6 7 SERIAL UI_STORYgJ m =<B PLANGFORD «i | the U THREE = j BARSj) 112 ny KATE AND VIRGIL D. BOYLES % i 'OQpyritfbt by A. C. McClurg & Co., 1907.) SYNOPSIS. George Williston. a poor ranchman "high-minded and cultured, searches for •;»( tic missing from his ranch—the"Lazy S." On a wooded .spot in the river's bed i ! hit would have been an island had the ! Missouri been at high water, he dis- j covers « band of horse thieves engaged I >n working over brands on cattle lie j creeps near enough to note the chang- | ins of the"Three liars" brand 011 one \ steer to the "J. It." brand. Paul Lang- I ford, the rich owner of the"Three ] Hire," is informed of the operations of the gang of cattle thieves—a band of outlaws headed by Jesse Black, who long have defied the law and authori ties of K' mall county. South Dakota. Langford is struck with the beauty of .Mary, commonly known as "Williston's little girl." Louise Dale, an expert! •ourt stenographer, who had followed | her uncle. Judge Hammond Dale, from Ihe east to the "Dakotahs." and who is living with him at Wind City, is requested by the county attorney. Iliehard Gordon, to come to Kemah and take testimony in the preliminary (tearing of Jesse Black. Jim Munson. in waiting at the train for Louise, looks a herd of cattle being shipped by Bill Brown and there detects old I Mag," a well known "ornery" steer be longing to his employer of the"Three Bars" ranch. Munson and Louise start tor Kemah. Crowds assemble in Justice James It. McAllister's court for the preliminary hearing. Jesse Black springs the first of many great sur prises. waiving examination. Through Jake Sanderson, a member of the out law ganij, hi' had learned that the steer "Mag had been recovered and 'thus saw the uselessness of fighting munst being bound over. Richard Gor don. the county attorney, who is un popular because of his many failures to secure convictions in court, wins the admiration of Louise, which is mu tual. County Attorney Gordon accom panies Louise Dale on her return to vVtnd City. He tells her of the dis appointments of his office, of witnesses that can be bribed anil of the system tt tampering with justice which pre sents him from securing a conviction. He has the girl's sympathy. While Williston stands in the light in his floor at night, a shot is tired at him. The.house is attacked and a battle en sues between Williston and his daugh ter. on one side, and the outlaws on ■the other. CHAPTER IX.—Continued. As her strained sight stared out in •to the darkness it was borne to her Intuitively, it may be, that something was creeping up on her. She could see nothing and yet knew it to be trne. Every fiber of iter being tingled with the certainty of it. It was com ing closer and closer. She felt it like an actual presence. Her eyes shifted here, there —swept her half-circle searching!)'—stared and stared. Still nothing moved. And yet the nearness of some unseen thing grew more and more palpable. If she could not see it soon she must scream aloud. She breathed in little quickened gasps. Soon, very soon, she would scream. Ah! A shadow down by the biggest cottonwood! it bodly sought a nearer and a smaller trunk. Another slink ing shadow glided behind the vacated position. It was a ghastly presenta lion of "pussy-wants-a-corner" played in nightmare. But at last it was something tangible—something to do away with that frightful sensation of that crawling, creeping, twisting worming, insinuating—nearer and nearer, so near now that it beat upon her —unseen presence. She pressed her finger to the trigger to shoot at tho tangible shadows and dispel that enveloping, choking, blanket horror, when God knows what stayed the action of her fingers. Call it instinct, what you will, her hand was stayed even before her physical eye was caught and held by a blot darker still than the night, over to her right, farth est from the spring. It lay perfectly still. It came to her, the wily plan, with startling clearness. The blot was waiting for her to fire futilely at grinning shadows among the trees aral, under cover o£ her engrossed at tention insinuate its treacherous body the farther forward. Then the play would go merrily on till—the end. She turned the barrel of her rifle slowly and deliberately away from the mov ing shapes among the cottonwood clump, sighted truly the motionless hlur to her right and fired, once, twice, three times. The completeness of the surprise seemed to inspire the attackers with