The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1908-06-11

o'clock sharp In the meeting house"
he said.
Louise was looking white and mis-
cradle.
You are not contemplating running
away, are your" asked Gordon. This
is unusual weather-really."
She looked at him with a pitiful
smile.
II should like to be strong and
brave and enduring and capable-like
Mary. You don't believe 1t, do you?
It's true, though. But l can't. I'm
weak and homesick and cold. I ought
not to have come. l am not the kind.
You said it, you know. l am going
home just as soon as this court 10
over. / mean It,"
There was no mistaking that. Cor
don bowed his head. His face was
white. 1t had come sooner than he
had thought.
All the records of the work yester-
day had been burned. There was moth
ing to do but begin at the beginning
again. 1t was discouraglng. uninter-
esting. But 1t had to be done. Dale
refused positively to adjourn. The
jurymen were all here. So the little
frame church was bargained for II
the fire-bugs had thought to postpone
events-to gain timely last nights
work, they would find themselves very
greatly mistaken. The church was
long and narrow like a country school
house, and rather roomy considering
the size of the Pwn. 1t had precise
windows-also line country school
house-four on the west side. through
which the fine snow was drifting, four
opposite. The storm kept few at
home with the exception Of the people
from across the river There were
enough staying in the town to fill the
room to its utmost limits. Standing
room was at premium. The entry
was crowded. Men not able to get IN
ploughed back through the cutting
wind and snow only to return present
ly to see If the situation had changed
any during their brief absence. So
all the work OF yesterday was gone
over again.
So close was the pack Of people that
the fire roaring in the big stove in the
middle of the room was allowed to
sink in smouldering quiet. The heavy
air had been unbearable else. The
snow that had been brought In on
tramping feet lay in little melted
pools on the rough flooring. Men for
got to eat peanuts and women forgot
to chew their gum-except one or two
extremely nervous ones whose jaws
moved the faster under the stimulus
of hysteria. Jesse Black was telling
his story.
Along toward the LIST Of last July.
took hike out into the Indian coun-
try to buy a few head O. cattle. I
trade considerable with the half
breeds around Crow creek and Lower
Brule. They're always for sellin' and
IL 1t comes to a showdown never bag
gle much about the lucre-it all goes
for snake-juice anyway. Well, landed
at John Yellow VOLTS shanty along
about noon and found there was 9TH
ers ahead of me. Yellow Wolf always
was popular cuss. There was Char
lie Nightbird. Pete Monroe, Jesse Big
Cloud and two or three others whose
mugs l did not happen to be onto.
After our feed, we all strolled out to
the corral Yellow Wolf said he had
bought likely little bunch from some
English Teller who was skipping the
country-starved out and homesick-
and hadn't put 'em on the range yet.
He said ] R was the English feller's
brand. I didn't suspicion no under
hand dealin's. Yellow VOLTS always
treated me white before, SO l bar
gained for this here chap and three or
four others and then pulled out for
home driving the bunch. They fed at
home for spell and then 1 decided to
put 'em on the range. On the way
fell in with Billy Brown here. He
was dead set on havin' the lot to fill In
the chinks of the two car loads he was
shippin', SO l up and let's him have
EN-. l showed him this here bill-o'
sale from Yellow Wolf and made him
out one from me, and that was all
there was to 1t. He rode to Velpen
and / turned on my trail"
(To Be Continued)