Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-08-28

had been gathered up by horse thieves,
the number Of the latter unknown,
and driven out OF the state. The des-
tination Of the thieves could only be
guessed. At once neighboring states
were notified Of the theft, through
the press, and by descriptive posters,
sent to the sheriffs Of the many coun.
ties, who were warned to be on the
lookout for the horses, and TO appre-
bend the men. A substantial reward
was offered for the return of the
horses and those who had taken them,
but criminals were altogether too
common to awaken general interest In
the matter, the sentiment Of those who
took any notice of the theft being,
IF Wyoming has lost any horses, let
Wyoming find them. We In Montana
have, earlier in our history, taken
such action as to effectively discourage
thieves and desperadOes Of any de-
scription."
This was the feeling in the towns,
but it was slightly different in the
country, where the reward offered by
the Wyoming officials had an enticing
appearance, when read in the weekly
compendium Of news, which consti-
tutes the circulating library Of the
rural districts.
Up in the Little Belt, or "Girdle
mountains" as they were named by
Lewis and Clark, little woman, on
opening the paper, CHANGED on the
notice of theft and the call for the
apprehension of the thieves. and she
dwelt long on the goodly sum that
would be given to the apprehender.
If they, her husband and she, could
come into possession Of that money,
she thought, how many things it
would buy that otherwise they could
not afford to purchase. That evening
she called her husbands attention to
the notice, and timidly suggested that
it would be well for him to be on the
lookout for both horses and men.
Her husband, with true masculine
superiority of knowledge gained from
wide experience, laughingly replied,
Don't begin to make out a list OF
what you are going to purchase with
your share of the reward; there is
about as much chance of earning it,
as to find a needle in a haymow. In
the first place, those men are not
likely to come in this direction. There
isn't one chance in a thousand they
will do so. They are no more likely
to come into Montana than into any
of the other neighboring states. In the
second place, if they came here, there
are possibly half dozen of them well
armed, and good shots. How could
gather them IMP"
But you were in the army" said
his wife.
Eyes, I was in the army, but this
Is different. Anyway, don't go to get
ting any foolish notions into that little
head of yours. We stand about as
much chance of ever earning that
reward, as of flying to the moon"
However, the woman was far from
being convinced. OF course the thieves
might go elsewhere, but they also
might chance in her direction, and
her Scottish blood gave her "hunch,"
this was what would happen. 1t was
useless to say anything more about it.,
yet that need not prevent her being
on the watch constantly. Once seen,
her unlimited confidence in the cour-
age of her soldier husband permitted
her no doubt as to the result. She
planned the capture by day, and
dreamed of it by night, and eagerly
scanned the next weeks paper to see
if there was any further news OF the
bandits.
That was not all. Being firm be-
lever in preparedness. she managed
to have her unsuspicious husband
clean his gun and lay in fresh supply
of cartridges the next time he went
to town. Now the stage was set, and
the actors were due to make their
appearance on that cylvan stage, with
small, but enthusiastic audience to
greet them.
One evening when the sun had set
and Old Badly took on an amethys-
tine hue, a band of horses dashed by
the ranch door where dwelt the little
woman, and went on towards the
Highwoods. The horses were gaunt
and travel-worn, as if they had come
a long distance, and behind them rode
two men, who urged them to greater
speed.
The little woman spied them, and
quickly laying down the dish she was
washing, ran to the door OF the az
Joining room, where her husband was
enjoying his after-dinner pipe, and
exclaimed, They've come! Henry"
"Who've Gomez asked her husband.
Those horse thieves. Hurry and get
your gun. al,
what makes you think it's them?"
ooh, I know it is. Didn't you see
them?"
mo, I didn't see anyone, but I
heard a lot of horses galloping by,
and that's nothing strange"
yes. But there were two men driv-
ing them, and you couldn't help know
ing they had come long way
well" said Henry, extingulshlng
his pipe and knocking out the remains
of tobacco against the woodbox, i
can't say I feel anxious to tackle a
couple of desperadoes, or plain ranch
men single handed, on a mere guess
they have stolen the horses they are
driving"
ASK Dell to go with you-and do