The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-03-13

checked him sharply.
Leave that basket alone! That's
Jeremy Taylor. and he's the touchiest
Maltese that ever spit. 1t hurts his
feelln's enough to be shut up that
way, and IL stranger handled him
he'd have 1T. Ill hold him In ray
lap as we drive. No, you needn't help
me. I've been gettin' In and out over
wheels alone all my life. and this buck
board Is low. I'm glad that you don't
use overhead check-reins on yanr
horses. belong to the Prevention Of
Cruelty to Animals, and Tn sorry to
see you wear spurs"
They were trotting swiftly over the
prairie. and Brad had recovered bis
faculties sufficiently to give brief an
swers to Miss Gordons running fire OF
questions and observations. Suddenly
the man involuntarily checked the
mustangs that he drove, and gave vent
to smothered exclamation. He
looked in perplexed alarm at Misc Cor
| don.
whats the matterf Sickr she
| Queried.
He pointed to horseman some dts
tance In front OF them.
"Blll Jukes," he answered briefly.
Hes promised to shoot me at. sight,
and he's likely drunk enough not to
know whether you're man or woman.
You drive an I'll get out an meet him
on foot. I'll come back after ye soon.
or else--Sykes, mile north Of the
station. will bring ye over to Turkey
Creek"
As he proffered the reins. Brad al
ready had his revolver out OF his belt.
She gave nm indignant sniff.
ITS likely I'll drive on and leave
you to be shot Give me them reIns.
and you look to your guns. Wen drive
by Mr.. Jukes at q pretty good pace.
and II you should happen to hurt him
may the Lord have mercy on him"
Shaking on Brad's restrainink touch.
and deaf to his representations, she put
the whip to the ponies. and the buck
board lurched forward on the deeply
cut trail. Jukes was bearing down
upon them. his face infamed with
drunken rage. Two or three shots
whIstled past them. Miss Gordon held
the relns tightly and ducked her head.
Brad fred repeatedly as they passed.
and Just beyond them Jukes reeled
heavily from the saddle. With an ef-
fort the woman brought the team to =
standstill. tr
I'm glad I fastened Polly's cage ON
good and tlght" was the first excla-
nation. Then. noticing broken check
rein: "Tll get a piece Of twine out Of
my pocket to tie up. that strap. Why.
your sleeves all bloody. do believe
that nasty wretch hit you!"
"Jest my arm, guess. Miss Cor
don," replied the man. little rncer-
tainly; hut hope-that IL, I'm
afeerd I've done for Jukes |"
They looked back. The outlaw lay
motioniess BY the trail. his bride reiu
still over his nerveless arm.
II.
As the rays Of the setting sun slant.
ed level across the prairie. strange
procession stopped at Turkey Greek
ranch. Miss Gordon still drove. super
intended by Jeremy Taylor. who
thrust his head through Z hole In the
lid Of his basket and glared balefully
at the universe In general Baside hel
sat Brad. pale under hil tap, Nth his
right arm swung from his nscS, Al
the tail Of their chariot. 80 1, lpeak
was tied the horse Of Bill Jukes, and
fastened In the saddle, plentifuliy
bandaged and besmeared with blood
was the man himself. His manner
was dropping In the extreme. while
from an opening In the cage cover
Polly bestowed an unbroken success
sion of choice epithets upon the cap
tive. H
Miss Gordon. of them all was un'
ruflied, and she explained with Z
, cheerfulness that was almost airy:
"Jukes rode down on us, shootln
and swearin' dreadful, and Mr.. MerrelI
had to defend US. Of course, 80 took
the lines. Then we couldn't 60 on and
i leave the man layin' there. maybe to
die. 30 we went back. and bandaged
: him up. and we brought him along
} You can do what you want to with
him. I don't reckon he feels very
spruce. seein' that he was shot through
, the lung, an that Polly's bcen swear.
, In at him every step Of the way. Mr.
| Merrell, here, got bullet In his arm.
and has bled considerable. though it'l
only flesh wound"
The gods on Olympus may have
been surprised to see Minerva spring
full-panoplied from the brain of Jove
but that was the merest ghost of an
, emotion compared with what the men
Of Turkey Greek ranch felt when this
splendid apparition in dusty black
cashmere dawned upon them. with her
nonchalant tale of duelry. seading al
! captive one Of the deadliest outlaws OF
the country. For a minute there were
murmurs Of EXPLANATIONS and glances
| Of amazement: and then. as Miss Cor