s. hellish fury. They returned the fire rapidly and at will, remaining under ■cover the while. Shrinking low at her window, her eyes glued on the still frl&ck mass out yonder, Mary wonder ed if it were dead. She prayed pas sionately that it might be, and yet— it is a dreadful thing to kill. Once more the wild firing ceased. Mary re sponded once or twice just to keep the deadly chill from returning—if that ■were possible. Under cover of the desperadoes' 'fire, at obtuse angles with the first attempt, a second blot began its tor tuous twisting. It accomplished a tspace, stopped; pulled itself its length, estopped, waited, watchful eyes 011 the window whence carne Mary's scatter ed tiring still into the clump of trees. They had drawn her close regard at Aast. Would it hold out? Forward again, crawling flat on the ground, ever advaucing, slowly, very slowly, but also very surely, creeping, creep ing, creeping, now stopping, now creeping, stopping, creeping. All at once the gun play began again, sharp, quick, from the spring, from tlie sheds. The blot lay perfect ly still for a moment —waiting, watch ing. The plucky little rifle was silent, liut. so it had been before. Quarter length, half, whole leugth, cautiously with frequent stops, eyes so steely, so intent —could it be possible that this gun was really silenced —out of the race? It would not do to trust too much. The blot waited, scarcely breathed, crept forward again. A sudden bright light flashed up through the darkness under the unpro tected wall to Mary's left. Almost simultaneously a kindred light sprang into being from the region of the cat tle-sheds. The men down there had been waiting for this signal. It meant that for some reason the second efTort to creep up unobserved to fire the house had been successful. The flare grew and spread. It became a glare. When the whole cabin seemed to be in flames save the door —the dry, rude boarding had caught and burned like paper—when the heat had become un bearable, Williston held out his hand to his daughter, silently. As silently she put her hand, her left hand, in his; nor did Williston notice that it was her left, nor how limply her right arm hung to her side. In the glare, her face shone colorless, but her dark eyes were stars. Her head was held high. With firm step, Williston ad vanced to tho door. Deliberately he unbarred it, as deliberately threw It open and stepped over the threshold. They were covered on the instant by four rifles. "Drop your guns!" called the chief, roughly. Then the desperadoes moved up. "I take it that I am the one wanted," said Williston. His voice was calm and scholarly once more. In the uselessness of further struggle, it had lost the sharp incisiveness that had been the call to ________ Thoy Were Covered on the Instant. action. If one must die it is good to die after a brave fight. One is never a coward then. Williston's face wore an almost exalted look. "My daughter is free togo?" he asked, his first words having met with no response. Better, much bet ter, for the make of a man like Willis ton to die in the dignity of silence, but for Mary's sake he parleyed. "I guess not!" responded the leader, curtly. "If a pulin' idiot hadn't missed the broad side of you—as pretty a mark this side heaven as man could want —then we might talk about the girl. She's showed up too damned much like a man now to let her loose." His big, shuffling form lounged in his saddle. He raised his rifle with every appearance of lazy indifference. They were to be shot down where they stood, now, right on the thres hold of their burning homestead. Wil listoft bowed his h£ad to the inevit able for a moment; then raised it proudly to meet the inevitable. A rifle shot rang out startlingly clear. At the very moment the lead er's hawk eye had swept the sight, his rifle arm had twitched uncertainly, then fallen nerveless to his side, while his bullet, playing a faltering and discordant second to tho first true shot, tore up the ground in front of him and swerved harmlessly to one side. Instantly the wildest confusion reigned—shouts, curses, the plunging of horses mingled with the sharp scrack of fire-arms. The shooting was wild. The surprise was too com plete for the outlaws to recover at once. They had heard no sound of ap proaching hoof-beats. The roaring flames licking up the dry timber and rendering the surrounding darkness the blacker for the contrast had been of saving grace to the besiegers after