The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1918-02-21
Mules Mules
just received another car of fine ones. Can
suit you both in price and size.
~. S. RODGERS, Plain Dealing.

Big Bill rose and looked down deri-
Bively at his prisoner. "Better change
POUR mind and go with US, Holt. Well
spend a quiet month up at the head
quarters Of Wild Goose. Say you'll
come along"
"What are you going to do with
me? demanded Holt.
II reckon you need church to fall
on you before you can take a hint.
Didn't mention Wild Goose creek
three or four times?" jeered his captor.
Holt made no further protest. He
was furious, but at present quite help
less. However it went against the
grain, he might as well give In until re-
belliOn would do some good.
Ten minutes later the party was
moving silently along the trail that
led to the hills. The pack horse went
first, in charge Of George Holway. The
prisoner walked next, his hands tied
behind him. Big Bill followed, and
the man he had called bud brought up
the rear.
Macy had released the hands Of his
prisoner so that he might have q
chance to fight the mosquitoes, but he
kept wary eye upon him and never
let him move more than few feet
from him. The trail grew sleeper as 1t
neared the head Of the canyon till at
last 1t climbed the left wall and
emerged from the gulch to an uneven
mesa.
The leader Of the party looked at
his watch. "Past midnight. Wen
camp here, George, and see IL we can't
get rid Of the 'skeeters."
They built smudge fires Of green
wood and on the lee side of these an.
other one Of dry sticks. bud made
coffee upon this and cooked bacon.
While George chopped wood for the
fires and boughs Of small frs for bed
ding, Big Bill sat with a rifle across
his knees just back of the prisoner.
"Gid's shifty old cuss, and I amt
taking any chances" he explained
aloud to bud.
HOl6was beginning to take the out
rage philosophically. He slept peace
fully while they took turns watching
him. Just now there would be no
chance to escape, but in few days
they would become careless. The
habit Of feeling that they had him Sc
curely would grow upon them. Then,
reasoned Holt, his opportunity would
come. One of the guards would take
chance. 1t was not reasonable to
suppose that In the next week or two
he would not catch them mapping once
for short ten seconds.
There was, of course, just the pos.
sibility that they intended to murder
him, but Holt could not associate Self.
ridge with anything so lawless. The
man was too soft of fiber to carry
through such program, and as vel
there was need of nothing so drastic
No, this kidnapping expedition would
not run to murder. He would be sci
free in few weeks, and il he told the
true story of where he had been his
foes would spread the report that he
was insane in his hatred of Macdonald
and imagined all sorts Of prosecutions
They followed Wild Goose creek all
next day, getting always closer to Its
headwaters near the divide. On the
third day they crossed to the other
side Of the ridge and descended into
q little mountain park.
The country was so much primeval
wilderness that q big bull moose
stalked almost upon their camp before
discovering the presence Of q strange
biped. Big Bill snatched up rifle and
took shot which sent the intruder
scampering.
From somewhere in the distance
came faint sound.
"What was thatw asked George.
SOUNDED like shot. Mebbe it was
an echO," returned bud.
"Came too late for an echo," Big Bill
,, said.
Again family from some far corner
Of the basin the sound drifted. It was
like the pop Of scarcely heard ire
cracker.
The men looked at one another and
ut their prisoner.
Think we better break camp and
drift" asked bud.
mo. We're in q little draw here
rs good hiding place as we'd be like