The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-09-08


hundred similar in all essential
respects. The gulch at the bot
tom of the valley was heavily
wooded with scruboak, cotton
wood. woodbine and plum trees.
and this tangle of foliage extend
ed for some distance up the sides
OF the hills. In the midst of this
underbrush screen was tiny
cabin. In this tiny cabin I have
lived, a closely watched prisoner,
from that day until l escaped"
The defendant stirred a little
uneasily.
BLACK left me soon after. He
did not unbind me, rather bound
me the tighter. He deigned to in
form me that he had found it
rather inconvient to kill me after
the relief party rode up, as then
there was no absolute surety of
his making a clean getaway. He
gave me no hint either that time,
nor either of the two times | saw
him subsequently, as to what was
to be his ultimate disposal of me.
could only suppose that after
this trial was well over in his
favor. and fear of Indictment for
arson and murder had blown over
he would then quietly put an end
to me. Dead men tell no tales.
My jailers were mostly half-breeds
usually Charlie Nightbird.
Day before yesterday. in the
afternoon" continued Williston,
81 managed to knock Nightbird
down at the threshold as he was
about to enter. / had secretly
worked a cross-beam from the
low, unfinished ceiling. There was
nothing else in the room | might
use for a weapon. They were
very careful. | think l killed
him, your honor, and gentlemen
of the jury. | am not sorry.
There was no other way. But l
would rather it had been the
maker, not the tool. Blu the time
| had made my way back to the
Lazy S | was too exhausted to go
further; SO | crawled over to my
neigh bors, the Whites, and Moth
er White made me a shake-down.
l lay there, nearly dead, until this
morning."
He leaned back YEARLY.
Black stood up. He was not
lank nor lazy now, nor shuffling.
His body was drawn to it's full
height. In the instant before the
spring, Mary, who was sitting
close 10 the attorneys table, met
his glance squarely. She read
there what he was about to do.
Only a moment their eyes held
each others, but it was time
enough for swift message of un-
derstanding, of utter dislike, and
of determined will to defeat the
mans purpose, to pass from ac-
cusing brown eyes to the cruel
ones of the defendant.
Quick as flash Black seized
the chair upon which he had been
sitting, sprang clear of the table
and his lawyers, and landed close
to Mary's side. With his chair
as a weapon, he meant to force
his way to the nearest window.
Mary's eyes dilated. Unhestating-
ly she seized the half-emptied
glass on the table and dashed the
contents of it full into the pris-
oner's face. Blinded, he halted
a moment in his mad rush. Mary's
quick maneuver made Langford's
opportunity. He grappled with
Black. The crowd was mad with
excitement.
The prisoner still retained his
chair. When Langford grappled
with him, he attempted to bring
1T down upon the fair head of his
antagonist. Mary gasped with
dread, but Langford grasped the
chair with one muscular hand,
wrested 1t from the desperado's
hold, and threw it to the floor.
The two men locked in a close
embrace. Langford's great
| strength was more than sufficient
to hold the outlaw until the dazed
officers could do their duty-had
he been let alone; but two men.
who had been standing near the
door when the prisoner made his
unexpected leap for liberty, had
succeeded in worming their way
through the excited crowd, and
now suddenly threw themselves
upon the ranchman, dragging him
back.
Stand aside or I'll shoot!"
1t was a girls voice, clear and
firm. Mary had been the first to
realize that Blacks friends, not
Langford's, had Joined in the
struggle. She snatched her re-
volver from her cowboy belt
she had not been without either
since the Lazy s was burned-and
cried out her challenge. CHANGING
quickly from the cleaning barrel
to the determined face of the
young girl, the men let 60 their
hold of Langford and fell back
precipitately.
Instantly Langford sprang for
ward, but Black had made good
use of his moment of grace.
Swinging his arms to the right
and left he had beaten his way
to the window. when Langford
again seized him, but he had the
advantage this time and he tore
himself loose, throwing Langford
violently against the window cas-
ing. With his bare, clinched fist
he shivered the glass and leaped