Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1922-05-04
Ruth Outwits a
Bandit Gang

20. 1921. wsstera Newspaper Union }

you had better get out Of here, II
you don't want trouble"
I've got something to tell you. II
you don't want trouble yourself, you
had better listen to me-"
what! Threatening me, are you
Vamose, or I'll quicken up that dog
trot habit OF yours considerably. Git -
and Martin Bayne made a run for the
doorstep where his rifle lay.
With a detected air. but quite
sprightly. ragged, IImping Coyote Pete
FASTENED his steps from of the Bayne
domain. He had disappeared BY the
time Its proprietor turned around
ready to carry out his threat.
why. father. wasn't that rather
rudeT inquired his daughter, Ruth,
stepping through the doorway. She
was pretty as a picture.
Rude! ]" repeated the ranchman
careiessly. ITS the only way to treat
such cattle as that. There isn't a
worse loafer on the range. He's been
wire-cutter. raider. and IL q beggar
when he isn't on the verge Of the de-
Iirium tremens. It's oil your fault,
his coming here. You encourage him
BY giving him q snack whenever he
takes the fancy to wander by, and now
he's making regular station of Il.
I'll be back before midnight. Expect
your company about dark. don't you r.
! think SO; ! hope So" replied
Ruth.
Before the evening was over she ex.
pected to welcome her lover, Rodney
Morse.
1t must have been half an hour later
when there came q timid tap at the
door. Coyote Pete, his threadbare cap
In his hand, stood on the step in an
humble attitude.
"Why. won't you come INF" asked
Ruth In her usual cheerful. generous
way. "You look tired. and-perhaps
hungry" she lnsinuated gently.
"Not this time, Miss" replied Pete.
"You see your father don't welcome
me very heartily. and l don't want to
intrude. But you're the only critter
on the range ever takes time to give
me a bite when need II, and wanted
to do you folks 4 good turn. Your
father wouldn't listen to me after I'd
tramped twenty miles to give you q
warning"
"A warningr' repeated Ruth vaguely.
II understand your young man and
some friends are coming through on
the stage this ovopirU"
"Why-yes." replied Ruth slowly.
"Well, I overheard two half.breeds
down on the Taylor place talking early
this morning, planning to Join two
other bad characters. hide between
here and the railroad, and hold up
the stage csach."
In moment Ruth became alarmed.
Within 4 quarter Of an hour she and
Pete had arranged to outwit the ban
dts. He had been gone two hours
when the horse he had gone away with
came back riderless.
Instantly Ruth buckled . belt about
her slender waist, sprang to the saddle
and was soon on the trail. Ruth had
gone about twenty miles when at a
bend In the road she drew rein
promptly near some high bushes.
A flicker Of light. like that o: a
match. suddenly haring in among some
heavy timbers ahead, had attracted
her attention. Ruth tied the horse
and began q detour Of the vicinity.
Within Ave minutes. true daughter
Of the frontier that she was, she un-
derstood the situation completely. She
had viewed four men smoking and ~
clining In Z natural hide-out. 1t
seemed that during some recent storm
. large tree had been bent over and
half uprooted BY the force u the
wind.
Ruth crept cautiously around to the
spot where the top Of the tree was
caught Her experienced eye told her
that this. once released. would shoot
back 10 its original position with cat
apult force" For nearly an hour she
hacked and clipped.
R-rip-snap-crash! Like a strick-
en- giant rising I'm the dust. the
great tree ut last tore from its fet-
ters. There were shouts Of dismay
and frantic yells Of pain as the roots
sank back into place. shutting the
hafiied plotters into a prison.
Ruth ran out into the road. The
stage coach came to 4 stop. Her
lover sprang out, and Ruth was In
closed in his loving arms.
II did not take long for Ruth to ex-
plain. Crushed and subdued. the out
laws were dragged out and secured.
Ruth had saved the passengers injury
and her lover the little fortune he car.
ried with him.
They searched for Pete. and found
him where the horse had thrown him.
His head had struck . stone and he
vas unconscious.
Long before the wedding the sut-
laws were convicted. Then Pete be-
came the handy man about the Morse
place. where his greatest satiafaction
seemed to be to enjoy the loving hap
pineea Of Rodney and his frontiss
AssA~