Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-05-24
"swhy didn't YOU tell me beforeY
4 didn't think of telling you.

barn and got out Kate, saddled her.
mounted and was about to ride away
when Susie came up pantin'. She put
her arms about Kate's neck and said,
Kate, dear. take him in time to save
him-for my sake-and I'll love you
forever
mot wishin' to lose time. I broke
away from her. / seen blood on her
lips, and knowed the excitement or
the runnin' to the barn or both haN
brought on a hemorrhage.
Don't kill Kate heard Susie say.
and that was the last. for then ! was
out O. hearin.
'I leaned down on the mares neck
and patted her and said, yer doin'
this for Susie. and l know you'll do
yer best
II reckon she understood, for she jist
got down to a steady gait that she
could keep all day and reel off the
miles while she was a-doin' it. I
knowed Walcott's life depended on my
gittin' there as soon as Stiggs, fer
didn't reckon Stiggs would give his en-
emy any advantage. His way was to-
ride up behind a man. make a show
O. givin' him chanel by calm out to
him and shoot him before he could
turn.
"Stggs had got a good start o. me,
and he never rode a poor horse. But
he didn't know any one was after him.
Nevertheless it would be nip and tuck
with me to overhaul him. Kate kept
her steady gait till we got within about
five mics o. the Walcott ranch, when
across the grain ground 1 saw Stggs
ridin' aloAg at good pace. Then
said to my mare:
":Now or never. Kate. Remember
what Susie said to you
"She knowed what / was a-sayin',
and she got over the ground like q
greyhound. We was within mile o.
the ranch when, strikin' a soft bit O.
ground, the mare stumbled and fell,
shootin' me over her head. l tried to
pull her up. but it was no use. Her
left foreleg was broke.
II used my own legs the rest O. the
way. l neared the ranch in time to
see Stiggs lettin' down the bars to
go in. AS bad luck would have it,
there was Walcott standin' with his
back to Jim. watchin' a man who was
putin horse through his PAGES.
seen Stiggs remount and ride up to-
ward the man in the yard, drawin' his
revolver at the same time.
Before startin', thinkin' there might
be occasion for long range shot,
I'd hooked a Winchester to my sad
die and brought it from where Kate
fell. Stiggs must "a been 1900 to
1900 yards away, but l knew Wal
colts life depended on my bringin' his
enemy down at that distance. ] took
a good aim. fired. and Stiggs tumbled
off,n his horse"
The narrator paused to light pipe.
II suppose l said, this is the kill
ing you referred to that has always
troubled you. You excused the man
because he acted from love-"
''Me troubled about KILN Jim Stiggs!
Not much. It's another KILN that
bothers me. AS soon as seen Stiggs
drop l went back to Kate. She had
saved the man Susie loved, and Susie
had told me not to kill her. But there
was Kate lyin' on her side with bro
ken leg. There's but one thing to do
with a horse in that cOnditiOn-shoOt
him. Kate when she saw me comm
whinnied, and when l reached her
there was a mighty sad look In her
eyes. She was an intelligent an1maI
and knowed that it was all up with
her.
'I TUX my revolver from its case.
Kate glanced at it and at me. If ever
horse said in plain language Don't
kill Kate that horse said it. Or was
it because l was seem the little girl
standin' there with the drop of blood
ON her lip-the death mark-and heard
her say it ag'in?
II scarcely think I'm the kind O
man to be chicken hearted. Least
aways l wouldn't mind cuttin' deer's
throat after shOotin' it when it looks
appealin like outer it's soft eyes, but I
showed the white feather at shootin'
Kate And l never could tell whether
it was most because l loved Kate or
whether l was conscience struck at
havin' to go back on the little gal that
tole me not to kill her. l walked away
fer a few rods, then turned and come
back. When l did that l could "a
blowed her head off. put the muzzle
O my revolver to her brain, pulled the
trigger and fired. All the while she
was lookin' at me as much as to say
Much obleeged.
II walked four miles to a house, Dor.
| ryed a spade. went back and buried
! Kate. Then l walked all the way
| back to the Courtney ranch. | wasn't
in hurry to git there neither. Least
! aways wouldn't "A been if 1t wasn't
to tell Susie that the man she loved
| had been saved. Seemed as IF I'd only
done half what she wapted me to do.
| 1 had stopped Stiggs from dom any
l do hint I had killed Ka.p.