Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-08-22
Womans Hunch Results i'm Horse Thieves Capture
But Glory-Loving Sheriff Claimed Reward HimseE

the farmers did not own automobiles,
the days when the horxe was king.
Down in Wyoming, q bunch Of horses
had been gathered up by horse thieves,
the number Of the latter unknown.
and driven cut Of the state. The des-
tination Of the thieves could only be
guessed. AT once neighboEing states
were notified Of the theft, through
the press, and by descriptive posters,
sent 90 the sheriffs Of the many coun-
ties. who were warned 20 be on the
lockout for the horses, and to appre-
bend Che 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 ps the theft being,
Elf Wyoming has lost any horses, let
Wyoming find them. We In Montana
have, earlier IN eur history, taken
such action as to effectively discourage
thieves and desperad0es 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 bv
Lewis and Clark, a 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 1t
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 !
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 1t,
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
viii do So They are no more likely
10 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 I
gather them IMP"
But you were in the army" said
mis- wife.
eyes, I was In the army, but this
IS different. Anyway. don't go to get
ing any foolish notions into that little
mead Of yours. we stand about as
much chance Of ever earning that
'eward. as of flying to the moon"
However, the woman was far from
icing convinced. OF course the thieves
night go elsewhere, but they also
night chance in her direction, and
Ter Scottish blood gave her ''hunch,
his was what would happen. 1t was
Useless to say anything more about 1t,
ret that need not prevent her being
n the watch constantly. Once seen,
Ter unlimited confidence In the cour-
ge Of her soldier-husband permitted
Ter no doubt as to the result. She
damned the capture by day, and
reamed of it by night, and eagerly
canned the next weeks paper TO see
I there was any further news Of the :
andits.
That was not all. Being firm be-
ever in preparedness, she managed I
} have her unsuspicious husband I
lean his gun and lay in fresh supply
( cartridges the next time he went
D town Now the stage was set, and {
ne actors were due to make their 9
ppearance on that cylvan stage, with
small, but enthusiastic audience to S
rect them. 3
one evening when the sun had set I
nd Old Badly took on an amethys- l
ne hue, a band of horses dashed by
ne ranch door where dwelt the little
oman, and went on towards the c
1ghwoods. The horses were gaunt l
nd trayel-worn, as If they had come
long distance, and behind them rode
70 men, who urged them to greater
Seed.
The little woman spied them, and a
Iickly laying down the dish she was
ashing, ran to the door Of the ad-
lining room, where her husband was C
ljoying his after-dinner pipe, and
.claimed, They've comet Henry" c.
'sWho've Gomez asked her husband.
Those horse thieves. Hurry and get
,ur gun" c
What makes you think it's them?" b
ooh, know it is. Didn't you see 1!
emp II
mo, I didn't see anyone. but I :
ard a lot Of horses galloping by,
ID that's nothing strange" \
yves. But there were two men driv- =
2 them, and you couldn't help know 4
z they had come q long way" y
We'll" said Henry, extinguishtng A.
5 pipe and knocking out the remains
tobacco against the woodbox, II e
Mt say I feel anxious to tackle q b
uple Of desperadoes, or plain ranch h
IN single-handed, on Q mere guess tn
ey have stolen the horses they are al
wing" In