The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-01-15

The answer was a below of rage.
Old MiIt McBriar threw forward his
rife.
Anse looked up and spoke slowly:
Il reckon it wouldn't profit ye much
to harm US. MiIt- We amt armed, an
it would bring on a heap of trouble "
Outside rose an angry chorus OF
voices. The news that the Jail was
empty had gone through the crowd.
For time the McBriar stood there
debating his next step. The town
seemed at his mercy Seemed! That
word gave him pause. The way home
lay through Hayey territory. which
might mean twenty miles Of solid
ambush. Anse Havey sat too quietly
for Milt's ease of mind. Was he bait
ing some fresh trap?
The old intriguer felt baff1ed and at
sea. He had grown accustomed TO
weighing and calculating with guilefui
deliberatiOn. He baked at swift and
impulsive action. Moreover, if he de-
| bated long, he might not be able to
control his men. He looked up-to
see little Milt, who was fighting back
the crowd at the door and locking
them out. Beyond the panels could
be heard loud swearing and the impa-
tient shutting of many feet.
What shall we do. SOM" inquired
| the older man of the younger His
voice had a note of appeal and break
ing power.
When Young Milt had ridden out
of Peril no feudist in the hills had
| borne a heart fuller of hatred and
| hunger for vengeance, but that was
| because Of his father. Now his father
was free. For Luke Thixton he had
! a profound contempt He saw in the
situation only a game of wits in which
Anse Havey was winner.
Well" he replied with grin he
could not repress. Init looks right
smart ter me like thar hain't nothin'
! to do but ride on back home an try
| again next time"
That counsel in the end prevailed.
| Outside there had been a short, sharp
struggle with a mutinous spirit. These
men had come for action and they did
not want to ride back foiled. but the
word of Old Milt had stood unchal-
lenged too long to fail now Yet he
led back a grumbling following and
bore a discounted power. They could
not forget that a Havey had wOrsted
him.
So the spirit of the men who had
come to fight vented itself in the yell
and the random shots to which there
was no reply, and again a train of
horsemen were on their way into the
hills.
When it was all over and Juanita
sat there in her empty school she was
realizing that, after all, the desperate
moment had only been deferred and
must come with absolute certainty
Christmas was only two days of and
her gun-rack was empty. When she
had come home there had not been
a single weapon there.
There would be no Christmas tree
nowi The beribboned packages lay in
a useless pile. Had school been in ses
sion, she knew that the desks would
have been as empty as the gun-rack
The whole turtlelike life had drawn in
its head and the countryside lay as
though besieged.
On Anse Havey's book-shelves were
new volumes, for Juanita was feeding
his scant supply, and softer type o.
poetry was being added to his fruga
and stern repertoire. A number o.
men left the mountains and went intC
exile elsewhere. These were the wit
nesses who must testify against Luke
Thixton and whose lives would no
, have been worth a nickel had the1
stayed at home.
Then came Christmas day itself
bleak and soggy with the thaw tina
had set in and the moody drearines
of the sky. The sun seemed to hav'
despaired and made it's course spirit
lessly from dawn to twilight, crawling
dimly across its daily arc.
Brother Anse Talbot came over t,
the school and found both women sit
ting alphabetically by an untrimmed fl
tree amid litter of forgotten pack
ages The children of Tribu1atiol
: ! were having the sort of Christina
:. they had always had-a day of terro
: and empty cheerlessness.
Hit seems like a right smart pit
: fer them children ter be plumb. tee
= totally disappointed" unused the oil
preacher. "S'pose now ye put name
= on them gewgaws an let me jes
sorter ride round an scatter EN-"
You dear old saint" cried Juanits
suddenly reused out of her apath!
But you'll freeze to death an &c
drowned in some ford"
'Thet's all right" the preacher al
swered briefly. 81 reckon | kin g
Their route"
:. 1t took Good Anse Talbot tire
days of battle with quicksand an
g mire to finish that mission. At eac
4. house he told them that Juanita Ho
n land had sent him, and the girl Wa
II canonized afresh in hearts old an
e young. back in roadiess coves and @
a bleak hiIlsides.
IT Every evening found Anse Have
g. seated before Juanitas hearth, stud
ing the flicker OF the freight Oh b.
n. face Every detail of her expressic
ID became to him as something he hs
II always known and worshiped.
Some day Malcolm would come baC