Cy Warman

“ At times she actually cried out to God to guide her to her lover, whom she believed to be innocent. At last she found the trail made by the sheriff's posse as they came down the gulch, but a moment later her heart sank as she heard the rattle of horsemen behind her. Presently she came to the dead deputy and his horse, but the sight did not appall her. Nothing could stop her now. Even in the presence of these silent witnesses—the horse and rider slain by the messenger—she was able still to believe in his innocence. Such is the capacity of a woman's love. ”

“ The deputy's horse, having received a death wound, plunged wildly and made it impossible for the rider to take accurate aim. Dropping his rifle, the officer began to use his revolver; but a chance shot from the messenger's forty-five pierced his heart. Another plunge of the horse hurled him to the ground, his foot caught in the stirrup, and the messenger was horrified to see the crazed bronco bounding away, dragging the deputy, head down, over the jagged rocks. The maddened animal appeared to be blind with rage. ”

“ A cowboy shied a rope at the dark man, but he dodged it.
"One minute," said he, opening his shirt, and showing his death-wound, "you'll have no trouble arresting me."
"Where's the murderer?" shouted an excited citizen.
"There's the chief," said the dark man, pointing to the wounded sheriff. The sheriff scowled.
"Is the express agent here?" asked the principal speaker, and a fat man with a red face came forward.
"This messenger is innocent. I mean to kill the first man who offers to lay a hand on him; after that, you must protect him. ”

“ He was afraid of being robbed, and was trying to reach the Junction when he was assaulted by these idiots, whom he mistook for robbers; and how well he fought, his own wounds and the dead man down in the gulch will show you."
The messenger, having regained consciousness, sat up and looked wildly about. The agent, realizing at a glance what an awful mistake had been made, fell upon the bewildered messenger and wept like a woman. Every passing second added to the general confusion and excitement. Cries of "Hang them," "Hang them," came sharp and fast from the rapidly increasing crowd. ”

“ When the others had passed out of sight the dark man reined his own horse down the cañon, intending, since he was so near, to visit his wife at the Junction. The recent washout had left the bed of the gulch almost impassable, and it was not until after midnight that the lone traveller came to the abandoned train, lying, like a living thing that had fallen asleep, on its own trail. Finding the express car locked, he opened one of the doors with the coal pick which he found on the engine. ”

“ Delay was dangerous. The coming of dawn meant death. The whispering winds, hurrying away up the hill, reminded him of the approach of day. His only hope was in reaching a point beyond which the horsemen might not ride, and he hurried on up the narrow gulch. At the exit his trail was blocked by one of the deputies, and immediately both men opened fire. Now for the first time since it shot muzzle first into the river, the messenger thought of his rifle. ”

“ When all the rest had put him aside coldly, he came over to the corner, and the dark man, being deep in thought and not wishing to be disturbed, arose, and picking his way between the two guns which dangled from the hips of the noble red man, kicked him along down the room and out into the night. ”

“ Made desperate by this appalling sight, the three officers were soon hot upon the trail of the fugitive. Finding it impossible to run away from his pursuers, the messenger cached his treasure, took refuge among some sharp rocks, and awaited the coming of the enemy. To his surprise, only two men came out of the gulch; the other, having taken another route in order to head the fugitive off, was now far out of range. The officers had the advantage of being armed with rifles, and to hold this advantage fought at long range. ”

“ The dark man kept his eyes upon a barren peak that stood at the foot of the valley, where the railroad track, gliding smoothly over the mesa, seemed to tumble into the cañon as swift Niagara tumbles over the falls. At that point the little party expected to dismount and take the train for the Cliff. The leader, who was able to read both print and writing, had noticed a paragraph in the Denver "Tribune" to the effect that the new Custer County Bank would open for business at Silver Cliff, July 10. ”

“ In a little while mounted men were dashing out toward the hills so as to be ready to take the trail at dawn. It was plain enough, the agent argued, that the messenger had taken advantage of the circumstances and cleared out with the wealth in his possession. A thousand dollars reward was offered for his capture.
A deputy sheriff made up a posse of four, including himself, and put out for the scene of the robbery. They were among the first to leave town, and as they all knew the country, were soon upon the ground, where the open and empty safe left little to be explained. ”

“ The "Lone Spruce," as the place was called, had done a rushing business in the "boom" days; but Ruby Camp was dying, even as Silver Cliff, Gunnison, and dozens of other camps have died since—as Creede is dying to-day—and business was slow. A drunken Ute reeled in and wanted to play poker, shake dice, or shoot with any dog of a white man in the place. ”

“ At the edge of the valley she met three horsemen riding hard toward the town. Two of the men were wounded—one was bleeding—and she asked what was the matter. The men appeared not to want to stop; but when she had heard, in a confused way, something about the express messenger, she turned and rode by the side of the sheriff until he had told her hurriedly all that had occurred. He made her understand that they had left the fugitive and his confederate at the top of the gulch from which they had just emerged, and that the "thief" was severely wounded.
"He is no thief," she retorted ”