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Show ASIIlOOOFLIGUTKlNO. "VMcoiiie, stranger. Cam you tal: potlnel: Tlth a'i Illi Jlin, lirlnj another jlata for the Renlletuan. Jast jilcltet jtmr be sir, anil Malta j-otinelf at loine. This It Cip'n Wilioni his Ltvthrr I)an my natoe If Holt. The boys iren-tralljr iren-tralljr calls loe 'Qurnrr 'caute tho por i tlmr of IU: tUte l tiaiaetl Holt too no relation to ma thonjh. Elliott, Victor Vic-tor JHIiolt, dlil you oar the name wntl (111 1 to mo you. This Tendon Is gonli I itch In anil hilp yourxlfi wo'ro Jutt tot throunli." Such aa the greeting rccelrtsl one autumnal ew-nlng buck lit theSocntle I r a lone horienian who r&lo up to tho ram of un enjluerlnjt Jiarty of tha Itlo Ursula railway in Colorado. As tha stranger iat eallnc; hit aii per, tlioroujli-ly tlioroujli-ly it ran witli tho men he hnl nercr eicn heard cf nn hour before, tha others Kalehitl him ctriouily, woinlerlni; who ha nlht be, nod hit ilcatlnatlon vhcra It couM bo. l'lno looking; Mlow ho M, too, about thirty fit J lira old, tilth a well knit fnte, piercing Hack erci, hilr tha nine culor, curly u thlM', atronj nhlta teeth that rIoiuk! througli U nuitiiclie, Lil a Inry, gooj uaturnl, fi ntleuanty lr that mn.lo frlemli fur hiuweaally. Ilia LaiiJt eijwlallyat. IrarfcJ tbclr uttciitlon. Tliey vera iu ull, tin nalli na neatly trlinineJ, 01 a woman', Uv at ca, uucuDKioua of lUIr ylincei, until hlaarpcllto waa w txaivd, then atrttchel hluiiclf faca downward on tho groun 1 watching tho Bra and Ulilaj- with tha othera. Saiil hoi "b my mare orcr there? ba'tihonbciutyr Wiecnmo from New JIoilco. I waa dowu then at a rouuj upaevaral jaaraago, Jluit hara beeu too head of horaat at tha corral. A I IUJ Uly watohln tin work I law a horia Tautt Into the air, clearing an eight ftot fence at a bound, and waa off Ilka Uo win4. Far out un tho imlrla "llieTKiatrojcipturolljfr and brought l.rr In, Thla la tho mare, bhe nu too neat and pretty to be branded, and 1 Uiujht her for f 103 In gold. Hhe ontht to Va tlitd, for l're rUJon ber luird to- Aa lie flnlihrd rpeallng ha pire a lo v, ITcnllur whittle and the mare whinnied Iu return, a perfect picture ai the ttood with mana and tall B) ln In the bneiet, putllotd acalutt tha foothlllt. Soon all the men were wrapped In lheirblanketa,frettothe Ere, ami fait aIep-all but one. That one wn lailott. The glowing cubera, now and again, imittleg a crackle and tpark at a bit of r. tin canght lire, pkate4 hit fancy at lie , lay watching ttina, Mi thouglita mllat away. He Brined again playing joker lutuegunbling halllu lilunrllle Willi II a k 1 f cklM In front ot him, and their ma.lul clink rang Iu hla can, "What great Iu-k I did Ilito In that I ' 'It pot, (landing all the ralKt on a I Irotjacka, but when 1 draw In two in ro In my three card draw njalnit tb.-.ept uandf, I felt coaler. OneM I r'-ared five thoutand on the afternoon fame, I.ucky for int 1 caahed In and (M-nttoiuppir, I wat only In a fow buudred when that row came n." lie felt of hlnUlt. Yen, tho money w Mfe, atrnppi.il around hit waUt uu-irrliUahlrU uu-irrliUahlrU ' I wonder If that fellow dead yet. ri couteuiptllila iheat. Thought lie eMild deal tKwnd card on tie, did lmj Well, It didn't work. Wouder who fired ll.it ahot. When the light went out I Ml ltelty en,uenmlh. Ha (poke my cuuiei I litard It plainly Jnitaal went tin the door, but Ididu't atopi I didn't baretlmi) too Wttrni around thow dig-ri'iitjuttthtn. dig-ri'iitjuttthtn. Wonder If time bill-Utt bill-Utt went through the roof. It helipad lo ifloreaw the coi)toaion,nnd I didn't want Miy (htrifTi party In that room, not any. Awkward, my dropping tli.it plitoh Wlili I had It back aaln, for I'tocar-tliJ I'tocar-tliJ It w many youra. Wondtr If I II Cud Mollla oter at thtt railroad town. Blio wat to have rtnehed there nter Jay, and I in late, but I gum thall wait. How tlecpy I ami Dear old Moll" And he tlepl the tlcep tint only outdoor txerciio ratigUe, lirly dawn found tha patty break-faalnl, break-faalnl, and Klllott, blddlug hit liusU tuodl.y, atartetlonce more on tha trill to tliat lonely mountain Tillage where lha railroad ahould brlug hU loved one tohlin. a lluty with tholr llantaiid therejwlr tf Ihelr turi.c)ln,r initrumuult for the oay'tuto, tho engineering party did not notice tli apprunch of u bund of men RhoHeuddenappearauce ttartled them III hour later. 