The daily tribune., 1908-08-11
The LAW OF
THE RANGE
BY Aroh N Maokln

On the western slope of the great
Cascades where the Columbia rolls
blue to the sea and the sun smiles
warmly on the hundred-mile ribbon OF
green, luxuriant pasture range, there
the word of the law was Force and the
strength of the Stronger Man.
| Old Jim Markleton, who in all the
years his cattle had ranged that slope
had been the Stronger Man and the
Law, and when Bud Bledsoe and his
sheep outfit came up from the south
there had been dividing line marked
down by the Law which Bledsoea
; sheep were to severely respect. The
dividing line was Hopkins creek and
the price of passing-death. Bledsoe's
sheep cropped the stubby grass above
Hopkins creek until there was none
left to crop, 80 they crossed. 1t was
then that the war began.
| Martha Markleton, breathing deep
tho mountain air, rubbed her eyes and
| looked to the dawn-kissed peaks OF
| the snowy Cascades. Rising white
and blue and straight as temple col
| umn, a thin shaft Of smoke ought to
| touch the heavens. The girl choked
| In her deep breathing and turning ran
| nset-footed to the house, her eyes wild
| with excitement.
dad! Dad. dad!" she cried. they're
cominu"
There were four OF them when they
| Mcconnell and Martha. The old man
swore at her coming.
1T amt goin' to be no picnic, GIRL
he chided; "there'll be some KILN and
| regular barbecue Of sheep. I'll kill
Bud Bledsoe If l can. Likewise he'll
| kill me If he can"
Martha Markleton fell to thinking.
Once in her lonely rides she had met
| Bledsoe and talked with him. Taught
| to despise sheepmen, she had found
| 1t hard to dislike Bledsoe, who had .
"way" SO different from her own
| folks, and kind which she had read
about in books. He was good-look-
| ing young chap, good-iooking in spite
| OF his red hair, and, what was greater,
| he seemed to have no more fear OF
| her dad than she. when the grass
| Is gone up yonder," ne had said, then
we will cross the creek" After that
| he had recited his opinion OF a man
who thought he owned the whole state
| Of Oregon, which made her very
angry, and Immediately following that
be had made her gasp when he said:
81 believe that already love you and
| will want to marry you some line
day" Even now her heart beat faster
| when she called It to mind.
And now her dad was riding out to
kill Bud Bledsoe and Bledsoe to Kill
her dad.
1t was near to noon when they came
across the Bledsoe party. Peg Don.
aldson, Markleton's lookout who had
signaled the march Of the enemy, had
taken to the woods, and showed up
| after the fight was over, pale and EN-.
barrassed. Plugged deep by bullet
from one OF Bledsoe's men, old
Markleton lay cursing and splitting
| blood, while his stalwart enemy, Bled.
soc himself. bandaged hso. up. carried
him into his own shack, and laid him
carefully on his own bed. Then he
| left him in care Of Martha, while he
rode down into Somerset. IA miles
| away, to fetch a doctor.
Markleton was old, and It took him
. long time to get we'll. 1t was very
| long time, even before he could be
moved to his own ranch. Disgruntled
| Of the big, red-headed sheepherder
and his men, old Jim begged his
| daughter to stay with him.
Martha Markleton stayed at her IA
( Tiers side and cried when Bud made
| love 10 her, and scolded her father
for terming their host a "good-for.
nawthin', nurderous sheep-hooker."
But in time old Markleton began to
hold this indoraitable young 'cuss"
in awe. Hours at time Bud and he
cheerfully wrangled at politics or
poker. the younger man always com.
ing out modestly victorious In the
end.
One day (the old man WAS able 70
hobble about Bud broached the Ques
ton.
Il love your daughter, Jim," he
said. "and she loves me. She's never
| quite said so, but she does Just the
same. Never mind now Wait until
I'm through talking. I've got prop
osition. The law OF the range is what
! say. You're back number. 4 good.
for-nothing old cowpuncher. Pray
don't get excited. Suppose we make
It Markleton & Bledsoe.' You know
the law OF the range is what / say"
Dad, dad" said = small, woe
voice, dol"
The old man thought It over jus,
one minute and again tho small, weo
voice said: Dad. dol"
THE law OF the range is what she
says" old Markleton Hared up, and
he again began cussing his luck.
ALIxa.x. 1 La L..