Page:Saga of Billy the Kid.djvu/148
you know it. They intend to murder us and you will stand by and see them do it."
Colonel Dudley grew purple with rage. “Get out of my tent,” he stormed.
"I will not go," Mrs. McSween hurled back, "until you send vour soldiers with me to save my husband's life."
"Orderly," called Colonel Dudley to a trooper on guard in front of his tent, "put this woman out of the encampment."
The orderly caught Mrs. McSween by the arm and led her into the road. There she halted. "I will not budge another step," she said stubbornly, "until I have one last word with Colonel Dudley."
The orderly argued, protested, threatened, but Mrs. McSween stood firm. He hurried back to Colonel Dudley's tent and reported. But the colonel remained inside. Mrs. McSween determined upon a ruse. She beganto shriek at the top of her lungs. The cañon echoed with her screams. Fearing some calamity had befallen her, Colonel Dudley came bounding from his tent to see what the matter was. Before he could plunge back, Mrs. McSween had her opportunity for a woman's last word.
"Colonel Dudley," she shrilled, "I am going back to see my home burned over my head and my husband murdered; but as long as I live, I will not leave a stone unturned to fasten on you the guilt of this great crime."
The day was now far spent. Shadows of evening were falling across the cañon. The McSween home was almost destroved. Of its twelve rooms, only three remained. Mrs. McSween's announcement that all hope of aid was gone threw into despondency all members of the band except Billy the Kid, who for so many weary hours in the doomed house had been fighting fire and foes. As