all. In a moment the desperadoes ral lied. They closed in and imposed a cursing, malignant wall between the rescuers and the blazing door of the shanty and what stood and lay before It. Mary had sunk down at her father's feet and had no cognizance of the fierce though brief conflict that en sued. Presently she was dragged roughly to her feet. A big, avascular arm had heavy grasp of her. "Make sure of the girl, Red!" com manded a sharp voice near, and it was gone out into the night. Afterward she heard—oh, many, many times in the night watches— the eerie galloping of horses' hoofs, growing fainter and ever fainter, heard it above the medley of tramp ling horses and yelling men, and knew CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 1908 It for what it meant; but to-night— this evil night—she gave but one quick, bewildered glance into the sinister face above her and in a soft, shuddering voice breathed, "Please don't," and fainted. CHAPTER X. In Which the X Y Z Figures Some what Mysteriously. Jim Munson, riding his pony over the home trail at a slow walk, drooped sleepily in his saddle. It was not a weirdly late bedtime, half-past ten, maybe, but ho would have been sleep ing soundly a good hour or more had this not been his night togo to town —if he chose. He had chosen. He would not have missed his chance for a good deal. Hut his dissipation had been light. The boss never tolerated much along that line. He had drunk with some congenial cronies from the Circle E outfit complimentary to the future well-being and increasing wealth of this already well-known and flourishing c-attle ranch. Of course he must drink a return compliment to the same rose-colored prosperity for the Three Uars, which he did and sighed for more. That made two, and two were the limit, and here was the limit overreached already; for there had always to be a last little com forter to keep him from nodding in his saddle. It was a sleepy night, cool and soft and still. He could walk his horse all the way if he wanted to. There was no haste. The boys would all be in bed. They would not even wait up for the mail, knowing his, Jim's, innate aversion to hurry. Had he not been so drowsy, he would like to have sung a bit; but it required a little too much effort. He would just plod along. Must all be in bed at Williston's— no light anywhere. A little short of where the Williston branch left the main trail he half paused. If it were not so late ho would ride up and give them a hail. Hut of course they were asleep. Everything seemed still and dark about the premises. He would just plod along. "Hello, there! Where'd you come from?" he cried of a sudden, and be fore he had had time to carry his re solve into action. A man on horseback had drawn rein directly in front of him. Jim blinked with the suddenness of the shock. "Might ask you the same question," responded the other with an easy laugh. "I'm for town to see the doc tor about my little girl. Been puny for a week." "Oh! Where you from?" asked Jim. with the courteous interest of his kind. "New man on the X Y Z," answered the other, lightly. "Must bo gittin' on. Worried about my baby girl." He touched spurs to his horse and was off with a friendly "So long," over his shoulder. Jim rode on thoughtfully. "Now don't it beat the devil," he was thinking, "how that there cow puncher struck this trail comin' from X Y Z —with the X Y Z clean t' other side o' town? Yep, it beats the devil, for a fac'. He must be a ridln' for his health, it heats the devil." This last was long drawn out. He rode a little farther, "it beats the devil," he thought again—the wonder of it was waking him up—"how that blame,d fool could a' struck this here trail a goin' for doc." At the branch road he stopped ir resolutely. (TO BE CONTINUED.) WAS A LESSON FOR "AB'AHAM." Good Old Uncle Job Felt Called Upon to Rebuke Sinner. "Yas, suh," begun Uncle Job, sur veying his hearers with an expression of virtuous sadness; "yas, suh, I sholy gib dat trilling Ab'aham a lesson he neveh fohgot!" Then, seeing an In quiring look in the eyes of some of his hearers, and hearing a question from the lips of one of them, he decided to go more into details about the nature of the lesson he had imparted. "What'd I do tuh him? I's gwlne tuh tell you alls. Ab'aham fair drawed de lightnin on hisself w'en he hed de "dacity tuh 'vite me tuh be house tul\ eat er tuhkey dinner. Tuhkey," re peated Uncle Job, after a telling pause, "w'en dat liverashous