Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1917-07-11


AS the bandit lodged out of range he
leaped down.
Here; get inside. quickr he called
to the girl, and she flung herself int
his arms.
Oh, the indescribabIe sweetness OF
that moment! Shorty had held wo-
mana real, regular woman-on his
breast! The boys would swear he was
a liar if he ever told
Thrusting her inside, he ran forward
to the figure that lay in the road by
the heads Of the snorting horses, but
as he did so the man raised uncer-
tainly upon one elbow, the mask. a
bandanna kerchief, still hiding his fea-
lures. Blood trickled from a thin cash
over one ear.
Just creased him, / reckon. So
much the better" said he and snatched
the long neCkclOth from his own throat.
He rolled the man roughly on his face,
drew his arms together and knotted
his wrists at the back. He worked
with fury, glancing up the mountain
side, where on the bare ridge he saw
the figure Of Black Bart running west
ward along its crest. paraleling the
direction they would take.
He's making for the cutoff" Shorty
gritted. This fight amt started vet.
and if ! turn back he'll get me sure"
knowing the mountains like a book.
Bart was racing for a sheep trail
which led down from the '-hog back"
and intersected the wagon road at the
far side OF great bend where it hug
ged the hill before debouching upon
the fat at the forks. Gaining this
point ahead of the stage, he could lie
In wait with the certainty of getting
his man with his side arms.
Disregarding his victims groans. the
dwarf swung him over his great shoul-
ders and rushed at the stage. Hurting
him abruptly in upon the girl, he slam
med the door, shouting Hang on lit
tie woman, an keep your head in
Then he mounted to his perch and
dashed his horses down the dizzy trail,
while above and. far to the right he
saw the vanishing outlaw Pickering
through the scattered pines
The team, frenzied by the smell of
raw blood, fed madly. their driver
bolted to his seat. yelling words Of en-
enlargement. Other furious drives had
Shorty made down this road, but never
such racing, swaying. drunken flight
as this. He gripped the "forty-five"
between his knees. driving with one
hn Il
with the other.
AS they rOared down the mountain
side the intoxication of the chase rose
in him till he shouted hoarsely great
bellows of defiance The presence be-
hind him stirred knightly depths in his
soul OF which he had never dreamed,
and he ached with a desire for sacri-
fetal offering-a passion for immola,
ton.
AS they rocked around the nose Of
the last bluff he yelled again, for ahead
of him and midway down the zigzag
sheep trail was Black Bart literally
dropping off the vertical cliff. It was
evident he would be within range.
'Hope he gets me stead Of a horse"
thought the driver. ''If he drops one
Of them We'll go over the mountain
side like a rocket"
The animals were stretched fatty in
the foam flecked delirfum of runaway,
their rafting hoof roll laundering
above the hubbub OF the jolting. jump
ing coach.
Bart knelt, resting bis weapon over
the crook Of his folded arm The sDlin-
ters bit off from the seat at Shorty's
side. Then they both fred, but the
heave Of a winded, painting man is as
bad for the aim as q perch on the sum-
nit of careening stage
THANK God, he amt tryln' for the
team thought the dwarf; then, as the
two drew together, he beheld the 9th
er's face and saw that rage rioted
there so savagely that it blinded him
to his surer revenge. His mask was
gone, and Shorty knew that he alone
had seen the features OF the mysteri-
GUS road agent. AS the team tore up
abreast of the outlaw his gun belched
again, and Shorty felt the paralyzing
stroke Of missile, while the ribbons
slipped from his left hand.
''Ye got meT' he beloved, then he
was whisked past and, kneeling, shield
ed his short body behind the vehicle
top, sheathing his six shooter.
They swung down to the fat amid a
spatter of gravel, splashed through the
ford Of the North fork and rushed
scrambling up the bank to the Wire
bridge toll house. Old Charley Crane
appeared, followed by Winters, the
Wells Fargo messenger, and a stran-
ger, doubtless his companion. Both
carried abbreviated shotguns.
What's up, Shorty?" questioned
Winters, speaking with the restrained
curiosity OF the mountafneer. Sound
ed like a gun play back yonder"
''Ye don't sayY" replied the driver
testify. why didn't We meet me at
No. 2?''
''Smashup on the railroad! Who was
tt-Black Bart%