Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-06-22
CHAPTER XVI.

/ DuNh W luC NOluuh W hO, III
restorer believed, loved him, Echo Pay
son realized the supremacy over he
soul-her pure ideals, her lofty sens
| Of justice-of its tenement, the woman
body. The moral side of her desire to
| ward Jack now became fixed in th'
purpose to lift him up to her own level
| Now that he had gone from her ol
n mission that was fulfilling this yer.
purpose of regeneration, although sh
had not sent him upon it for his sake
but her own, Echo knew that. after all
she was q woman. She loved Jacl
| Payson with the unreaSoning and un
restrained passion that sways even tn
| highest Of her sex.
She very sensibly took refuge from
her perplexing problems by jumping
into the active life of the ranch.
Faithfully she tried to perform al
| that she thought Jack would have
done. Her father and mother wanted
her to come back to her old home unit
he returned. There she would have
more company and fewer memories OF
Jack surrounding her. Each offer
each suggestion. was kindly but firmly
put aside. When Jack returned she
must be the first to welcome him.
Echo and her father, who was look
ing after his own cattle on the round
up, rode up to the chuck wagon aftel
Parenthesis and Sagebrush crossed the
valley to mete out justice to Peruna
and fight out any attempts at rescue
Dismounting, Echo walked wearily
to the fire and sat down Oh a box
Bravely though she tried to conceal 1t
the strain was beginning to tell upon
her. The tears would come at times
despite her efforts to fight them of
The burden was so heavy for heI
young shoulders to bear.
A note from Slim, written at Fort
Grant with lead pencil on sheet OF
manila paper. told her briefly that he
was going into the lava beds with the
troops. as the Apaches were out. Dick
and Jack. lie wrote, were somewhere
in the lava beds and he would bring
them back with him. She dared not
let herself think of the Apaches and
the horrCrs Cf their cruelties.
Better let me get you somcthin' to
eat" said her father, returning from
picketing the horses.
Echo smiled wanly at her fathers
solicitude. Il am not hungry, dad"
Jim seated himself by the fire. He
recC Cgnizcd his helplessness in this trou'
BILE.
"You been in the saddle since sun
up" he said You amt had nuthin
to eat since breakfast. l don't see
what keeps you alive"
"Hope. dad. hope. 1t Is what we
women live upon. My heart isn't here,
It's out in the desert behind yon noun
tains-with Jack"
There, there; don't take on so
honey"
Kneeling beside her father, she laid
her head on his lap, as she did In
childhood when overwhelmed with the
little troubles of the hour. Looking
into his eyes, she sighed: "Oh, dad
it's all so tangled. l haven't known
peaceful moment since he went
away. I've sent him away into God
knows what unfriendly lands, perhaps
never to return, never to know how
much loved him."
Patting her head as II she were a
tired child. he said: "It'll all come out
right in the end You can't never tell
from the sody card what's in hook at
the bottom Of the deck"
Further condolences between father
and daughter were interrupted by the
boys of the roundup dashing up to the
wagon, with Peruna In the midst of
the group. Peruna had been disarmed.
Dragging the prisoner from his bron-
cho they led him before Allen, who
had risen from his seat.
"What's all this, boys" asked the
ranchman.
Sagebrush, as foreman, explained,
"This here's Peruna Of the Lazy K
outfit"
Allen locked at the prisoner, wht
maintained a sullen silence. whats
he been doin'?"
MOSTLY everything, but Fresno
caught him red handed brandin' one OF
our yearlin's," cried Sagebrush.
"Its a liew broke in Peruna, glanc
ing doggedly from one to another OF
his guards. He knew death was the
penalty Of the crime of which he stood
accused. He felt that stout denial
would gain him time and that Buck
and his outfit might come up and save
him.
"Polite your conversation In the pres
ence of ladyw cried Parenthesis, nod
ding toward Echo.
"That calf was follerin' my cow
answered Peruna sullenly.
ut was fOllerin' one Of our long
horned Texas cows with the Sweetwa'
ter brand spread all over her" shouted
Show Low, moving menacingly toward
the covering Peruna.
"Fresno he calls hin," continued Sage,
brush, taking up the story, IAN this
here bad man turns loose his battery
an wings Fresno some bad. Then lit.
tie Billie Nicker comes along, an Pc
runa plugs him solid"
GhnyU nu'g
bunkie on many long drive. That
veteran now paid this last tribute to
his friend. "Billie, who amt never
done no harm to no Cne."
lie reached fer his gun began Pc
runa. Sagebrush would not let him
finish his lame defense.
"You shet upI" he cried. I'VE don't
want your kind on this range. an the
quicker that's published the quicker
we'll get shet Of you. We're goin' to
take the law in our own hands now
Come on, boys"
Two Of the boys seized Peruna, drag
ging him toward his horse. Echo halt
ed them. however, with the query
"What are you going to do with this
man?"
Take him down to the creek an
hang him to that big cottonwood!
cried Show Low savagely.
Before Echo could answer Peruna
demanded hearing. "HoP on min
ute. l got somethin' to say about
thatr
"Out with It," growled Sagebrush.
LAS time there was an affair at thai
cottonwood the rope broke, an the
hnss <hiaf droppad info tho creek