Ellsworth American., 1919-12-31
'T6e
Outlaw
Q1
BY ALDEN CHAPMAN
(copyrisht. 1919. western N.vsnan -

was the last month of the year.
the last day of the month. the last
hour OF the day. Despite the holiday
season, for nearly a fortnight thp
mountain-hemmed-in Arizona town
nad round time to participate in the
excitement of a jury trial of one of
the notorious characters of the dis
trlct' who with her family of outlaw
sons had been the terror of residents
ana travellers for three decades.
She was old Mother Shipley. and
tne charge against her was killing
Morton Bland, a man of little moral
standing, but a citizen. Blasd had
Deen found dead with a rifle bullet
In his head not far awav from the
Isolated Shipley cabin. He had two
years before induced the only Shipley
girl of the family, Mollie, to elope with
MIN, mad palmed off a mock marriage
on her, had basely deserted her. and
she had committed suicide in a distant
CITY. 1t was proven that Mrs. Shipley
had OFTEN threatened to shoot Bland
on sight When she was brought to
Eidon for trial her son Dave, himself
many time under the ban of the
law, accompanied her. Public opinion
was against the old woman. but the
sublime devotion of her son. wicked
as she was, influenced Ransome
Dacre, young lawyer, to undertake
| her defense. Before that his had been
the province of prosecuting the out
laws, and they owed him debt of
intense hatred and revenge
At midnight of the old year the jury
brought in a verdict of mot guilty"
The excited delight of the faithful
son was rapturous. He fairly en-
| braced the young attorney, who by
| proving that there was no other
weapon than revolver at the cabin
at the time of the killing, freed the old
woman. "I've less than fifty dollars
to pay you for your services" Dave
told Dacre, 'but within month I'll
be back here with a decent fee, for
you have enabled my old mother to 60
back home and die in peace"
Two months went by and Dacre had
well nigh forgotten Dave. The mind
of the young lawyer was full of his
prospective bride, who had arrived
from the East. and he was preparing
to go to Carson, where the wedding
was to take place. The day preceding
his anticipated departure there ap-
peared Dave Shipley with a string of
eight finely bred horses.
I've come to square up with you,
Mr.. Dacre," he said. poor old
mother died a week ago. I'm moving
to new location, and I'm going to
put the horses in the livery here.
| Whatever they bring is yours"
Dacre declared that he was already
sufficiently compensated, but Dave was
| insistent. In the conversation Dacre
| CHANGED to mention his projected trip
to Carson.
I'm bound there myself" remarked
Dave, "and as the crowd I've broken
away from have it in for you, my COM
pany would be protection. Besides
that, have something 1 want to tell
! you on the journey"
| That something" Dave recited the
following evening.
"Mr. Dacre," he said, my mother
i never knew who shot Bland. l did.
/ Don't shrink away from me, for you
my place. The villain knew l was on
| the lookout for him and made up his
! mind to put me out Of the way. He
was in cahoots with the Lucas gang,
! and was on his way to hire some Of
them to kill me. when he saw me near
the house. He fred at me. I was too
quick for him on the second shot. This
is the true story"
ITS good one. and it fixes you
with the gang!" spoke a new voice
suddenly, and, revolver in either
hand. Dyke Lucas confronted Dave
and Dacre. Get up and march"
Dave had left his weapons out of
reach. "All right" he spoke coolly.
"I suppose you intend to try me for
putting that varmnt Bland out Of the
way? All right fair border justice,
but you'll let this man with me co.
Il WON'T" growled Lucas. We've
a score to settle with him, too"
Hell go free, or it's duel to the
DEATH" answered Dave, made sud
den spring wrenched one of the weap-
ons from the grasp of Lucas. d9dged
behind a tree, and kept the revolver
nointed directly at the outlaw. Give
ar. Dacre free passage and I'll go
quietly with you. Here-take gam
bler's charm. The dice-one throw.
If l score the highest, he goes. If not,
we both go with vnn."
"DOne!" asSenteG iMcas. and earh
mt I'D his weapon. 1.-TWO skies" an
nounceG Dacre. tossing the dice on
the ground and passed them to Lucas.
The latter threw two and four.
"G,t on your horse and hit the trail
Quick. Mr.. Dacre," ordered Dave. and
proceeded to pack IN his belongings
,,.,I ,,1,r ,ttN I ~ n n