" STAR" TALES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8247, 21 February 1905, Page 4

" STAR" TALES.

WHERE THE LINES MEET. (By FRANK K. FINNEGAN, in "The Black Cat.") There is a spot in £he south-western part of this country where a man may stand at one moment upon the soil of two States and two Territories, where, if he mores but a step in either direction, he may be entirely within the boundaries of one commonwealth, with another lying beneath his eyes and the two Territozies so close that his shadow, cast by the noonday aun, may fall on both of them. In all the broad expanse of the United States, with its hundreds of State lines crossing one another, there is no other place where this is possible. It was toward this spot that a man . on a jaded cow pony rode through a driving storm, one April night. His broad-brimmed hat # was pulled well down to protect his 'face from the beating rain, and the reins hung loose upon the horse's drooping neck, for the oayuse knew the trail across the mesa better than its master in the blackness of the night. To the "rider's left the San Juan River, swollen to twice its normal width by the spring rains, roared and tumbled between its banks, and at times the horse splashed through a pool where the ■ river", had overflowed the trail, but the man paid little heed to the floundering footsteps of his horse, and only /pulled the collar of his .rough coat more closely about his throat as he bowed before the increasing gale. At length the cayuse quickened its steps and raised its head as a twinkling light glimmered through the blackness far ahead. The man roused himself in sympathy with the livelier motion of his horse, the light caught his eye, and with an oath he brought his rawhide quirt down on the horse's flank as he stared through the darkness. The surprised cayuse bounded forward with renewed energy, and in a few minutes stopped before a rough shack, through the window of whici? the light was beaming. The man threw himself from the horse, bounded to the door and flung it open. In the single room of the cabin he saw a heavily-bailt, forbidding-looking man, seated near a table, smoking and vainly trying, by the light of the. smoky lamp, to read a soiled fragment of a month-old newspaper. He looked up when .the door was burst open and surveyed the intruder calmly. "Hello, Bill," he said after a moment, during which the two men had stared at each other; "I was waitin' for you." " I see you was," said the man at the door, "an' you seem to be makin' yourself at home while you're waitin'." Xn his astonishment he had forgotten

i his horse, an<3 he took a step inside the shack, as if to escape the drenching rain and the wind which was roaring up m the aouth-west. Then he remembered that be had not yet given tbo animal shelter and he paused. "Wait till I put the horse up/ he said. "I'H be back." " Oh, I k now y^ ll Bill," said the man. at the table, lightly. "I . ain't afraid you're goin' to run away." The rain-soaked man at the door ' hesitated, »s though to speak again, started out, turned again toward the . man at the table, who smilingly surveyed his every move, and at last stepped outside, closed the door' and led '• his tired horse to the lean-to behind . the shack, where he tethered it for the night. By the time he had again ' reached the door of the cabin his fea i tures had undergone a decked change, > and the surly look of defiance witi. which he had first met the smiling face of the other man had given place to an expression almost equally cheerful. He closed the door of the shack carefully, that the howling wind might not burst it open, crossed the room and seated himself on the edge of a turn, bled bed near the western wall of the cabin. Watching the man near the , table with a furtive smile, he fished a blackened pipe from his pocket, rapped it on the edge of the bed, blew into it, and said : — • "If you don't mind bein' obligin', : I'd just as soon have a pipeful of that tobacco you're smokin'." "Sure," said the man at the table, i drawing out a greasy pouch. "Come an' take all you want." i The man on the bed eyed him nari rowly a moment, knocked his pipe 1 against his horny palm once or twice, ' and said : — • ' "I'd rather you'd toss it over." "What's the odds?" asked' the man \ at the table, lightly, but he .tossed the ! pouch over and his companion filler! and lighted his pipe. When- the blue clouds were adding their mite to the \ closeness of the atmosphere, the man at the table turned sharply to the man I on the bed. "Bill,?' he said, "I don't s'pose it'll take much talk from me to explain what I'm here for. I been lookin' for you ( for a month, all over Monteauma County, an' I said to the boys I wouldn't come back without you. 3 sort of loßt track of you for a spell until a cow puncher up near M'Elmo told me yon had built this shack down here near the San . Juan, an' I come right on here to get you. Not findin' you at home, I made myself, comfortable., knowin' you'd come sooner or later. Do you want me to tell you what I come for?" " Sure," said Bill. " I know I never sent for you, Tom M'Kinney, an' I'd get along here powerful comfortable foi a long time if you didn't make it no • point to drop in on me." "Well, maybe so," admitted M'Kinne>,*, slowly; "but you see, Bill, my comin' ain't what the folks back in the Stateß refer to as a social call. It's more connected with business, you know, Bill,^ seem' as how I've got in my pocket a warrant for the arrest of one Bill Gordon for the crime of horse-

