The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-02-26
4 FIGHT FOR A FRANCHISE II By GRANT RICHARDSON
n m = nE R

! around fellow in the county. He was
the best shot and the best rider of us
all. He wanted to be a soldier. but the
life wasn't swift enough for him. Then
he tried COW punching but that proved
a trifie slow also, so he got a commits
sion as marshal"
Ever done anything to prove that he
is gamer" asked Horne.
well, he was In the Dalton fight at
| Coffeyvilie, and IN the Saltwater raid
answered Sanford. aHe arrested Chick
| asaW Kid after the Kid had put ~
| INTO his shoulder He was with the
posse that wound up Bill Doolan's ca
| iseF, ana he has gone after the worst
men in the Territory"
Ihats pretty good record said
| horne guess he won't be afraid OF
Start ana his gang, although III make
little bet that Hart will have some
J, pretty tough citizens on his pay ROLL
expect that" replied Sanford .'He,s
not going to hand US over that fran
chise with smile. I look for a good.
| stiff fight or two before we send Mr..
Hart back TO New Yerk.'
well. you have to get your posse
| together first" said Horne.
I'm going TO leave that to Frank.
III do the planning. but I'm going TO
! make Frank the captain of my fighters.
! guess We can pick UP pretty gond
bunch Of them down there Frank
probably knows them all
When are you going TO see this fight
ing man of yours?'' inquired Horne.
m going down on No. tonight I'll
/ meet Frank in Guthrie In the morning
and talk things over with him on the
way down to the front. Wen go over
to Ell Reno by rail and ride down to
Anadarko. I want TO see Just how we
are fixed TO make swift rssn into the
| reservation with our graders and track
layers
| But you'll have to get those bridges
| built before you can get ties and rails
i III, said Horne Remember. you are
building railroad in a country where
you haven't any asphalt streets to do
your teaming over. What tipe does No.
7 ieave2''
She gets away at s:1o."
'sAII right. I've got to get down to the
yards. I'm putting in about five miles
Of switching track to handle new bust
ness. I'll see you before you CO.
Sanford lit a cigar and leaned against
| the telegraph desk In the corner, still
struggling blindly with the problem be-
fore him.
lie felt that he was working in the
dark. II he only knew the wherea bouts
OF Hart he could arrange his plans and
/ proceed to carry them out. At ali
events he would go to the reservation a {
once, SO that he might be on hand wren
Hart got there.
/ With the instincts of a telegraph op-
| orator he listened idly TO the messages
going over the wires. Tie sounder
| clicked almost simultaneously and he
read the kilograms without paying any
| attention to their import.
They were Of all sorts They told OF
joy and sorrow. of business. and of So
cfaI matters.
Suddenly ne started. The operator at
the instrument had opened the key and
| signaIed Go ahead.
| Sanford had heard a nan1e coming.
| Michael Hart. SAID the Instrument
| Sanford Strengthened up and listened
eagerly
Then came the address-the very hotel
| in which he was. The message fol-
lowed. It ran:
5. Come at once. Have got chief cor
nered. He is ready TO sign Bring
i money Watch Chicago Office They
are onto u.s. Let me know.
The telegram was signed tDoak.
/ 1t took all OF Sanford's nerve TO con-
! troll himself He was SO e1aeed that he
wanted to express it orally. He Wantea
j TO shout out his qualification at having
found Hart at last
! But he turned away from the desk as
if he had no interest in life, except 10
He walked up and down the hotel
corridor. apparently indifferent to his
surroundings but looking sharply INTO
i the face of every one there:
/ The large space was well filed with
men. Some were talking in little
/ groups: others were reading the evening
/ papers or smoking eontenpIaJvely- he
saw none that resembled the image ne
1 had conceived of Hart
Hart he had pictured to himself as a
tall. slender man, with a sfreWd, exil
| face Almost every one makes q men
tai picture Of the one IN whom he Is
/ much interested, but has never seen,
and as often the picture Is SO unlike the
real person that, were it to De the only
/ basis of discovery, failure would in
/ Sanford realized this as he continued
his search for Hart. Finally he took
a stand near the clerk 5 desk, hoping
/ that Hart would come.
Ito Be Continued Next Sunday,)