Courier Democrat., 1904-12-15

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
6he SKY PILOT
By RALPH COJN.NOR
Author Of
"The Man From GlensArry"
"GenfArry School Day." and "BlAck Rock"
Copyright 1899. by COMPANY
By RALPH CONINOR
Y VVVVVVVVVVV
(UONTlNUED.l
Author Of

To Robert Muir, one or the farmers
newly arrived. the notice was u har-
binger OF good. 1t stood for progress.
markets and Il higher price for land.
albeit he wondered hoo he wad be
keepit up" But his hard wrought.
quick spoken little wife mt his elbow
"hooted" his scruples and. thinking Of
her growing lads, welcomed with un-
mixed satisfaction the coming of "the
mcenistcr." Her satisfaction was
shared by all the mothers and most Of
the fathers in the settlement, but by
the others, and especially by that roll
licking, roistering crew. the Company
Of the Noble Seven. the mlssionary's
coming was viewed with varying de-
grees of animosity. 1t meant Il limita-
hon Of freedom in their wildly reck-
less living. The permit nights would
now, to say the least. be subject to
criticism; the Sunday wolf hunts and
horse races, with their attendant de
lights would now be pursued under the
eye OF the church. and this would not
add to the enjoyment Of them. One
great charm Of the country. which
Bruce. himself the son Of an Edinburgh
minister and now secretary of the No
bic Seven. described as Letting a fel-
low do as he blanked pleased" would
be gone. None resented more bitterly
than he the missionary's intrusion.
which he declared to be an attempt
Aa<o roSv,voco ,no,, <ho3r froo<1ov, Tho
trammels Of an antiquated and bigoted
conventionality." But the rest Of the
Company. while not taking SO decided
stand. We're agreed that the estab-
Hshment Of church institution was
an Objectionable and impertinent as
we'll as unnecessary proceeding.
OF course FL Kendall and his friend
Bronco Bill had no opinion one way
or the other The church could hardly
affect them even remotely. \ dozen
years stay in Montana had proved
with sufficient clearness to them that
q church was luxury Of civilization
the west might we'll do without.
Outside the Company of the Noble
Seven there was only one whose opin-
ION had value in Swan Creek. and that
was the Old Timer. The Company had
sought to bring him in by making him
an honorary member. but he refused
to be drawn from his home far up
among the hills. where he lived with
his little girl Gwen and her old half
breed nurse. Ponkn. The approach Of
the church he seemed to resent as q
personal injury. 1t represented to him
that civilization from which he had
fed fifteen years ago with his wife
and baby girl ard when. five years
later. lie laid his wife in the lonely
grave that could be seen on the shaded
knoll just fronting his cabin door the
last link to his past was broken. From
all that suggested the great world be-
yond the run OF the prairie he shrank
as one shrinks from Il sudden touch
upon an old wound.
81 guess I'll have to move back" he
said TO lna sloomily.
why / said in surprise. thinking
Of his grazing range. which was ample
for his herd.
"This blank Sky Pilot" He never
swore except when unusually moved.
"Sky Pilot:" l inquired.
He nodded and silently pointed to the
notice.
"Oh we'll. he won't hurt You. will
he:''
Cant stand it." he answered savage
": must get away"
What about Gwen" l ventured.
for she was the light of his eyes. PITY
to stop her studies" was giving her
weekly lessons at the old mans ranch.
dunno. Amt fggered out vet about
that baby" She was still his baby.
"Guess she's all she wants for the
foothills. anyway. What's the use!"
he added bitterly, talking to himself
after the manner Of men who live
much alone.
waited for a moment. then said.
''Well. wouldn't hurry about doing
anything" knowing we'll that the one
thing an old timer hates to do is to
make any change in his mode of life.
Maybe he won't stay
He caught at this eagerly That's
30! There amt much to keep him,
anyway" And he rode off to his lone
y ranch far up in the hills
looked after the swaying figure and
tried to picture his past, with :ts trag-
edy; then found myself wondering
how he would end and what would
come to his little girl. and made up
my mind that if the missionary were
the right sort his coming might not be
q bad thing for the Old Timer and
perhaps for more than him.
CHAPTER ".
THE PILOTS MEASURE.