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stealin', contrary to the peace an' 3ider of Mpntezuma County, Colorado. [ reckon you won't deny that you're Bill Gordon, leastways not to me, that has knowed you for twelve years, an' I -don't expect you're goin' to cut up rough about it, because you've knowed jib the same length of time." ■ Bill Gordon smoked thoughtfully a few moments, with the shadow of a ?miie on his features. "No, Tom," he said at length, "I lint goin' to deny that I'm Bill Gor:lon, but I'm sorry that you've come ■\\l this way in such bad weather just to tell me that, because you'll have to leave your warrant in your pocket an' &o back without me." The smile vanished from M'Kinney's Face, giving way to a fierce glare, which no whit dismayed the complacent Bill Gordon. "I'll have to go back without you?" repeated M'Kinney. "Don't you relo'niae me as the sheriff of Montezuma County, State of Colorado?" "Surely," said . Gordon, calmly, blowing a big cloud of smoke into the air " Then I place you under arrest," i thundered M'Kinney, rising with a j hand upon the butt of his revolver as though in expectation of resistance. Bill Gordon still continued to sit on the edge of the bed and smoke, and he aven smiled at the warlike move of the -sheriff. ; " No, you don't place me 'under no arrest, neither," he .finally declared, i looking fearlessly into the sheriff's ! eyes. . . .• ■ I " Why don't I?" asked the surprised M'Kinney. Resistance he was ready for, but this calm and unmoved refusal of Bill Gordon to be arrested staggered him. " Because, " answered Gordon, with a final smile of triumph, "I ain't in Colorado!" . ■ , "You ain't what?" thundered the sheriff. " ' . , " "I ain't in Colorado," repeated Gordon, with the same calm; smile of assurance.- "You are, he went on, hastily,, seeing that M'Kinney evidently thought he was insane, "but. l aih ? t. You see, the line runs right* through my shaok. Bed's in Utah, chair is in Colorado. That nail-keg over there is in Arizony and that old saddle in the other's in New Mexico. I'm on the bed, so I'm in Utah, an' you can't serve no warrant in Utah, Tom. You'll admit that?" .^ " Sure, I admit that," said Sheriff M'Kinney in a dazed and uncertain way. . •• ■•..'■■! " Well, then," continued the unper- j turbable Gordon, "your warrant ain't no good. All I've got to do is to stay over herein Utah an' you can t touch me." i■ • _ ' • ' . I "But— but how'd you know where the line was?" demanded the sheriff suspiciously. He had recovered from the first Shock of surprise and was preparing for fight again. } How do I know this ain't a game you're puttm up on me? I'd make a fine figure goin' back to M'Elmo with a yarn like that, wouldn't I? I'd/be run out of town . before I could resign. . \ "Lemmo tell you about it, sad Gordon, stretching himself comfortably on the bed: He was no longer in fear of the sheriffs warrant, and was^ager to expatiate upon his great scheme. "I seen it all set out in a newspaper about a month ago about this place. I was up to Monticello, up here on the Utah ?ide,^ou know, an' I found a ,«r Tickin' around there what mSfin^ It told how the State feio Colorado- an' Utah an' Arisony a^' New Mexico all cometogether m a t ion' how four cowboys could sis bun fw hoS -S? hoW hands an' all all tae jour o f stones an/ TLco '' he said with a smile. to take in Colorado for & knowed it; **%>> grunted the.shenff.,^ "I imghtatj j^ c >eu so. ol)l»gwx .. - - '

" Well, I got to thinkin' about that thing,'/ went on Gordon when the pipe v>as well alight, " an' I got towonderin' if ithat wouldn't be a handy place to live. You know, lots of fellows build their shacks on the line between two States because they may not want to stay in one State all the time. There is occasions when many a^ man wants to move /along a little an' if he can do it by movin' across the room it saves lots of travelin'*. But, thinks I, s'posin' a fellow has two visitors at once that wants to have a Ni little chat with him, one from each State? Then what ? thinks I. An' it struck me that if a fellow could live ,in about four States — not more than four — it. might often come handy." " There ain't no manner of doubt," interrupted Sheriff M'Kinney, ".that it would for you, Bill." "I thought