Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-12-20

He rushed around the cabin. Penn
berton followed him. AS Sanders
turned the corner Pemberton heard
the report Of a pistol He felt sure
the highwaymen had carried out the
threat and had killed Sanders. But he
kept going.
he found Sanders calmly taking off
his coat, which was on fire. In the
near distance he saw three men run
ming as for dear life. Sanders smiling
| ly explained:
Nothing to 1t, Penn. These fellows
have no real courage AS I came
around the corner I had my hand on
my cooked pistol in my pocket. In
some way the pistol was discharged.
That Is what set my coattail on fire.
But what Is a eoattail more or less,
to the subjugation Of these murderers2
They saw me, heard the shot, and
thought I was attacking them. They
Immediately broke for the tall timber.
We should take courage from this ex-
hibition of cowardice Some speed,
Penn" And he pointed to the rapidly
disappearing figures of the men who
would put him out of the way.
Showed Plenty Of Speed
Judge Pemberton said 1t was the
greatest exhibition of speed occurring
in Montana before the days Of the
automobile. They ran in q way that
would make scared jackrabbit won
der" he said. "And as they ran we
laughed, That incident did more to
hearten the men who were with us
than anything else possibly could do
Wa told ali tho frxyc ot,oatf - ord
in a few hours the whole camp was
talking and laughing about it. 1t
helped to relieve the tense feeling and
demonstrated to the miners that the
road agents were human beings, just
like ourselves, and as susceptible to
the emotion of fear as the average
individual Their fellows heard of it
and it served to add to the luster of
Sanders courage, although we detailed
a couple of men who were known to
be quick on the trigger to keep around
close to him for a time"
After these two pioneer lawyers had
helped their fellows to clean the dis
trict of brigandage, they assisted IN
the organization of the territory. With
the creation of the territory the demo-
Gratis and republicans aligned them
selves in contests for glory and place.
Pemberton became the war horse of
the territorial democracy. Sanders was
the perpetual leader of the republicans
Both we're famous orators. They would |
stump the state when campaigns were
on, and make frenzied oratorical on
slaughts on each others principles and |
purposes. They were so bitter that their |
adherentS som e i'm e S |
that only a physical encounter |
could adjust the differences in their
political beliefs. When they would meet
at some central place of these po- /
litical campaigns, it was blood and |
thunder on the platform, and toddy
together at some quiet resort after the |
were over.
There they would forget their po-
litics and discuss their mutual ad-
and respect for each other,
born in the perilous days when they
we're helping each other to rid the
state of Plummer and his cutthroat
gang, by each trying to do all the
1uying, the while their political friends
stood around with bated breath, wait
ng for the real fight to begin. 1t never
,egan. Pemberton and Sanders re-
NAMED friends up to the time of San
iers' death, and it was at Judge Penn
,erton's suggestion, when the friend