rascal neveh raised any tuhkey in he life 'cept offen some w'ite man's roost. Hit sho was er fine tuhkey, but I showed dat Ab'aham dat stolen goods proflteth little. Dat tuhkey was er big gobbleh, an' dere was nobody but me an' Ab'aham dere; an" I seasoned dat bird wif admonitions tuh be good an' wahnlngs f'om de wrath to come. Hit sholy would hev tasted good ef hit hedn't been stole. Hut de sauce ob a deed well did an' a sianeh re buked almos' made lilt relish, an'," concluded Uncle Job, with pious sat isfaction, "though hit was er hahd pill, I's bound to say I held out to de end an' finished dat tuhkey, spite ob Ab'aham's hint dat he spected hit tuh las' him er week." —Youth's Com panion. House Eleven Hundred Years Old. St. Albans possesses the oldest In habited house in the country. This distinction is said to belong to the old Round house, now the Fighting Cocks inn, %vhich stands close to the River Ver. It is a curious structure—of octagonal shape—of early Saxon ori gin, having been built as a boathouse to the ancient monastery founded at St. Albans by King OfTa about the year 795, and is thus over 1,100 years old. A subterranean passago, now blocked up, runs from the basement to the ruins of the monastery, a dis tance of about 200 yards. There is a shed at the back of tho house, where it is said Oliver Cromwell stabled his horse, himself once sleeping under Its roof during the civil war.—Collecting. KIDNEYS CURED BY THIS SIMPLE TREATMENT. Get your druggist to mix the follow ing ingredients: one-half ounce fluid ext. Huchu, one ounce of compound fluid Balmwort and two ounces of Byrup Sarsaparilla compound. Shake well and take a teaspoonful before each .meal and one when retiring. Drink plenty of water deuvaeu meals and at night, but little of any liquid at meal times. The buchu alone 13 an excellent tonic for the kidneys and bladder, but combined with the excellent qualities of balmwort and sarsaparilla, its effi cacy is ten times greater. The great urinary specialist, Gaut, whose single fees range from SSOO to SIOOO, ac knowledges In his latest reports to the German Health Bureau that this sim ple mixture is most reliable and will cure all but the most complicated and aggravated kidney and bladder affec tions; therefore, it is well worth try ing, as it is not an expensive formula. Puffing under the eyes, backache, headache and dizziness, burning of the eyes, blurred vision, extreme nervousness and insomnia all indi cate urinary trouble. Many more symptoms could be named, but the reader will surely avoid neglect and prevent serious complications like dia betes, Bright's disease, apoplexy and rheumatism. SO RUDE OF HIM. "Why won't you see Herr Schmidt to-day, Erna?" "O, mamma, I can't endure him any more! Only think, the last time he called he waved his handkerchief to me after leaving, and then —" "Well, and then?" "Then he sneezed into it!" Billion Dollar Grass. Most remarkable grass of the century. Good for three rousing crops annually. One lowa farmer on 100 acres sold 800.00 worth of seed and had 300 tons of hay besides. It is immense. Do try it. FOR 10c AND THIS NOTICE send to the John A. Salzer Seed Co., La Crosse, Wis., to pav postage, etc.. ana they will mail you the only original seed catalog published in America with sam ples of Million Dollar Grass, Macaroni Wheat, the sly miller mixer, Sainfoin the dry soil luxuriator. Victoria Rape, the 20c a ton green food producer. Silver King Barley yielding 173 bu. per acre, etc., etc., etc. And if you send 14c we will add a pack age of new farm seed never before seen by you. John A. Salzer Seed Co., La Crosse. Wis. K. & W. Worth a Trial. Cyrus Townsend Brady, the author and clergyman, told at a dinner in Toledo a story about charity. "A millionaire," said Dr. Brady, "lay a.iing. He had lived a life of which, as he now looked back on it, he felt none too proud. To the minister at his bedside he muttered weakly: "'lf I leave SIOO,OOO or so to the church, will my salvation be assured?' "The minister answered cautiously: " 'I wouldn't like to be positive, but It's well worth trying.' " A New Excuse. "I suppose your husband is proud to contribute his share toward the support of our beautiful library?" "Yes," answered the woman with the slightly acid expression; "only John was none too industrious in the first place and now he's tempted to putin most of his time reading novels and trying to got his money's worth." —Washington Star. How's This? W« offer