Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1906-10-31
drives them back again.

drives them back again.
mo, / don't, colonel, but don't 1t
strike you that Joe Whitman is COM
ing here mighty often?'
us he? Well, he has to bring back
the strays, you know, and 1t Is very
kind of him indeed. l don't always
see him. but I hope that Rosa returns
my thanks In proper way"
Joe was working the cattle business
for all it was worth and calling at the
Circle ranch between times with Or
anges and boxes of candy sent to him
from Denver, when a rival suddenly
entered the field.
Sergeant Smith, from the fort, came
along one day with squad of men and
stopped at the house to make some In
qulries. The sergeant was a good look
Ing man. He had a taking way with
him. A filtration was started almost
at once, and when he took up his line
of march again he promised himself the
pleasure of another call.
Three days later he rode out to the
ranch and began to make love In ear
nest. He had served Uncle Sam for
twrrve years, saved up 5000 and was
looking for wife. While he continued
to be a soldier she could have a place
as one Of the laundresses In Com
pany G.
Before the sergeant got away Joe
Whitman came riding up. The two
men lnstinctively recognized each 9th
er as rivals and glared and muttered.
but there was no bloodshed.
When the son of Mars had gone,
there was Il quarrel between the two
left. Joe's Jealousy made 1t, although
when asked what rights he had he
could not define them. He hinted that
he would bring back no more lost cat
tie and was told not to put himself out
In future, and he called Miss Rose a
heartless flirt and rode away with his
broncho's heels In the air.
1t Is just as easy for man to make
fool of himself on the plains of the
west as at Newport or Saratoga. When
Joe had cooled down he admitted that
he was in the wrong, but 1t required
more moral courage than he possessed
to ride over and make a confession. In
this emergency he haunted the spring
until he found out from Martha, the
colored woman, that on certain day
and date Miss Rose and the sergeant
were to take two mile walk to u GER
tain limestone cave on the banks of the
river.
Every man has friend somewhere
If he will only hunt him up. After
thinking things over Joe decided to go
to old man Barnes, who kept a saloon,
eating house and a sort of menagerie
/ in town, and when his case had been
stated the old man replied:
easiest thing in the world my boy.
You want to run that sergeant off the
ranch and make u hero of yourself at
the same time"
but he don't look like a feller who
could be run," was protested.
make no mistake, my boy. You can
run his coat tails out straight If only
you go about it right"
"But how can l make hero of my
selfT
That's a part Of the game. Now
listen to me-"
Three days later the sergeant rode
up to the ranch with his chest puffed
out and a complacent look on his face.
He felt that he was winner. He was
going to honor the ranchman's daugh-
ter by taking her into Uncle Sans
service.
His welcome wasn't quite as genial
as it might have been, as Miss Rose
was beginning to feel conscience strick-
en- about Joe Whitman. She had found
on mature consideration that she liked
Joe very much, and when a girl will
admit that and be sorry that she flirted
with another man at the same time she
Is very near the point of loving.
The horse was left at the stables, and
the pair started for the cave on foot
On the way the sergeant got ready to
propose, but a rattlesAke created a
diversion. He made ready a second
time, but stray steer had to be
clubbed away, and so the river was
reached without a recruit being added
to the army.
The cave contained three rooms and