Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1921-02-10
SYNOPSIS.

To Shelby, a rancher,
rides in to the frontier town of Ponca
looking for a good time after q long spell
OF hard work and loneliness on the
ranch. Instead, he runs into a funeral
that of Dad Calkins, a retired army man
OF whom little is known. A girl, still in
her teens, survives Calkins.
CHAPTER II.-McCarthy, a saloon
keeper and Ponca's leading citizen, de-
world, should marry. Shelby starts a
hunt for eligible husbands and the min
lister goes to confer with the girl.
CHAPTER III.-She agrees to pick a
husband from a score Of men lined I'D In
ner home. To his CONSERVATION, she Sc
lects Shelby, who had gone along merely
as a spectator. He declines the honor.
indignant, the girl dismisses the assem-
blage. Later, Shelby goes back to make
an explanation. She receives him good
naturally.
CHAPTER N.-Leaving mneIoy
runs into two of the rejected suitors, anu
in a fight worsts them both. Angered
at their remarks, he returns to the girl,
determined to marry her, If she will have
40 ~aASOA AA9 NAQAo1ot1Su oAU d6lC0S
to marry him.
CHAPTER v.-The wedding takes
place and the couple set out for Shelby's
ranch. With them Is the Kid" Mack
lin, whom Shelby has hired as a helper
on the ranch. On the way the girl tells
her husband her name is Olga Carlyn.
and also tells him something Of the Pc
culiar circumstances of her life.
CHAPTER VI.-Leaving his wife in
the house, Shelby goes to care for the
horses. Returning, he is struck from
behind by an unknown assailant. Hours
later he RECEIVERS consciousness, to find
that his wife and the "Kid' lay dis
appeared. He starts in pursuit.
CHAPTER ~vII.-shelby overhears a
conversation between two outlaws hat
throws some light on his wife's history.
He learns she is an heiress and that her
abduction has been planned. He also
learns that she has been taken to
wolves Hole" a a of bandit and
bad" Indians. The whereabouts Of the
place is unknown to Shelby, though its
reputation as a resort Of criminals ie
widespread.
CHAPTER VlII.-Shelby lays plans
to rescue his wife. He is discovered by
Indian Joe' Laud, the leader of the
outlaws, and forced to him
friends with a Mexican girl. Pancha.
who is betrothed to Macklin and in
tensely jealous.
CHAPTER IX.-Imprlsoned by Laud,
Shelby escapes with Pancha's help. She
guides him to a secure hiding place but
refuses to reveal the whereabouts of his
wife.
CHAPTER x.-After a nights rest
Shelby leaves his shelter, seeking his
wife's prison. He discovers it, an old
log cabin, and finds Olga. Their reunion
Is interrupted by the arrival of Macklin.
CHAPTER XI.-Confident that Shelby
is dead, believing him to have been killed
at the ranch, Macklln declares his inten-
ton Of marrying olga, the widow. Laud
appears, and while they are talking
Macklin is shot by a concealed assassin.
Shelby fights with Laud, but is worsted,
and the outlaw escapes He returns with
friends, and Shelby and his wife defend
the cabin.
CHAPTER xII.-During a lull in the
fighting the pair discover that the body
of Macklin has disappeared. Seeking an
explanation, they find a secret passage
beneath the floor and AXE refuge in it.
The cabin is burned but they are in
safety. Laud and his desperadoes natu-
rally suppose both Shelby and his wife
have persisted in the burning cabin.
or, hard as nails, INT ready to resort
to any trick. Moreover, he knew what
he had set out to accomplish, and
bent every effort to prevent the fright
ened girl from getting a shot at him.
He hung on, his straining hands, like
a wise. twisting tighter and tighter
Shelby's shirt ban.l. careless of any in
jury to himself so that he kept the
body of the latter in protection be-
/. tween him and Olga's revolver. Yet,
with every move. every straining
whirl of their bodies, he gained an
inch nearer the open door. He fought
like an animal, sinking his teeth into
Shelby's flesh. and driving his knees
into his body. 1t was silent, bitter
fighting, every muscle strained to the
utmost, and the squaw man won. They
knocked over the bench, and crashed
out through the partially open door,
rolling down the single step into the
weeds. Land landed on top, his fin
gers sLII clutched on Shelby's throat,
the latter half unconscious. Crazed,
maddened as he was, the n desire
to escape overcame his eagerness to
kill, and Indian Joe, cursing, struck
once at the upturned face, leaped to
his feet and plunged into the shelter
of the weeds. Shelby. gnsping pain
fully for breath. scarcely yet fully
realizing what had occurred, lay mo-
tionless but for the %quivering of his
limbs.
Indeed, he had scarcely forced open
his eyes when Olga was beside him.
"You--you are alive? He did not
kill your"
He ~endeavored to smile. lifting him
self upon II elbow.
mo, no; ! am all right" he gasped,
''The fellow got my throat. and
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