On« MundrAH pullaa E? w 3 r 4 fOT sn » case of Catarrh (bat cannot DO cured by Hall's Catarrh Cure. F. J. CHENEY & CO., Toledo. O. We. the undersigned, have known F. J. Cheney for tho last 15 your*, and believe him perfectly hon orable la all business transactions and financially •bio to carry out any obligations made by hie firm. WALDINO, KINNAN & MARVIN, Wholesale Druggists. Toledo. O. Hall's Catarrh Cure la taken Internally, acting directly upon the blood and mucous surfaces of the system. Testimonials sent free. Price 75 cents pel bottle. Sold by all Druggists. Take ilall's Family Fills for constipation. Modesty. Whispering Customer (producing watch) —I came here because 1 have been told that you are an honest pawnbroker. Avuncular Patriarch (with a depre catory smile) —My friend, somebody has been trying to have fun with you." Important to Mothers. Examine carefully every bottle of CASTORIA a safe and sure remedy for Infants and children, and see that it Bears the //r Signature In Use For Over .'{<> Years. The Kind You Have Always Bought Guesa. He—l think that I have the pleas' ure of the next dance? She—You do. Now, what did she mean by that? — Harvard Lampoon. It Cures While You Walk. Allen's Foot-Ease is a certain cure for hot, sweating, callous, and swollen, aching feet. Sold by all Druggists, l'rice 25c. Don't accept any substitute. Trial package FRBE. Address Allen S. Olinsted, I.e Roy, N. Y. He surely Is in want of another's patience who has none of his own.— Lavatcr. WESTERN CANADA CROPS CANNOT BE CHECKED. OATS YIELDED 90 BUSHELS TO THE ACRE. The following letter written the Do minion Government Commissioner of , Emigration speaks for itself. It proves the story of the Agents of the Gov ernment that on the free homesteads offered by the Government it is pos sible to become comfortably well off I in u few years: Reglna, Sask., 23rd Nov., 1907. Commissioner of Immigration, Winnipeg. Dear Sir: It is with pleasure that I reply to your request. Some years ago I took up a homestead for myself and also one for my son. The half section which we own is situated between I Rouleau and Drinkwater, adjoining the Moose Jaw creek, is a low level . and heavy land. We putin 70 acres of wheat in stubble, which went 20 bush els to the acre, and 30 acres of sum , mer fallow, which went 25 bushels to the acre. All the wheat we harvested this year is No. 1 hard. That means | the best wheat that can be raised on : theearth. Wedidnot sell any wheat yet i as we intend to keep one part for our own seed, and sell the other part j to people who want first-class seed, j for there is no doubt if you sow good ! wheat you will harvest good wheat, i We also threshed 9,000 bushels of I first-class oats out of 160 acres. 80 ! acres has been fall plowing which yielded 90 bushels per acre, and 80 acres stubble, which went 30 bushel 3 !to the acre. These oats are I the best kind that can be j raised. We have shipped three car loads of them, and got 53 cents per | bushel clear. All our grain was cut in the last week of the month of August before any frost could touch ; lt Notwithstanding the fart that we have had a late spring, and that tha J weather conditions this year were very adverse and unfavorable, we will make more money out of our crop this year than last. For myself I feel compelled to say j that Western Canada crops cannot bo checked, even by unusual conditions. I am, dear sir, Yours truly, (Signed) A. Kaltenbrunner. A LITT Schoolmaster—t)o you wish your son to learn the dead languages? Mr. Koffin—Certainly, as I shall re quire him to asist in my business aa an undertaker. One Woman's Wrongs. Mrs. Srnallpurse (who found rily a few dimes in her husband's pockets that morning)—l am just sick of this plodding along year after year. Why don't you do something to make money? Mr. Srnallpurse—l can't make any more than a living at my business, no matter how hard I work. Mrs. Srnallpurse—Then do some thing else. Invent something. Any American can invent. Mr. Srnallpurse (some months after) —My dear, I've hit it, and I've got a patent. My fortune is made. Mrs. Srnallpurse (delighted)—lsn't that grand! What did you invent? Mr. Srnallpurse—l have invented a barbed-wire safety pocket for hus bands.