The daily Alaskan., 1917-06-14
A Clever RUSe H Was Heads / Win, Tails You Lose
By WARREN MILLER

on horse whose lOpe was very like rocking chair. She was riding astrad- de with divided skirts. No other woul- an on the ranches thereRbout would ride in any other costume. Barker was | riding beside her, and the two made a very handsome pair. The brim of his 1 sombrero was dattened against his 1 forehead by the wind, a lRriat hung at his saddlebow, and his splendid fig ure was revealed by his costume-ViE, flannel shirt and trousers, with boots to his knee.
 Daisy had gone out from the east with her father, who became a sheep raiser, and she had become fascinated with ranch life. Unfortunately she had conceived a romantic Idea of the genus cowboy, and, Barker being physically a perfect type, she had persuaded her self, or, rather, be bad persuaded her, that he was just the man for her. l say unfortunately" because he was not an educated man and in every way beneath her. There were other fea- lures about him to render him unde- sirable which will appear presently.
 The couple passed me, all of us sa- luting, though they were unknown to me, and rode on to the ranch house, where l had business with John Nolan with reference to a large purchase or wool. While dIckering with him on his yeranda, up the roadway came the couple I had met and anghted at the foot of the steps.l Throwing their bridle reins over a post, they walked up on to the veranda. Then learned that Daisy was Nolan's daughter.
 AS tho pair passed into the house l noticed a cloud fit over the face of the | girls father. I knew by Barker's bearing toward her that he was in love with her, and I judged that bis atten- tions were not relished by Nolan. But he said nothing to me then, and we went on with our dickering. When l arose to go be said:
 "Theres no place about here in which you will be comfortable except my house. Send for your traps" l accepted the invitation, especially as I was pleased at being under the same roof with Miss Daisy. I knew she had lover, but nay attraction for her did not then go so far as to intend to come between them. merely liked the idea of being near her during my stuy.
 But I stayed a good while, and 1t was not very long before she and l each made a discovery. discovered | that I wanted her, and she discovered that she didn't want Barker. Mean while I found out something else-that he had become frightfully Jealous of me and if I took her away from him be would probably kill me. At first he and spoke to each other when we met either on the ranch or elsewhere. Then he only noticed me at the Nolan house.
 I thought 1t best after awhile to re- move to the (so called) hotel, a mile from Nolan's. If anything happened between Barker and myself preferred that 1t should not happen under No lan's roof. So one day 1 removed my luggage to my new quarters.
 One morning 1 was sitting on the porch of the hotel smoking a brier- wood pipe. Barker came out of the barroom, where he had been drinking, and took seat about thirty feet from me. I didn't know he was there till, turning my head, saw him out of the corner of my eye sighting his revolver at me.
 Naturally I started.
 Hold on there" said Barker. "Your pipe makes a fine target We don't al- low people to smoke such expensive pipes out here"
 The words were scarcely out of his mouth when I felt faint tick on the bowl of the pipe, heard the crack of a gun and knew that bullet had passed through the pipe.
 Hold upw he growled as was about to rise. Your pipe won't draw with hole in 1t, but it's still a mighty good target"
 I snatched a look at him. He was evidently under the influence of liquor. I felt sure that if didn't let him shoot at my pipe he would shoot at me and nerved myself to stand another shot Indeed, this was all could do, for l was unarmed. But a cold chill ran down my back and @ cold sweat stood out all over me. Nevertheless l put up a pretty good front I sat with comparative composure, occasionally letting 6 faint cloud of tobacco smoke escape from between my lips, but not daring to move hairbreadth for fear of interfering with the mans aim.
 Several persons from inside the hotel, having heard a shot, came out to dis- cover who had been killed. They ar rived just ia time to see the second shot and the top of the bowl Of my pipe cut of. They at once took in the situation, and, seeing me coolly puh- ing. not knowing my internal condi- tion, they cried out, "Good pluck, stran- ger" Steady nerve!" He ain't no tenderfootT and such like comph- ments.