Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-09-02
CHAPTER XIV.


Brill Young picked up a trail Sunday
morning At Tower W before the spe.
Cial from Medicine Bend reached
there. Tho wrecked express car.
which had been set out, had no story
to tell. Tho only story" said Whis-
pering Smith. as the men climbed into
their saddles. is in the one from the
hoofs, and the sooner we get after It
the better"
The country around Tower w, which
is itself an operating point on the
western end of the division, a mere
spcck on the desert. lies high and
rolling. To the south, so miles away.
rise the Crosse Terre mountains. and
to the north and west lie the solitudes
Of the Heart range. while in the north.
east are seer the three white Saddle
peaks of the Missions. The cool,
bright sunshine OF a far and lonely
horizon greets the traveller here, and
ten miles away from the railroad, in
any direction. a man on horseback and
unac0uainted with the country would
wish himself-mountain men will tell
youth hell, because it would be ens-
Ter to ride out OF.
To the railroad men the country
offered no unusual difficulties. The
Youngs were as much at home on a
horse as on a hand car. Kennedy
though a large and powerful: man. was
Injured TO hard riding, and Bob Scott
and Whispering Smith in the saddle
were merely a p~art-though an i'm
portant part--ot their horses; without
killing their mounts. they could get
out Of them every mile in their legs.
The five men covered 20 miles on a
trail that read like print. One after
another Of the railroad party com.
mented on the carelessness with which
1t had been left. But 20 miles south
of the railroad. in an open and COM
paratively easy country. II was swal.
lowed completely up in the tracks Of
100 horses. The railroad men circled
far and wide. only to And the herd
tracks everywhere ahead Of them.
This Is a beautiful Job" murmured
Whispering Smith as the party rode
together along the edge OF a creek
bottom. Now who Is their friend
down in this country What man
would get out a bunch Of horses like
this and work them this hard so early
in the morning? Let's hunt that nan
up. ! like to meet q man that is a
friend in need"
Bob Scot spoke: II saw a man
with some horses in a canyon across
the creek n few minutes ago, and |
saw a r%anchhouse behind those buttes
when rode around them"
stop Here's a man riding right
into u Jaws" muttered Kennedy.
Divide up among the rocks" A horse.
man from the south came galloping up
the creek, and Kennedy rode out with
an ivory smile to meet him. The two
men p%arloyed for a moment, disputed
each other sharply, and rode together
back TO the railroad party.
Haven't ecn n men looking for
horses this morning, have you?" asked
Whispering Smith, eying the stranger
a squat, sQuaro-iawed fellow with a
cataract eye.
I'm looking for horses myself.
amt seen anybody else. What are
you looking for?"
as this your bunch of horees thai
got loose here?' asked Smith.
NO"
Il thought said Kennedy, smiling
you said a minute ago they We're"
The stranger fixed his cataract or
him like a iash'light, Il changed my
mind"
Whispering Smiths brows rose pro
testingly, but he spoke with perfect
amiability as be raised his finger tc
bring the good eye his way. "Yot
ought to change your hat when you