'I hore were e en of them, inned to tha Uetli with riflea, rctolra tndbiiwieknhat and laden .only with II 0 camp umlpage of a ahotl journey, rlie leader courieoiikly lniuirel If they U'l teen n tall, dark man droaed In a Corduroy aujt, iu dttcrlptlou tilted IJllott to atactly Unit the iwwcoiuom lnelrcltedthedelntlnrunuatloiund lUrted on up tkn valley, (Imply vouch-nllug vouch-nllug the Information that the gentleman gentle-man had gone on uhend ot tlicui and they VtJtliM to orertako hlui. nhllagata flow, iay lope a ay from the camp wlieia he'had (wnt tho night and Wen .0 bn pliably cuterUlned, i:ili fit Ml the eihlUratlon or the freab luoiiouln air and quickened hla bono a imetongulloji. The mare caught tha 1 it In bi-r teeth ami away thoy went, fmter and fatter, Thua It wat that the iwrty riding oter the tame track, liandl-rappril liandl-rappril by laving to watch for tlie Iw innl of the horte'i hooftaa they went aloug, did not cat Ii tlghtof r.lliott until about midday. The trail, narrow In the footlilllt, M them to a more travelud raid, whlih ahowol (hi markt of a wngon hnrlng t nrel it. Tl n mail led them lo nn old a 1 ,1 a hut, tho rcf looklug (trui.ge to tiiein-uaeuutonieJ to teeing (hlngle an I board rooft Aa tho patfycamo nearer l tn dewrted Imine of cowboytluolliariliiyetheyenw Uliott dttlng on an imply ,rk birrel, Imnlng tip agalnat the lidn of the honav, hit horn quietly grntlug mar at hand. When near tuougli to reoogiilzo him the Irty iilclned tliolr v.i, and laughed grimly when they taw him wave liltlianlatlifui. For hltpirt he waa wondering what hal brunght them to this ont of the way place, but gli 1 cf the ooininy on lilt wiy ebnuld it aleo provo I heir. When they came nrr he won dercd what made Diem eye him to Intently In-tently and kept them all to ailent. At a given tlgunl nacli man cf the tatty mr cml 1dm with a weapon, and the leader, acting m tpokatrain, eviamanded blm to hold np hit htntk "What iu hell hot got Into you ftl-lon.r ftl-lon.r otkl Hlllott. "Shut tip," am wml tho Inultr. "n-Holt, "n-Holt, Wre dead onto uu, nnd we ddn't want any talk from yon at atl. Hank Oreen lived long cuongh night Ufore lat to tell who HIM him. and you've got to awing for It. L'ome on, boyt." Ulllotft prolmtatlone of hit Innocence were not even littencd la Hit weiiont were taken from hi in, hit handa ll-l behind be-hind him, and n.ulcker thin It Mm to tell It one of the parly had thinned up a tree which ttood handily near and fn-tenolaliuwlualluiu. fn-tenolaliuwlualluiu. Tlieeinptyiork birrel wnt rollwl ont under It, turned np on end, and Hlllott wat ttood on It, while one of the men with 1.0 gentle hand knotted the ru abont lilt nrck, leaning over lilt taddle tocomilclo tin opt ration. Hit captort gathered about him and he wit comuimded to t(ieak out if ho luid anything to any. Only n tllght puih would liavo tent the Kirret from beneath lilt feet. He conhl fitlthe cold aweat npnn hla brow, hear the beating of hit heart. Ittoiinded clour and dMInctln hla can at he began hit farewill aieccb to lilt merelleea judget. "Boya," aild he, "you nrodeail wrong. I did not kill Hank (Irren. Tint revolver revol-ver you have there wat mine, and I did fire tbote empty chamhen, but at no man. I fired them In the air to make the confntlon greaier after the row to give lit all n chance to neap before the tin. rill or any 01 her oultlden would darn to coma In iijion n. I awear that I dl 1 not kill that man an 1 1 do not know who killed him." A bunt of lioarro laughter waa hit only rcponej. "AaUod It tay Judge, men. I am Innocent. In-nocent. Do yon think I would He about It, atindlng hereon the brink of tier-city? tier-city? If JiMlce will not free me. will money? I hive plenty ot It hero with tne nuw. What do yon tay?" 