The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-09-30
The Horse Thief's
Girl
BY DONALD cHAMBERLIN

s1AAN asASAh Wv bNNa oh' N'R " aA-
This is a story of a girl, rough. US
couth. but an outlaw among outlaws.
who made sacrifice which, though
In a bad cause, should entitle her 10
the name of heroine.
When the state OF Colorado was a
wild country, filled with Wild people,
man there wac who, starting under
the title of road agent, degenerated to
the condition Of common horse thief.
Human laws may be inherited. but
they do not originate by accident In
a new country horse or a mule is
| an absolute essential. Consequently
one who steals a horse is given the
greatest OF all punishments. While a
man may deliberately shoot down. an
other In the street or over a card ia
BILE and not be called to an account,
the man who steals a horse is strung
up to a tree by the neck.
Ryan was the only name known for
tbs person who had slid down so far
In the scale of crime. He had become
such thorn In the side of the settlers
of the region he worked that they de-
cided to drop everything else 20 run
him down. 1t was long chase, but
at last they got him In a gulch the
sides of which were unscalable. Tho
mouth Of the gulch was guarded by
egress they did not know 1t. There
was an outlet for good climber near
the upper end Of the gulch, but In or
der to escape by that route the fugi-
tive would have to expose his body to
the fire Of any one in the center of the
gulch
While the settlers were laying their
plans for the capture they were ap-
preached by the girl who has been
mentioned above.
"Air y lookin' fer Ryan," she asked.
Since she might be interested in
Ryan's safety, she received no positive
reply.
Cos If y air reckon can help y
locate him. Look a-herer'
She pulled up the sleeve Of her cali
co dress and showed some shocking
marks on her arm: then she lowered it
at the back of the neck and showed
more Of them.
Ryan give me these" she said in a
bitter tone.
Are you his wife?'
"T'm his gal He came to our house
onct when a posse was chasin' him.
hid him, and when he went away I
went with him. And these scars air
what got fer what done fer him
Do y wonder l want to turn him in? 2"
The men OF the committee looked az
one another This might be a case of
a girl who had saved a desperate from
death. had trusted herself to him and
had received the reward that might
have been expected from a hardened
criminal. That she should desire re-
renge was not remarka bic.
well, what do you proposeT said
he leader of the committee.
.See that rock up there?'
1.-THE one next the big tree?''
Eyes. He's goin' to hide till after
lark and then climb UP there and git
he gulch. I'll go and tell him that
IRE comm up to take him. That'H
care him so that he'll try to git over
he rock by day. Y kin shoot him
vhen he's between y and the skyline"
The committee held a consultation.
ome declined to trust the girl; some
i'd not like giving up hanging the
IAN instead OF shooting him But
hey ali wished to be through with the
ob and get back home. So they told
ne girl she might go ahead and tell
yam the story. They would be ready
} pick him off as soon as they got a
lear view Of him.
She went off up the gulch muttering
on the man who had re-
lrned evil for good The men took
osition where they could get a good
lew Of the rock and any one who at
,mpted to climb 1t. There they wait
!, some one Of their number keeping
atch and his gun cooked ready for
lie execution.
About an hour after the girl had left
lem they saw the figure of man
owly climbing the rock. But it was
distinct and thesman on guard pre-
rred to wait till ii passed over the
,per edge of the rock when It would
between him and the light Just
1t landed on the summit 1t turned,
oked down into the gulch and threw
kiss at some one there. The man OF
e committee who held his rifle to his
oulder fired, but the weapon was
locked up by one of the committee
d the shot went skyward.
It's the gal" exclaimed the man
10 had interfered.
You gol burned fool, you've let the
seal escape. What makes you think
was the gal?'
He'd never throw her a kiss Ike
it even though he believed she'd
ved him again. and it's just what
ed do II she was going to die for
n. Spread yourselves over the
'uth OF the gulch. Well get him
;"
md they did His girl had intended
die that he might live. supposins
It after she had been killed for him
committee would go home believ-
that they had killed the man they
re after. chen the horse thief could
TX out Of the canyon In perfect safe
She had betrayed herself and him
n feminine act