Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-01-03

Bangs crossed over a mile below"
/ Rile said. I'VE might pick him up"
ANY signf' Harris asked as they
moved down the divide.
"a bunch of shod horses went down
through there few days back" Rlle
said. Three or four men likely. with
! few pack horses along. He's pulled
OUT
Il saw him." Harris said. Hes
gone"
They stopped In the saddle of the
Ridge where a.-ffesf-tFaeh showed the
spot Bangs had crossed.
The girl was looking at Harris md
saw sudden pallor travel up under
his tan and as she turned to see what
had accustomed II he crowded his
horse against her own.
Don't look |" he ordered, and forced
her horse over the far side of the
ridge. You'd better ride on back to
the wagon" he urged There's been
some sort of doings over across. Rle
| and will ride down and look into IT.
| Without a word she turned her horse
| toward The wagon
TITS Gods mercy she didn't see
| Harris said, ms the two crossed back
over the ridge. isn't that a hi of
way for man to die7" =
But the girl had seen. Her one
| brief look had revealed a horse com
Ing round bend In little box ran
| yon below. A shapeless thing dragged
frnll one stirrup and al every third
or fourth jump the big blue horse
side-sashed the limp bundle with his
hfels.
AS the two men reached the bottoms
the frenzied horse had stopped and
WIS fighting to free himself OF the
thing that followed him. He moved
away from II In circle but II was
always with him. He squealed and
kicked 1t. then dashed Off In fresh
panc, side-swiping his pursuer.
Harris rope frightened on his neck
and threw him. AS he rolled over
Fosters Moose shared both hind feet
and he was held stretched and help
less between two trained COW horses
While the men disengaged the bundle
that had once been Bangs One boot
heel was missing and his foot was
1ammed through the stirTnp. evidence
that the horse had pitched with him
and the oosened heel had come off,
allowing his foot to slip through as
he was thrown
Harris pointed to burnt red streak
across the right Side Of Bangs neck.
He unbuttoned his shirt and revealed
a similar strenk under his left arn1pit
Old Rlle cursed horribly and his
face seemed to have aged ten years.
"They learned that from the abb
no." he said "lts an old trick that
always works. They dropped rope
on him and jerked him. prIed off his
heel showed his boot through and laid
the quirt on his horse. Blue did the
rest"
Both men knew well how II hap
pened Bangs had run across the /
camp of some of the wild bunch. men
he had known for long, and the slow
thinking youth had suspected no more
danger from riding on up to them nj
this time than at any other He had
told them of the shot fred at Harris
and they had known that some other
Three Bar man would find the trail
eudlng from the direction OF their
camp. And Bangs would mention
having found them there. linking
them wifh tire bushwhacker.
When Bangs had 1T pair OF |
them had ridden distance with him
and accomplished their aim.
ITS coming dark" Harris said |
And BY morning they'll be thirty
miles away. That sort OF a killing |
was never fastened on to any man |
yet"
The old man raised a doubled fist |
and his ace was lined with sorrow
Bangs WAS almost son to me-" he
said Il taught him to ride-and
we've rode together on every lob since
then. You hear me Some one Is 90
Ing to die for this T.
During the next week the girl In. /
wardly accused the men of heartless
ness. They jested as carelessIy as II
nothing unusual had occurred and
she heard no mention Of Bangs. II
seemed that 1t took but day for
them to forget former comrade who
mao come TO an untimely end Rile
Foster had disappeared but on the
fifth day he turned up at the Three
Bar wagon and resumed his worl
without the least explanation OF hls
absence -vn1s
ITO IN C,0NrrNIfrn