The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1908-03-05

country
But if there was aught of hatred or
enmity In the heavy air OF the imrro.
vised courtroom for others b. les
the high.minded counsel for law and
order Mary Williston seemed serene.
ly unconscious of it. She held her
head proudly. Most of these men she
knew. She had done a mans work
In her mans work of riding the ran.
ges she had hi good fellowship with
many of them. After to-day much of
this must end. Much blame would &C.
crue to her father for this days work
among friends as well as enemies, for
the fear of the law-defiers was an
omni-present fear with the small own
er, stalking abroad by day and by
night. But Mary was glad and there
was new dignity about her that be-
came her well, and that grew out of
this great call. to rally to the things
that count.
At the far end of the room they
found the justice of the peace en-
throned behind long table. His hon.
or, Mr.. James r. McAllister. more
commonly known as Jimmie Mac, was
a ranchman on a small scale. He
was ignorant. but of an overweening
conceit. He had been a justice of the
peace for several years and labored
under the mistaken impression that
he knew law: but Gordon, on short &C.
quaintance, had dubbed him odd Ne
cessty," IN despairing irony. after a
certain high light of early territorial
days who knew no law"
The prisoner was brought in. His
was familiar personality. He was
known to most men west of the river
tainly by hearsay.
Then came the first great surprise
of this affair Of many surprises. Jesse
Black waived examination. 1t came
like thunderbolt to the prosecution.
1t was not Blacks way of doing bust
ness, and it was generally believed
that, as Munson had so forcibly
though inelegantly expressed it to
Billy Brown, He would fight like
He would kill this incipient Nemesis
in the bud. What, then, had changed
him? The county attorney had rath-
err looked for a hard-fought defence
shifting of the burden of RESPONSE
bility for the misbranding to another.
who would, of course. be off some
where on business trip, to be absent
an indefinite length of time; or 1t
might be he would try to make good a
trumped-up story that he had but late
ly purchased the animal from some
Indiana cattle-owner from up country
who claimed to have a bill-of-sale from
Langford He would not have been
taken aback had Black calmly pro.
duced a bill-of-sale.
| The absoluteness of the surprise
| flushed his clean-shaven face a little,
| although his grave immobility of ex-
| preston underwent not a flicker 1t
| was a surprise, but it was good
surprise Jesse Black was bound over
under good and sufficient bond to ap.
| pear at the next regular term of the
circuit court in December. That much
accomplished now he could buckle
down for the big fight. How often had
he been shipwrecked in the shifting
sands of the really remarkable decis-
! ions of odd Necessity" and his kind.
| This time, as by a miracle, he had es-
capped sands and shoals and sunken
! rocks and rode in deep water.
A wave of enlightenment swept over
| Jim Munson.
Boss" he whispered, that gal re-
porters hummer
How so?" whispered Langford.
amused. He proceeded to take an in
terested, if has;y, inventory of her
| charms. what a petite little person
age. to be sure. Almost too colorless.
though. Why jim, she can't hold a
tallow candle to Willictons girl"
who sale she could?H demanded
lin. with a fine scorn and much re-
lieved to find the boss SO unapprecia-
tive. Eden might not be lost to them
after all. Strict justice made him
add: But she's wise one. Spotted
them blamed meddlin' boss thieves
right from the word go. Yep. That's
fac"
What blamed meddln' boss
thieves jim? You are on intimate
terms with so many gentlemen o. that
stripe-at least your language so leads
us to presume-that l can't keep up
with the procession"
AT the bridge yistidy. | told you
bout it, Saw 'em first at the Bon
4.my-but they must trailed me to
the stockyards She spotted 'em right
away. She's a cute'n. Made me shet
my mouth when | was blabbin' too
she's cute'n!"
Who We're th>. JIM"
"One 'of EN-. I'm thinkin', was
Jake Sanderson, red-headed devil
who came up here from hell, | reckon,
or Wyoming. one of the two. Nobody