Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1916-02-05

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aimed quickly but steadily and fired.
A little cry of primitive and savage
joy sprang from her lips as she saw
the man plunge forward In the half
light and lie there rolling on the
ground.
But at that warning the others
leaped down and came on at a run
The tempo quickened and became con-
1uslng- They were firing as they ran
and their answering bullets pelted
against her barrier and over her head
on the walls. She heard window panes
shivering and glass falling, and yet
her elation grew-two more advancing
figures had crumpled into inert
masses Unless there were REINFORCE
ments she would stem their oncoming
tide. Even mountain marksman can
not target his shots well while he is
running and under fire. 1t takes
championship sprinting to do fifty
yards in five seconds-on the smooth
ness of a cinder path
Uphill in a constant spit of fire
and lead it requires little longer.
There were only two left now. and
one of them suddenly veered and
made for the cover of hickory trunk
on to one side-he was in full flight
But the other came on, throwing the
rlne away and shifting his heavy mag
azine pistol to his right hand
1t was easy now, thought the girl
she could take her time and be very
sure.
Yet she shot and missed, and the
man came on with the confidence of
one who wears a talisman and fears
no harm. Now he was almost at the
steps and his pistol was barking vi
ciously-then suddenly something in
the mechanism of Juanita'S rifle
damned and it lay useless and dead
in her hands. She struggled with it,
frantically jerking the lever, but be-
fore she had conquered it's baking
obstinacy she saw the oncoming figure
leap up the steps at one stride and
thrust his weapon forward over the
table. She even caught the glitter of
his teeth as a SnarIing smile parted
his lips
Then rifle spoke behind her-a
rifle in the hands of the man who had
dragged himself to the firing line, and
with his foot on the threshold Jim
Fletcher reeled backward and rolled
lumberingly down the steps to the
ground
You got him!" she screamed. You
got him, Anse!"
1t had been perhaps five minutes
since she had called out to the men
in the road. but it seemed to her that
she had sustained a long siege. She
saw the man who had fed crossing
the fence and disappearing. Then
very slowly she rose and turned to
the room again.
Anse Havey was lying on his face
and the gun with which he had killed
Jim Fletcher lay by his side, but his
posture was so rigid and his limbs
so motionless that the girl caught at
her breast and reeled backward. She
would have fallen had she not been
by the table. Had the fight
been lost, after all?
Slowly, and in a daze of reaction
and fright, she moved forward and
turned his body over and laid her ear
% his heart.
1t was still beating. The rifle had
only jolted his weak and pain-racked
body into unconsc1ousness. and as she
leld his head to her breast her eyes
vent about the room, where the pal
id light was stealing now. and by the |
nantel she saw hanging the horn that !
Jerry Everson had given her.
Why had she not thought of that be- |
ore? she asked herself accusingly. |
Why had she not sent it's call for |
lelp out across the hills long ago? |
Then there came back to her mind the |
words of the mountain man when he |
lad brought it over and had initiated |
he Havey battle-ca1l.
Don't never blow tibet unlessen We
wants ter start hell. When them calls
,oes out acrost the mountains every
1avey tibet kin tote a guns got ter
it up an come"
If ever there had been a time when
ime. She laid Anse's head once more
n the cushions and went to the man
Ell. Then, standing in the door. she
rev a long breath.
She set the horn to her lips and
lew. Out across the melting vague
ess of the dim world f1oated the three
ong blasts and the three short ones
he waited a little while and blew
gain. That signal could not reach
.nse Havey's own house. because the
idge would send it echoing back in a
battered wave of sound 1t would be
etter heard to the east, and after
me there came back to her waiting
ars, very low and distant, yet very
lear. an answer.
riar. and Juanita's heart, torn and