The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-09-22

the clouds coming over the summit of
the peaks before him were moving too
fast to suit him. Dimly he realized
that they were moved by an upper
current OF air, faster than that below.
But a vague Impotence seized him and
he kept urging his pony onward even
though instinct told him to spare the
brute.
Several times he had glanced behind
him. As he expected, no one appeared
on the plain over which he could look
IN the clear atmosphere as if it were no
larger than an ordinary field. He
had smiled to see how long the group
OF frightened girls had remained standing
on the porch of the dance hall, and had
even noticed the flutter which ensued
When one, after journey to the saloon,
had rushed hurriedly back with the
news. Then there had been a disap-
pearance of gaudily colored skirts in that
direction.
They can hev all the excitement
they wants so long as no one leaves
town the other way" he had reflected
to himself, realizing how long it would
take to get the pursuit started. That
had been his object in killing Pitts
pony. Even that aged animal might
have been ridden to the camp in quick
enough time to get posse after him
on fresh horses. AS 1T was, he felt no
fear of capture. Here he was with a
twenty-mile start and a knowledge of
the passes of the range. He knew that
the usual habit of the camp outfit
was to come swarming into town, as
soon as relieved, on the same ponies
they had ridden all day. He had no
idea they could catch him, fresh mount
ed as ne was, with such iaded brutes.
7 es the vague uneasiness within prompt
ed him to go faster in spite of the
security of which he tried to assure
himself And when he finally compelled
himself to pull up at the top of the
second bridge and glanced back for
one last look down his trail, he scowled
as he saw a figure, visible even at that
distance, leave the saloon at such a
crawling gait that he knew he must
be mounted on one of the pack burros
It's like Mexican" he tried to
say to himself with some sense of
humor, "startin' out like this after
takIn' some hours to think it out.''
1t had been scarcely two weeks since
Weneston had been able to crawl around
the shabbily furnished room above
Pitts saloon. The fall which had
broken his leg had come about one
evening, when, made exuberant by
liquor. he had endeavored to detain
one OF the departing guards at the
nearby sheep range by playfully gallon
him. One of the guards companions.
who had drunk enough to see three
Weliestons galloping down the street,
had entered into the spirit of the thing
and tried. to rope the middle one.
He had succeeded, and the senseless
Wellston was laid up with fractured
thigh. 1t was bad enough to be laid
up on ones back at time when EMPLOY
ment was open from either sheep or
cowmen; but his confinement was still
worse on account of the facetfous
remarks of the sheep outfit, who were
accustomed 70 come tramping I'D to
ms room for q jocular word or two of
an evening, always refusing, With out
bursts OF laughter, to give the name
OF the man who had thrown him.
HIS weeks spent there had been a
time OF utmost misery-of physical
pain and of mental wrath because
Pitt, secure In his weakness, had fol-
lowed the advice given to him by the
range doctor, who had come over the
next day to set the limb, and had told
the saloonkeeper not to give Welleston
any Whiskey.
But when he had become convaIescent