The Dolores star., 1917-02-16
TT|E BAT IIECpY
me Gall Of fqheO ONBERL

Ine answer was . below Of rage.
Old Ait MoBriar throw forward his
rifls.
Anss looked up and spoke slowly:
= rsckon II wouldn't profit ~ much
to harm N. Mill We ain't armed. an
Il would bring on . heap Of trouble" :"
I Outside rose an angry chorus Of
voices. The news that the jail was
empty had gone through the crowd.
For time the McBriar stood there
debating his NEXT step. The town
seemed at his mercy. Seemed! That
word gave him pause. The way home
lay through Havey territory. which
might mean twenty miles OF solid
ambush. Anse Hsyey sat too quietly
| for Ailt's case of mind. Was be bait
ing some fresh trapf
The old intriguer felt banned and at
sea- He had grown accustomed to
weighing and calculating with guileful
deliberation. He baked at swift and
impulsive action. Moreover. II he do
bated long. he might not be able to
control his men. He looked up-to
see little Milt. who was fighting back
the crowd at the door and locking
them ont. Beyond the panels could
be heard loud swearing and the impa-
tient shufling Of many feet
What shall We do. sonf" inquired
the older man Of the younger. His
voice had note Of appeal and break
ing power.
When Young Milt had ridden out
Of Peril no feudist in the hills had
borne . heart fuller Of hatred and
hunger for vengeance. but that was
because OF his father. Now his father
was free. For Luke Thixton he had
profound contempt He saw in the
situation only game Of wits in which
Anse Havey was winner.
WELL" he replied with. . grin ne
could not repress. hit looks right
smart ter me like thar haint nothin'
to do but ride on back home an try
again next time"
That counsel In the end prevailed.
Outside there had been q short, sharp
struggle with mutinous spirit. These
men had come for action and they did
not want to ride back foiled. but the
word OF Old Milt had stood unchal.
lenged too long TO fail now. Yet he
led back grumbling following and
bore . discounted power. They could
not forget that q Havey had worsted
him.
So the spirit Of the men who had
come TO fight vented itself in the yell
and the random shots to which there
was no reply. and again q train Of
horsemen were ON their way into the
hills.
When It was all over and Juanita
sat there In her empty school she was
realising that, after all. the desperate
moment had only been deferred and
must come with absolute certainty:
Christmas was only two days on and
her gun-rack was empty. When she
had come home there had not been
single weapon there.
There would be no Christmas tree
now! The beribboned packages lay In
q useless pile. Had school been in ses-
sion. she knew that the desks would
have been as empty al the gun-rack.
The whole turtlelike life had drawn in
its head and the countryside lay ~
though besieged.
On Anse Havey's book-shelves were
now volumes. for Juanita Was feeding
his scant supply. and softer type of
poetry was being added to his frugal
and stern repertoire. A number OF
men left the mountains and went into
exile elsewhere. These were the wit.
nesses who must testify against Luke
Thixton and whose lives would not
have been worth q nickel had they
stayed at home.
Then came Christmas day ITSELF
bleak and soggy with the thaw that
had set in and the moody dreariness
OF the sky. The sun seemed to have
despaired and made its course spirit
lessly from dawn to twilight. crawling
dimly across its daily arc.
Brother Anse Talbot came over to
the school and found both women sit
ting alphabetically by an untrimmed fir
tree amid a litter Of forgotten Pack
ages. The children OF Tribulation
were having the sort Of Christmas
they had always had-a day OF terror
and empty cheerlesspess.
"Hit seems like right smart pity
fer them children ter be plumb. tee
totally disappointed" mused the old
preacher. "S'pose now ye put names
on them gewgaws an let me Jest
sorter ride round an scatter EN-"
you dear old saint" cried Juanita
suddenly reused out Of her apathy
"But you'll freeze to death an gel
drowned In some ford"
-Thet's all right" the preacher an
swered briefly. Il reckon kin &c
ther route"
It took Good Anse Talbot three
days OF battle with quicksand and
mire to finish that mission. At eact
house he told them that Juanita Hol
land had sent him. and the girl wal
L A. 4