The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-09-30

|
sheriff explained in shout that
woman was leaving the Jail accom-
| panied by friend.
"Let 'em come straight down the
| walk an We'll meet 'em both, Nike"
some one answered. Hands in the air
all the time an no shenanigan. We're
/ not takin' chances"
Phil and Ann were let out and the
door locked behind them.
Hands up, they moved forward to
| meet the guards. The man In charge
| Of the Jail blockade did not intend to
| let any trick be played upon him. He
had heard of prisoners escaping dressed
| as women.
When he recognized Ann he took his
| hat off. But he held her for a short
examination.
"What you been doing there,
| ma'am?" he asked.
81 went to give myself up. This
arrested for killing Tom McArdle. /
shot him myself"
The man laughed, grimly. That's
new play, hidin' behind a woman. /
wouldn't hardly have expected that of
Dave Stone"
But that isn't true" Ann cried. 81
did shoot him. Jasper Stark and that
Gitner saw me riding away afterward.
Ask them. They can't deny it."
"We can't ask them. They've Lit out
somewhere, an that's funny, too.
Know anything about it?" he asked
suspiciously.
"No. But it's true. Mr.. Stone hadn't
anything to do with shooting Tom Nc
Ardle / did it. 1 shot him because
because of what he did to my sister.
l was coming home from one of our
camps when 1 met him. He tried to
make up to me, so he could come and
see-come and visit at the house. We
quarreled-and l shot him. You don't
believe me, and it's the truth before
God" she cried desperately.
"No, ma'am, we don't believe you.
We think you're tryin' to save Dave
Stone" the leader said, not unkindly
mo man confesses to a killing he
didn't do. That wouldn't be reasonable.
Well tell Dave you done yore best for
him. If you'll take my advice you'll
light right outa town. It's no place for
you tonight"
He turned to Phil. "Who's up at the
Jail with Rand? Anybody else at all?"
"Four Others"
"Who?"
Phil looked him hardly in the eye.
"Ive forgot their Names"
"Meanin' you won't tell?"
"Meanin' just that"
There was a short silence. How
come you mixed in this, Stark"
"If Dave killed McArdle it was in
fair fight an he was justified. know
that. Dave never shot anyone with
out givin' him a chance"
Hes just a kid, Phil is" some
one spoke up. "You know how kids
are about gunner"
II wouldn't call Dave gunman ex-
actly," Phil protested. Hes abso-
lutely square-an' he's game"
Ann broke down and between her
sobs begged for the life of her friend.
She kept repeating that Stone did not
kill McArdle, that she had done it her.
self, that he was sacrificing himself be-
cause he was trying to protect her.
The net result of her passionate en-
treaty was that in their minds she
convicted herself only of being in love
with the Texan.
Phil escorted her, still shaken with
sobs, to the hotel. They passed groups
of hurrying, excited men. The ques-
ton they heard repeated several times
was as to what had become of Jasper
Stark and Gitner.
Ann found the hotel a nucleus of
activity for the few who opposed mob
law. Julia was here, and Sam Sharp
and Lyn Mccain. But the leader was
a lean grizzled brown man, trifie
bow-legged. with hard eyes and shaggy
brows. Peter Mccain had been en-
listed by Julia to support his son
Wilson. With sharp incisive questions
he drew from Phil the situation at the
Jail
"Yon say yore brother an Gitner are
there, too?" he asked after the boy
had told the facts.
"Yes, as prisoners. Phil answered q
little sulkily. He did not enjoy sur
rendering command to these McCanns,
as he had been forced to do both at
the jail and here. "Yore son got 'em
there somehow. Arrested the two of
'em. one at a time"
walked into their crowd an took
them away" asked Peter incredulous-
ly. HE couldn't do it. No single man
could"
AL right. He didn't do it, then"
snapped the boy. "All / know is that
Mike Rand says he did an claims to
have Jas an Gitner locked up in cells
for melting riot"
Peters eyes were shining. If this
was true-if Wilson really had carried
through this cutting out adventure and
arrested the leaders of the mobile
certainly would be proud of his boy.
Ann had been talking to Julia, who
now interrupted Mccain by leading
the owner of the sheep ranch to him.
do you know Miss Clifford, Mr.. Nc
Cann?" she said by way of Interrupt
ton. "She has something to tell you"
Again Ann told her story of the
trouble with McArdle that had led to
his death. Mccain listened and be-
lieved. 1t was possible that Stones
story was true. too. Perhaps she had
missed the range rider and he had
been killed later in fight with the
Texan. Or perhaps. which was just
as likely, the little gunman had made