West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-03-18
CHAPTER XVI.
CHAPTER NNl.
YHEN Jack closed the door b,
l hind him To follow and I'm
wv Dick Lane aud bring hII
baCk tO fhe Woman urha IN

wv Dick Lane aud bring hIm
back To the woman who. the
restorer believed, loved him. Echo Pay.
son realized the supremacy over her
noui-her pure ideals, her lofty sense
% 5ustice-of its tenement, the woman's
body. The moral side OF her desire to-
ward Jack now became nxsd In the
purpose to lift him up to her own level.
Now that he had gone from her on
mission that was fuinliing this very
purpose OF regeneration, although she
had not sent him upon Il for his sake
but her own. Echo knew that, after all
she was woman. She loved Jack
Payson with the unreasoning ana un-
restrained passion that sways even the
highest OF her sex.
She very sensibiy took refuge from
her perplexing problems by jumping
into the active life OF the ranch.
Faithfully she tried to perform all
that she thought Jack would have
done. Her father and mother wanted
her TO come back to her old home until
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 wss look
ing after his own cattle on the round.
mp, rode up to the chuck wagon after
Parenthesis and sagebrush crossed the
valley TO mete out justice to Peruna
and Eight out any attempts ut rescue.
Dismounting. Echo walked wearfly
to the nre and sat down on q boz.
Bravely though she tried to conceal Il,
the strain was beginning to tell upon
her. The tears would come at times
despite her efforts to nght them Oh.
The burden was 30 heavy for her
young shoulders to bear.
A note from Slim, written ut Fort
Grant with a lead pencil on a 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, he wrote, were somewhere
In the lava beds and he would bring
them back with him. She dared not
let herself think Of the Apaches ana
the horrors Of their crueities.
Better let me get you somethin' TO
eat" said her father, returning from
picketing the horses.
Echo smiled wanly at her fathers
soiicitude. II am not hungry, dad"
Jim seated himself by the fre. He
recognized his helplessness In this trou.
BILE. t
"You been I'm the saddle since sun
up" he said. "You amt had nuthin'
TO eat since breakfast. 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 90,
honey"
Kneeiing 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. / 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 az IL she were a
tired child. he said: "Ttn 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 mp to the
wagon. with Pcruna I'm 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 al this. boysr' asked the
ranchman.
saeebrush. as foreman. explained,
This here's Peruna OF the Lasy X
cutft"
!. Allen looked at the prisoner, who
maintained sullen silence. whats
he been doln'fy
Mostly everything, bat Fresno
caught him red handed brandin' one Of
our yeariIii'S." cried Sagebrush.
IT'S a u broke I'm Peruna, glane-
Ing doggcc rom one to another Of
his guards I'e knew death was the
penalty of rime Of which he stood
accused. 1 cit that a stout denial
would gain y time and that Buck
and bis ont light come up and save
him.
polite " .nversatlon in the pres
snce Of a Ia cried Parentheaia, nod
ding towar5 no.
That cali vas folleriD' my cow"
answered Itrr.n sullenly.
'Tt was fop rim one of our long
horned Texn COWS with the sweetwa-
ter brand sprcf all over berw shouted
Show Low, moving mensciBgiy toward
the covering fortuna.
Fresno he calls him" continued Sage.
brush, taking ~ the story. "an' this
here bad man turns loose his battery
an wings Fresno some bad. Then lIt.
tie Billie Nlcker comes along, an Pc
runa plugs him solid"
Poor Billie had been Show Lows
bunkie on many n long drive. That
veteran now paid this last tribute 70
his friend. billie. who amt never
done no harm TO no one"
he reached fer bis gun began Pc
runs. sagebrush would not let him
fnish hts lame defense.
you shet upi' he cried. we don't
want your kind on this range. an the
quicker that's published the quicker
Wen get shet Of you. We're goIn' 90
take the law In our own hands now.
Come on, boysr
Two Of the boys seized Peruna, drag
ging him toward his horse. Echo halt
"a them, however, with the query.
What are you going TO do with this
manT
Take him down to the creek an
heng him 20 that big cottonwoodr'
cried show Low sayaEsiy.