to be expected that If 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. If the husband and IA
ther did not die of his wound he would
subsequently be killed.
1t remained for Il weak woman to
solve the problem. AS o o as she
could be spared from attendance on
her husband Mrs. Rogers took a bag
aud went out on the plain. When she
returned it was evident that she had
something in the bag. but what It
was no one knew and no one cared.
She took 1t into the cellar and left 1t
there. locking the door. Every day
after that she would go into the cellar.
take the bag and go down into the
hamlet. where she would spend some
time answering questions as to her
husbands condition. but 1t was MOTTO
ed that she was always looking about
her and had an eye especially on the
saloon.
One morning while she was thus en-
gagged Texas Bill came out Of the sa-
loon. smoking a long black cigar. His
trousers were tucked in his boots. his
flannel shirt was open. exposing his
hairy breast, and his face was flushed
with liquor. \ revolver was slung to
each hip. and a long knife was in his
belt. Mrs. Rogers left her friends and
advanced toward him.
There was something about her move
ment to tell the others that she had
some intent concerning her husbands
enemy-a certain resolute look in her
EYE, a quickness in her walk. She
seemed like a David advancing to at
tack a Goliath. Was the bag she car
ried a sling containing a store?
Texas Bill stood for Il moment on the
porch of the saloon looking out on the
a~esolate scene. then staggered down the
steps and walked away from the group
Of which Mrs. Rogers had formed a
part. She followed him. While doing
10 she raised the skirt Of her dress and
from about her waist ~uncotled a rope.
When she came to within q few yards
Of Bill she threw a o in the rope
over his shoulders and when 1t fell 10
bis elbows gave 1t a sudden jerk, PIN
loning his arms.
From this moment she moved with
1ishtning-ike rapidity, holding the lasso