about that thing so much," went on Gordon, " that I came down here lookin'-for that there pile of stones. An' I found 'em an ? this here is the place. I built this shack aroung that pile of stones just as them fellows that lays, out' the railroad lines ; could make it. I took down the pile of stones because they was in the way, but' this is the place, Tom> an' you can take my word for it. The bed's in Utah, the chair's in Colorado, the keg's in Arizony an' the saddle over there's in New Mexico. When I. want to leave Colorado for a spell I mosey over an' sit on the nail keg in Arizony an' 1 go to bed in Utah every night I'm at home. T You can see for yourself, Tom," concluded -Gordon with the utmost good nature, "that the scheme ain't a bad one; as, for example, right at present." "No, it ain't a bad one," assented the' sheriff, "only there's this about it, Bill, vpu can't stay over there in Utah for ever, you know. S'posin' I «was to hang around . here until you got hungry an' wanted to get up a snack o' sunthin' to eat for yourself, you'd have to come over into Colorado to eat it an' then I'd nab you. You can't live on the bed, you know. Did you think of that?" I--.'-"Sure," said Gordon, with a, quiet smile.. "You see this window? It's on the Utah side of the house. I can go out this window an' go around to the corral an' get my horse without leavin' Utah, an' I can ride from there up into Utah or down into Arizony or around the front of the house into New Mexico an' you can't lay a hand on me, Tom." I can keep in one o' them places you know, until you get tired an', go /home.' Oh, I've got it all thought out." # The Colorado sheriff was quiet for a few minutes, wrapped in deep thought' on the perplexing problem with which he was face to face. The storm still raged with unabated fury, the rain beat upon the flimsy roof of the cabin, and the wind roared around the door and windows. Bill Gordon smoked steadily and regarded the sheriff with satisfied amusement until both men, were startled by a hail frdm without. "Hello, the house!" called a stentorian voice above the storm. Bill Gordon looked uneasily at the sheriff. " 'Pears like there's somebody out there in the rain," said M ? Kinney.! /"I ain't lookin' for no visitors," 'ansVered Gordon. ..." This ain't no hotel. *V Tb& calls from without were repeated and finally succeeded by 'a sturdy rap-, ping on the door of the, shack. Gordon arose reluctantly, being careful not to cross the line passing hrongh. thai centre, of the. little cabin, and unfastened the door. In a gust of wind and rain two bedraggled men stepped; inside. Coming out of the pitcfcy darkness of the stormy night; they were dazzled "for a moment by the lamplight and peered around, the with' winkjng eyes. Gordon took advantage of the circumstance to slip over into the corner ahd aeat- himself on the nail keg. - v ; "Hello, Tom," cried one of the newcomers in surprise as hemaile out tlie

i features of the Colorado sheriff in the lamplight; "what you doin' here? We expected to find. Bill Gordon. You waitin' for him too?" "There's Bill, in the corner," replied Sheriff SfKinney, and the two strangers turned in the direction indicated. Gordon waß rocking himselt lightly to and fro on the nail keg, still enjoying his smoke, and with the same inscrutable smile on his features with which he had regaled the Colorado sheriff before acquainting him with his ( jjiovel scheme for evading the law. i " Evenin', Jack," he said, as the twfr turned toward him; ". evenin „ Buck. What brings you folks this JNothin' goin' wrong, is there?" "Well, I'll pub up our horses while Jack tells you about it," said the man addressed as Buck, and he disappeared into the rain again. Jack looked rattier awkwardly- front one to the other of the men as though he did not exactly relish the situation in \ which he found himself. „" . '* Before I say anything more, ne began, addressing himself to Sheri« M'Kinney, "1 want to know in Bill, here is yonr prisoner. Ypu got here first, an', of course, if he's under arre>st, he's yours, an' we am t got, anything more to say." „:_; . "Well, no," said Sheriff M'Kinney, '•'to tell the truth, he ain'fc my prisOn "G6od." said the ' drenched newcrfmer; "then we ain't had our trip for' nothin'."' , t, o ,i At that- moment the man who had gone out to care for the horscb • mturned, and Jack greeted him gleefully. . "It's all right, Buck," he said. '^Sheriff M'Kinney says he hasat ari^sted Bill : so one of us i& sure to get , him. You can take him if because I know I can;. ** ;-** -when you're through with^him. Bill, he county: Now, we both Jem .-lookua foi you for a long time, an'Vhen we heard you was located in a shack down heie we decided to come after you together.. Here you are an' here we are, an 1 , don't s'pose you're goin' tp .make any fuss about it, are you, Billr : No, I ain't goin 1 to make any fuss , • about it," said Gordon, with a sly wink at Sheriff M'Kinney; ■ only 1 ain't goin' with any of you. . , 11 You ain't?" repeated Jack fiercely, laying his hand upon a ponderous re- : volver. " We'll see about that ■!