Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-06-21
CHAPTER xxxvt. A.
A Sympathetic Ear.

CHAPTER xxxvk. A.
A Sympathetic Ear.
When Whispering Smith rode after
Sinclair, Crawling Stone ranch, In
common with the whole countryside.
had but one interest In life. and that
was to hear OF the meeting. Riders
across the mountain valleys met with
but one question; mail-carriers
brought nothing in their pouches Of
interest equal to the last word con-
corning Sinclair or his pursuer. It
was commonly agreed through the
mountains that Il would be difficult
matter to overhaul any good man
riding Sinclair's steel.duet horses, but
with Sinclair himself III the saddle.
unless It pleased him TO pull up, the
chase was sure to be q stern one.
Against this to feed speculation stood
one mans .record-that Of the man
who had ridden alone across Deep
creek and brought Chuck Williams out
on blackboard.
Business in Medicine Bend, mean.
time. was practically suspended. AS
the center Of all telephone lines the
big railroad town was likewise the
center Of all rumors. Omcers and sol.
diers to and from the fort. stage driv-
ers and cowmen, homesteaders and
rustlers, discussed the apprehension
Of Sinclair. Moreover, behind this eff.
fort to arrest one man who had saw.
agely defled the law were ranged all
Of the prejudices, sympathies, and
hatreds Of the high country. and prac.
tically the whole population tributary
to Medicine Bend and the Crawling
Stone valley were friends either to
Sinclair Or to his pursuer. Behind Sin.
clair were nearly all the cattlemen.
not alone because he was on good
terms with the rustlers and protected
his friends. but because he warred
openly on the sheepmen. The bin
range interests. as a rule, we're openly
or covertly friendly to Sinclair, while
against him were the homesteaders.
the railroad men, the common people
and the men who everywhere hate
cruelty and outrage and the making
Of lie.
Lance DunninE had never concealed
his friendliness for Sinclair, even aft.
er hard stories about him were known
to be true, and It was this confidence
Of fellowship that made Sinclair. "a
hours after he had left Oroville, ride
down the hill trail to Crawling Stone
ranchhouse.
The morning had been cold. with a
heavy wind and dull sky. In the aft
ernoon the clouds lowered over the
valley and mistins rain set In. Dick.
sic had gone into Medicine Bend on
the stage in the morning, and, after q
stolen half-hour with McCioud at
Marion's. had ridden home to escape
the storm. Not less. but much more,
than those abons her she was alive to
the situation in which Sinclair stood
and its danger TO those closest to her.
In the morzint her one prayer TO NC
Cloud had been to have care of HIM
self, and to Marion to have care Of
herself; but even when Dicksie left
them 1t seemed as IL neither quite felt
the peril as she felt 1t.
In the afternoon the rain, falling
steadily, kept her In the house. and
she sat in her room sewing until the
light failed. She went downstairs.
Puss had lighted the crate in tho
living room, and Mckste threw herself
into chair. The sounds Of hoofs
aroused her and she went to win
dow. TO her horror. she saw Sinclair
walking With her cousin up to the
front door. She ran into the dining
room, and the two men entered the
hall and walked into the ONCE. Chok-
ing with excitement, Dicksie ran
through the Kitchen and upstairs to
master her agitation,
In the ONCE Sinclair was sitting
down before the hot stove with .
tumbler Of whisky. "Lance."-he
shook his head as he spoke hoarsely-
Il want to say my friends have stood
BY me to man, but there's none Of
them treated me squarer through
thick and thin than you have. Well,
I've had some bad luck. It can't he
helped. Regards!"
He drank. and shook his wet hair
again. -Four days Of hard riding had
left no trace on his iron features. Wet
to the bone, his eyes flashed with fire.
He held the glassful Of whisky in q
hand as steady as spirit-lepel and
tossed It down 2 throat as cool a.
dew.
II want to say another thing.
Lance: I had no more intention than
.. child Of hurting nd Banks. I warned
I'd months aso to keep out OF this
night. and mover knew. be was In Il
tilf'it was too laks. But I'm hoping he
will pull through yet, Il they don't
kill him In the hospital to spite me. /
never recognized the man at all till It
was too late. why. ono Of them used
to work for mo! A man with tho
whole railroad gang in these noun.
tains after him has got to look out for
himself or his life amt worth . glass
Of beer. Thank you. Lance, not any
more. saw Two men,, with their
rifles In their hands. locking for me. I
hollered ct them; but. Lance. I'm rough
and ready. as all my friends know,
and will let no man put drop on
me-that I will never do. nd, before
! ever recognized him, raised his ride:
that's the only rsasontI fred. Not 90
full, Lance. not 40 full, II you please.
Well" he shook his blsek hsirsas he
threw back his head. heres 10 better
luck in worse countriss!" He paused
as he swallowed, and set tho tambler
down. Lance. I'm saying good.by d
the nnonnkasna