The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-09-06
The Horse Thief S
Girl
By DONALD CHAMBERLIN

same among the good and the evil
This is a story of girl. rough. I'M
couth, but an outlaw among outlaws.
who made a sacrifice which, though
In q bad cause, should entitle her to
the name of heroine.
When the state of Colorado was
wild country. filled with wild people.
a man there was 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 q horse or mule is
an absolute essential Consequently
one who steals a horse is given the
greatest Of all punishments. While
man may deliberately shoot down an
] other in the street or over a card tn.
/ BILE and not be called to an account,
| the man who steals a horse is strung
up to tree by the neck.
Ryan was the only name known for
this 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 to run
him down. 1t was long chase, but
at last they got him In a gulch the
sides Of which were unscalable. The
mouth Of the gulch was guarded by
the committee. If there was any
egress they did not know 1t. There
was an outlet for a 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 Tor 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.
Zoos If y air 1 reckon l 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?"
I'm his gal He came to our house
onct when posse was chasin' him.
l MD him. and when he went away
went with him. And these scars air
what got fer what l done fer him.
Do y wonder want to turn him in?"
The men Of the committee looked at
one another. This might be a case of
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.
venge was not remarkable.
well, what do you propose?" said
the leader Of the committee
"See that rock up there?"
1.-THE one next the big tree?"
"Yes He's goin' to hide TIL after
dark and then climb up there and git
away. He's hidin' up near the head of
the gulch. I'll go and tell him that
y're comm up to take him. That'll |
scare him so that he'll try to git over
the rock by day. Y kin shoot him |
when he's between y and the skyline"
The committee held a consultation. |
Some declined to trust the girl; some
did not like giving up hanging the
man instead Of shooting him. But
they all wished to be through with the |
JOB and get back home. So they told
the girl she might 60 ahead and tell
Ryan the story. They would be ready |
to pick him Off as soon as they got a
clear view Of him.
She went Off up the gulch muttering
maledictions on the man who had re.
turned evil for good. The men took
position where they could get a good
view OF the rock and any one who at.
tempted to climb It. There they wait.
ed, some one Of their number keepinp
watch and his gun cooked ready for
the execution.
About an hour after the girl had left
them they saw the figure Of a man
slowly climbing the rock. But It was
indistinct and the man on guard pre.
ferred to wait till It passed over the
upper edge Of the rock when 1t would
be between him and the light. Just
as 1t landed on the summit II turned.
looked down into the gulch and threw
kiss at some one there The man Of
the committee who held his rife to his
shoulder fired. but the weapon was
knocked up BY one Of the committee
and the shot went skyward.
Its the galr' exclaimed the man
who had interfered.
You gol burned fool, you've let the
rascal escape. What makes you think
It was the galT"
He'd never throw her a kiss like
that even though he believed she'd
saved him again. and it's lust what
she'd do If she was going to die for
him. Spread yourselves over the
mouth Of the gulch. Wen get him
yet"
And they did. His girl had Intended
to die that he might live, supposing
txnA 49,