* ;_. "Wait a minute, Jack,' said Gordon in. a soothing tone; " take it easy, j iou're : sheriff of San Juan County, Utah, ain't you?" . . te Certainly I am," replied Jack imputiehtly. : , '.«. .■« "An' Buck there is sheriff M San jitdn County, -New Mexico, auft heP" went on Gordon. "Oh we all know that," said Buck j starting forward. "Let's stop this foolishness." "Wait a minute, wait a minute/ warned Gordon, while M'Kinney industriously cleaned his pipe. "Now, neither one of you two sheriffs ever l,nought he had any right to^ servo warrants in /Arizony, did you?". "Arizona I" exclaimed Jack. "What are you talking about?" v ° "Only this," said Gordon, settling back against the wall, "that I'm in Arizony. Ask M'Kinney. He knows about it. Bed"s in Utah, chair '^ in Colorado, keg's in Arizony and saddle's in New Mexico." . , " What's all this about?" demanded the Utah sheriff, turning to the Colorado sheriff. "I guess Bill's right," said Sheriff" M'Kinney, "if he's tellin' the truth; an' I ain't, got much reason to doubt that. We all know the State lines all cross down here somewheres an' Bill allows -.this is the spot. He found the pue of stones the fellows put up to mark it an' he built his shack around 'em/- I guess he's got the best of it wxuie hb .stays on the nail keg." The two outwitted sheriffs glared at Gordon, at M'Kinney and at each other in turn, -and in the silenpe the storm could be heard roaring with redoubled fury. At. length the New Mexico sheriff started impatiently. "This is all nonsense," he said, sternly. " Here we are, three sheriffs, each with a warrant for this fellow. Any one of us can arrest him by main force. Are we all going to be bluffed by this yarn about the State lines?" " You wouldn't want to do an illegal act like that, Buck," ventured Gordon, winningly.' "Not ypu, Buck, in front i of two witnesses. You know if you dragged me out of Arizony, where i'm^ sittin' so comfortable, an' took me away off into New Mexico, I could summons those two repertable officers to testify about it, Buck, an : ' 'they'd have to tell the truth, you know, about how you served your warrant outside your own State. It wouldn't do, you know, 'Buck," concluded Gordon, with exasperating impudence. The three sheriffs looked at one another in silence once more. ' "No, I guess he's got us .stalled," said Buck at last, and Jack and M'Kinney solemnly shook their heads. "I suppose we could stay, here an' starve him' out," suggested Jacik. He'd have to come out of Arizona some time." "I want to get. back when court opens / to-morrow, ' ' said M' Kinney . .; "I've 'fooled away three wee£s on this thing now." > ,' i "^We might " began /Buck, when something happened.' f Tfe howling blast struck the light shack with tremendous force, tore it from the earth and .poised it on end for an instant, then hurled it t« the north >nd east. The men fell in a heap with the, table and the bed on top . of; them, , but ' Sheriff M'Kinney had his eye 'on Gordon at tne instant of the. upheaval ahd hka his hands on ; him as they all lay, halfstunned, in t)ie Syreckage. .; "Bill," he breathed r hoarsely into Gordon's ear, "we're in Colorado now. lou'.re my prisonerl'' ' -^ The United States has 139,817 Sunday schools; or more than half the number in the entire world. '*■■■. . The new general ansesthetic, chloride of ethyl, renders the patient uncbn-, ecious, it is said, twice as long as in the case of nitrous oxide, and the recovery is rapid, with few or no aftereffects, the usual disagreeable vomiting being almost entirely absent. An-^ other good point is thajb no preliminary treatmeht of th« patfent is necessary. When ' used . as a preliminary to other j anasthetics it shortens the interval be- j fore the patient is ready -for operation;,] KAdV'-. : 'iiriallyv: : :with; the exception of nitrous oxide, it is the safest anesthetic. .' . : v '- • ■ , ' '- ; :\ ! y ■ ;■;': '^ I have come to get my wife photographed,", said the determined-looking' man, as he entered the studio, followed by a; meek-looking woman. ' " You' can make fools look grand, -sir, can't you?" "Certainly, sir,'' replied, the photographer j "that is part oif my business, you know." " Well; Mafia here fell out of the window last year and broke her nose. You can straighten \ it," I Buppose?" "Certainly, sir," 'f.;And you can push in Maria's ears so that she wbn't look so much like a rabbit?" " Oh, X think so." /"And what about the -squint in her left eye P" " Oh, I <»n touch it up with r Indian ink." "And the freckles?" "They won't appear on the picture at all." ■" And wiU the hair be red?" "Oh, uo." "Well, you can go ahead. $it down there, Maria, aad trjr to look pleas- »***" ■..^--. . ; ■-..' •■■.■■'.