Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1909-11-03
CHAPTER XXXVI.
A Sympathetic Ear.

Hdu DuI one Interest IN lie, ana LnaC
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. 1t
was commonly agreed through the
mountains that it would be a difficult
matter to overhaul any good man
riding Sinclair's steel-dust horses, but
with Sinclair himself in the saddle,
unless it pleased him to pull up, the
chase was sure to be 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. Officers and SOL
diers to and from the fort, stage driv-
ers and cowmen, homesteaders and
rustlers, discussed the apprehension
fort to arrest one man who had saw
agely defied 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 Sim
clair were nearly all the cattlemen,
not alone because he was on good
terms with the rustleTs and protected
his friends, but because he warred
openly on the sheepmen. The big
range interests, as rule, were 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 Dunning 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
ranchhouse.
The morning had been cold, with a
heavy wind and dull sky In the aft
ernoon the clouds lowered over the
valley and a misting rain set in. Dick
sic had gone into Medicine Bend on
the stage in the morning, and, after a
stolen half-hour with McCloud at
Mori0rs~ bod riddon homo RI oCoopo
the storm, Not less, but much more,
than those about her she was alive to
the situation in which Sinclair stood
and its danger to those closest to her.
In the morning her one prayer to Nc
Cloud had been to have care of him.
self, and to Marion to have a care of
herself; but even when Dicksie left
them it seemed as if neither quite felt
the peril as she felt it.
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 the
living room, and Dicksie threw herself
into a chair. The sounds of hoofs
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 Office. Chok-
ing with excitement, Dicksie ran
through the kitchen and upstairs to
master her agitation.
Tn hA Io4r ci%
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. 1t 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 ire.
He held the glassful of whisky in
hand as steady as a spirit-leVel and
tossed it down a throat as cool as
dew.
Lance: l had no more intention than
a child of hurting Ed Banks. warned
Ed months ago to keep out of this
fight, and 1 never knew he was in it
till it was too late. But I'm hoping he
will pull through yet, if they don't
Kill him in the hospital to spite me. 7
never recognized the man at all till it
was too late. Why, one of them used
to work for me! A man with the
whole railroad gang in these noun
tains after him has got to look out for
himself or his life amt worth a glass
of beer. Thank you, Lance, not any
more. / saw two men, with their
rifles in their hands, looking for me. /
hollered at them; but, Lance, I'm rough
and ready, az all my friends know,
and I will let no man put drop on
me-that I will never do. Ed, before