'Tilth the birrel, Hill," cried onn of Ida in necutora. "Line him ojt. We'll take tha money home to Hank Oreeu't noinant thil'a what we'll do." The oil man who acted at leailerhid hot 11 quietly watching the condemned luaa'afacc. A conviction tint cuinehow or other Hank wot mlttakcuforual Ittelf opou nun. "1'anlnert," aald he, "thero may Iw tonietlilng In thlt mau'a proposition at ter all. Wo followed lilni hero to lung him, but d nine If I don't bellcvo wo have treed tho wrong toad. I never heant of thlt innti'i dolug anything that wan't aqnarp, Dldanyofyour "Hing Urn anyway," tpuks np one of No, that'll not right, boya. Where It that money, lnilott!" Taking n(T tho belt at directed, lio M the way to one tide to try ami aavs hit llfo. It wat no iim to talk to tha jurty however. Tho lntt lie could do wnt done. Hlllott eatr the men mount their honea, and ho)ie roeowllbin hltlirvatt at he aaw them untie hit mare, and bringing ber with them rldo alowly to hit tide. "Klllott," aald the leader, "there are w:cii ct at. Four think oit ought to die, three do not. We haio decided to take )tmr valuable and Jour bune back to Hauk'a widow and loaio oti here, Jott at yon are, kilt. There ain't inurli I rotpKt of uur gelling away, but we won't murder )ou and we won't Kt you free. You awore to (toil jou wire Innocent. Inno-cent. Let your Ood tee to It J on are freed or have mercy on your aoub Come on, ly, our j ib It finUhed." With that he rode away, the othera following hlui, and none of llitm lotkl back at they retutned over the way they had come. On In the dlatauce the men noticed the maro throw up btr head and lUteu a moment and then whinny. One of them toltiDlomly reiuarkoi, "Sho mutt liavo hourd that whittle, boya, but the'll mil cr bear It ng 1I11 on cartli." "I've got my boota on lo die In, anyway," any-way," tald tho man on the barrel, and ho milled grimly at be thought of the bratadoof lilt boyiili remark yearaim-fore, yearaim-fore, that be "dl In't want any lingerf ug ll knew and death In kit," Then ivoin't a cowardly bone In hit ldy. He really fill relieved when the men had gone, for ho at leatt hod hit thought! to blmtelf 111 long at be lived. Tlitro wat uooneto Jeer, no curiout (pectatort around to worry him and lie calmly awaited the end. IleronU frit the barrel oiclllato beneath hit feet, knew that there wot but a fow lut hct iltck In the rope, and that a folvi moiiiucut and a illght change In equilibrium meant ttraugula tiou and dtoth. Hit card playing irocllvltlea ttood blm Iu good ttead, lit waa n good enough poker player to kuow that the game contltted pure nnd aluiplo of relative rela-tive calculation of ptrceutagea and op-lurlunlilrt, op-lurlunlilrt, Ho who takot bit money npoiitho tumor cluntttof enrdttoou le irnt one Itttoa to patiently bide bit time, Tho lutwoidt cf the leader ot the tarty kt pt coiitUntly recurring to blm. It wat with no rrllglout aentlment tint ha thouxht of ponlbla dellveraune, but wth tin conviction tint be detervtid belter thtn a ilealb llkeUlt. rktimingly in tymjiatliy Vtlth hit (Una. lion and bit mood, tho twilight liourt now fatt approaching broughv warning ofaalonn. Heiiollced thlt Willi pleat-lire, pleat-lire, for both buug r and thlnt had at-terlnl at-terlnl theiuxltet. Ho awaited tha noft, cooling rain which be un oppmiclilng up over Hie mountain! with a feillug cf relit f The lcivit had fillcii off the trie, wlnlrr wot u near at baud, and bo turned bit face to tlia.ky to rati lithe fait falling dropt 111-11 Lit fire and tongue. The iiiolituro refrtnlml him, and he felt hit courage reviva and hupo oncu more tprlng upwithln bit brtatt. Tbo Ions roll ot dlitaut tbuudcr and the vivid but-i 1 1 nig did not e 1 aw. .un. lie ed llL.i ft great t I I , avl Ik- rltiuo I iuin!f jiithetki .of tli" lyht. If ha ml I, Hint elm net II ) welcome it Mould tic. ami how hepiIyhecmiM nwalt the bullet that wonlitkew! I'tln Into tli.i great imknonn, and Un lit'tt !. II l home by the wiren, Vt'rrl I -i 1 il a hero'e death at hit port en 1 Ii 1 1, f utile." lha center if H 1 ti rut approached nearer. The en-., of mod blew more frequenlly aid ti . r.m poured down upon him until be wnt to Uie kin. Without warning, th.ic tame a abort, quick flooli-lieMwa blafi of light aliont him and all wat changed. He Meinnl falling, filling