The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1901-08-01

me steer qUGs again dragged to the eurth
captured. 1t was not the first time
that he had been compelled to succumb
to the power of mind over matter, and
as soon as he found that he was indeed
a prisoner his wild rage gave place to
sullen docility, and he allowed himself
to be led away over the road he had
come, knowing that those relentless
loops We're still fast upon him and that
at the first sign Of resistance he would
again be dragged remorselessly to the
EARTH
"Well done, sonny" shouted the
stranger. "Mighty we'll done for a
younker like you. What outfit are YOU
With?''
'Maxwel's. The bunch is two or
three miles behind me, to the east
"Dick Maxwell's, Ell? Crescent and
cross, naming the brand worn by
Richard MaxWelPs cattle. "Nhat may
your name be?''
Elsie MAXWELL"
''Good, good! So you're Dick Max
wells kid. You're a younker, sure
enough, but you amt as young as you
look unless I'm nightly mistaken.
saw you when you first came to this re-
gion, and that's nigh On to II years ago.
You must have been most then. How
old are you, anyway"
II am 49,"
"Well, you don't look it; not by two
or three years. Is the old man with the
outft?'
Eyes,
"What are you doing here? Why amt
you back with the bunch?'
THAT'S my business, sir. At all
events, it doesn't concern YOU"
The stranger chuckled audibly.
1--WE heard tell that you was sassy
he said, "but you ought to wait till you
grow more'n you have before you try
your sass on strangers. Some of 'em
amt as good natured as I am. Never
here afore, was you?'
"Never."
"Well, you've got a mighty uncom-
mon lot to learn; don't forget that. But
LII stand sponsor for you with the
boys, and that won't do you any harm.
I'm Craig Thompson. Maybe you have
heard Of me-"
Lisle looked upon his companion with
added interest then, for indeed he had
heard of Craig Thompson, and not
much good of him had been told either.
A man who is thoroughly feared is
never cordially liked, and Craig
Thompson was one Of those He was
strange admixture of gentleman and
rough, a college bred man who for
nearly 30 years had been adapting him
self to the circumstances Of his sur
roundings and gradually had become
part of them. He was one Of those
men whose age it is impossible to esti-
mate, for he appeared at once older
and younger than be really was. His
alertness and energy subtracted from
his years, while his gray hair and
beard and weather beaten skin added
to the estimate that one placed upon
them. With the exception of Lisle's
father, he owned more cattle than any
other man on the range, and he had
been in Nevada longer than any of his
neighbors. But all of this had nothing
to do with his reputation. That was
derived from a habit of his that was
known and feared by every one who
knew him. There were frequently
weeks at time when he was possess
ed by what was known as his sullen
fits, and during those periods it was as
much as a mans life was worth to
speak to him and certainly to cross
him. When he came out of them, he
was as loquacious as he had previous
ly been taciturn, as kindly as he had
formerly been ugly, as gentle as he had
been rough, as tender as he had been
hard and cruel and murderous. He
was a strange mixture of saint and
devil, Of kindness and brutality, of
generosity and merciiess cruelty-a
paradox and that which begets more
outside interest than any other human
attitude, a mystery.
"Why amt you ever been here be-
fore, sonny?' he asked presently. "Or
maybe that amt any of my business
either
My father would not permit me to
come"
ooh. that's it, Ell? And he gave in,
this time, did hep
mo"