—New York Weekly. Beyond Him. On the occasion of the production of "Lucia" at the Metropolitan opera house last winter a well-known club man, who had taken a cousin from a Connecticut town to hear Donizetti's great work, turned to his relative dur ing the first intermission and asked how he liked the opera. "Oh, pretty fair," said the visitor; "but is the whole blamed thing iD Latin?" —Harper's. Your Wife, Mother or Sister Can make I.omon, Chocolate and Custard pips bettor than the expert cook by using "OUR-PIE," as all the Ingredients are in the package ready for immediate use. Kach package, enough for two large pies, 10 cents. Order to-day from your grocer. "Put up by D-Zerta Co., Rochester, N.Y." High alms form noble character and great objects bring out great minds. — Tryon Edwards. Garfield Tea—a simple and satisfactory laxative! Composed of llerbs, it regulates liver and kidneys, overcomes constipation and brings Good Health. It isn't idle curiosity that prompts a man to look for work. ONI.Y OXE "HROMO QCriNINK" That Is LAXATIVE HKOMO OUTnINU. IAK\ tai tbo signature of B. W. QHOvft. Usod the World over to Cur» a Cold In One Dny. 'J6c. Success seldom comes to a man who Isn't expecting it Mm. Wlmlow'H (loothlnf Rjrrup. For children teething, soften* the gums, reduce* tiy iM&miUou, aLlays psui, cures wind eollu. 20c s bottle. Many a man gets left by sticking to the right. I kM A MOTHER How many American women in lonely homes to-day long for this blessing to eome into their lives, and to be able to utter these words, but because of some organic derange ment this happiness is denied them. Every woman interested in this eubjeet should know that prepara tion for healthy maternity is accomplished by the use of LYDIA E.PiNKHAM'S VEGETABLE COMPOUND Mrs. Maggie Gilmer, of West Union, S. C.,writes to Mrs. Pinkham: " I was greatly run-down in health from a weakness peculiar to my sex, when Lydia E. I'iukham's Vegetable Compound was recommended to me. It not only restored ine to perfect health, but to my delight I am a mother." Mrs. Josephine llall,of Bardstown, Ky., writes: " I was a very great sufferer from female troubles, and my physician failed ,to help me. Lydia E. Pinkham's Vege table Compound not only restored ma to perfect health, but I am now a proud mother." FACTS FOR SICK WOMEN. For thirty years Lydia E. rink ham's Vegetable Compound, made from roots and herbs, has been the standard remedy for female ills, and has positively cured thousands of women who have been troubled with displacements, inflammation, ulcera tion, fibroid tumors, irregularities, periodic pains, backache, that bear ing-d< >wn feeling, flatulency, indiges tion, dizziness or nervous prostration. , Why don't you try it ? i Mrs. Pinkham invites all sick women to write her for advice, j She has guided thousands to health. Address, Lynn, 31 ass. Strenuous Method of Saving Life. Two officers who were hunting wolves on the Dry mountain in cen tral Servia lost their way in a fog. After wandering for 14 hours one of | them lay down in the snow and speed- I ily became unconscious. His comrade j bound him with cords, placed him J in a sitting position and then rolled him down the mountain. He glided down the slope at terrific speed and | reached the bottom safely, being found an hour later in an exhausted condi ! tion by a peasant. He is now in the | hospital being treated for the lacera- I tions he received in bumping over the rocks during his descent. His com panion is unhurt. J Absnlotely big profits raising poultry by H our approved practical method. You make jjS? easily ShO ner month, SIOOO per year, from 24 ■ hens, or S.IUO from 12honn. Nothing to buy —no incubators or expensive appliances. Either man or woman can start our plan at once without assistance. HenScts6Daysonly Not 21 Days, as usual. With our complete book of instruction* wo send all descrip tions, plans, illustrations, etc.,the opinions and endorsements of leadinu poultry ox perts, also a library of valuable /\/\ information for all poultry rais- lit/ era. Our price now is only MONFY RACK If yon do not find this offer and outfit exactly as wo claim, return it at onco at our ex pense and net your Dollar back without question. Ihe plan is worth a fortune to you. Don't delay. THE ELWOSEHN CO. 514 O. T. Johnaon Bldf. Los Anfelei, Cal. I BOY PA! NTER \ / PAI 1 I IT IS FOUND ONLYONI IPUREWHITE LE AD feCJ / HULllia VfHnibU selling guaranteed 8ilk» and PressOoods direct to consumers. No experience required. Wilmur Company. Box 572, Now York. M *• Colitia»i», |>atent At tor r il I N I ney, Wnnhiutfton, D. O. Advice 8 HI I llfrw, Terms low. llighest vwim
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