Into endleM rpace, And then, moanling upward, be rode on the SiBg' of light, llll.illrntly liilteeincl 'nklnghnteym, eothnt lie might fee ilfire jlnlnly thlt rondroiio, laautirnl tone. HpMlotn flrcKwied binbllier-ito binbllier-ito hit elgtt and born luto hit brain, lie Irl.M to Ipeok, to ny aloud. Hit heart .eemtd l.urEtiug with nnecttitlo Joy, but he coul 1 not tnako a round. Then all wat n blank Afhraleng, long time lie aeetneil to ftl the lMU that con.'t over ouo when the bed clothing it not warm enough In the night lie thought that wan what ailed blm, an 1 lane to reach dowu hit hand and put It rip over him. The movement move-ment brought coiiBoiouinaet. How waa thlt? Where wnt lie? Ilia mind recalled Die cveutt of the day anil Ihe evening ttorm. How ronld thlt be? Here ho wat aittlng uptight on the wet ground, bit liaii.lt tied bthlnd hlui, celling In every limb. Aaauredly ttlll In the lind of the Ihlug, He looked up over bit head. It wot not a tlelmlont It wat reality. The rope woe (till almut hit neck, and thero by hit aide on the ground, with Ihe other t-nd tied to it, wit the limb of a Iree. The blare of light tint bad teemed ro iimirhim ufewmlritiUt lie-fore lie-fore wat iu reality a luult of lightning occurring honrt (go, for It wnt how brood daylight. It bad ttrnck that Identical tree and freed blm. There It Itool (pllnlered aud broken. lie beard a familiar nound near at bind. Conld he billet 0 hit r)ct? There was bit mare contentedly grazing near by. He whittled lo ber and the came ttottlngto him, dragging at the en lot nlarlnt the lrcn picket lo which In r cn tort bad tied her the night K'fort. It waa too wnJi lor bit fetllngt. and be broke down and cried like a 1 III! 1 when he felt her toft noteou bit face txiect-Ing txiect-Ing the cam be uimlly gare btr. Heaven litl not only vindicated hit In-lloceuce, In-lloceuce, but hod returned hit useful jiot to blm In bit great need of her. Henuuibed and lore. It took blm nenr-lyan nenr-lyan hour to free blmtelf from the cruel rupee, but at last lucccedlng, he found bit oil akin big over near Ihe adnliebonia an late heartily. The iprlug quenched bit llilrti, and be ftlt like a man born It wnt with n heart full of linpplr.cn and gratitude to Almighty Hod for Lit mlrocnlout encape that lui mounted the bone and ceutiiiuM the Journey which lud proved eo full of Int idetit to blm "111 bo a better butband la Jli.llle than before, 1 leet her heart, for coming ont hero lo bo with fir. expecting to gli o up the enmforta of clly life," laid lie, at be rode along the way that was rapidly bringing blm tolir, "Thotodrafu that I tent to the bank In IXnrerlatt wwk will come In bandy now, Wo will go over the range to Trltco, and etart Ufa oter again. Bouie day 1 II come back hero and And out who did kill Hank (IriTii. Hit wife bat that dual. Hhe la welcome to tha nte of it. Maybe it's Jutt at well to get nway from tint life alter all," and be rede 011 c.lileut. A wagon train tent over tolhe railroad (own from Dlutlvillo Ihe nit week brought back the newt cf Kill. it ft escape, es-cape, of lilt meeting with hit wlfo and their Aeptrtntt ton pltw unknown. The rough mining camp bad too much rise lo attend to to think long t.vir tho Itrauge iveutt of the week gone by. Koine yean otlerward II wat retailed to them (u au uneiprcted manner. Vktor Uliott liad come took. Hit meant and position otirnlred In his new home protected pro-tected blm from rough treatment, at-m at-m Wly oo when the ton utpeople learned I hat lie wat going oter Incidrul afttr Incident, In-cident, questioning man after mm abont tho tnoollng of Hank Ureen, nnd that be hail made the widow n present of Ilia money taken from him by force. Hit (enroll wat In lain. Kolhlngcould l found out atmnt who llrt.l the tliot At bit o 11 requett bo wat tried by a Jury, all the evidence weighed, and lie was acquitted of tho chtrge of murder. Iu a beautiful home Iu Han Franrlsco thero It a curiout memento banging In the owner't library. It It a ivirt of n branch ot a Inc. holding ft saddle, bridle and larltt. lit bittory it (cldotn told you know It on 1 no do I. Warren Chote Iu bt. Paul I'loneer 1'reu. |