TAKING TO THE TRAIL 7 



chosen here for the office of sheriff. Owens 

 possessed these qualifications to a high degree. 

 The Blevens-Cooper gang, consisting of four 

 members, had been boldly terrorizing the 

 county for some time. Every one seemed afraid 

 of them. Finally they became so bold as to 

 take up their quarters in Holbrook, the county 

 seat, and made it their base of operations. 



Sheriff Owens happened in town one day and 

 learned of their presence. "I've got warrants 

 for those fellows, and I think I'll go get them," 

 said he. There were no volunteers to assist 

 him in his forlorn hope, but many warnings 

 that the desperadoes, who were known to be 

 good gun men, would surely kill him if he at- 

 tempted to arrest them. 



He carried a rifle when he knocked at the 

 door. One of the gang opened, attempted to 

 slam the door when he saw the sheriff, and at 

 the same time sprang back for his six-shooter 

 lying on a table, but died before he reached it. 

 Another — the youngest of the gang — took a pot 

 shot at the sheriff from a doorway, missed, and 

 he, too, immediately ceased to exist. The other 

 two tried to escape, but the sheriff saw them, 

 and while one could count two, both were down. 

 One of these was only wounded. He recovered, 

 served a sentence in prison, and is still living 



