Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1910-01-13
WITH FLYING C0LORS,
The Incid 1T That Ended Ills
Peril ] of Probation.
BY 1ARIcE ENoLE.

10 Iaggarl cross the desert III was
high noon aud the day had been hot
and dry ana the mans throat was
parched wit!i thirst. This did not tend
to lessen hi fcroclous aspect nor to
soften the anger that glowed in his
eyes 1t was all due to his visit that
morning TO the little ranch few miles
behind. for there he had met with the
FIRST failure IN his life. He had pro-
posed and been rejected.
II was not Bill Warren's nature to
be baked by anything. He usually
carried matters his own way and with
high hand. as a result Of which he
had man" But this cognomen was
arpird to him only by people who did
not know Bill. In reality no better nor
Kinder natured man than he ever rode
into raSgart
Iiut Sue Patterson was one of those
Who were not intimately acquainted
with Warren. and this assertiveness
she looked upon as something evil.
Therefore. although otherwise she
liked Warren better than any other of
her admirers she felt that she was
acting quite right when she rejected
his offer of marriage
III the consolation that she bad
given him in answer to his earnest
pleading was that she would put him
on an indefinite probation and if he
came through it with flying colors why
she would think about It,
All OF which Warren took too liter
ally. and he thought that she had
spoken thus only to soften her refusal.
He became angry AT the thought of 1t.
She don't care nothin fer me-, he
muttered sayagely. AN know why
it's all along Of that Sneakin' coyote.
Ralph Henderson. Reen 70 Frisco an
seen II few things an comes out here
10 lord Il over us | know the brand
She's plumb loco over the cuss. too.
an he nin't no mau No" he finished
spitefully. "he amt no man..
He rode on across the desert in a
sort of dulled consciousness. With his
bat pulled well down over his eyes
At length. toward the middle of the
afternoon. he came into the foothills
Before him lay the Tooth of Time,
the largest mountain in that vicinity
Beyond it. ten miles to the westward
was Taggart This neceSstated his
taking the trail that wound round the
slope of the mountain. This trail was
hardly more than Il well trodden foot
path and was only wide enough to per-
nit a single rider upon it. One side
of it Slopcd up mt AN angle of almost
eighty degrees The other formed the
side of precipice that dropped a
sheer 200 feet 10 the sandy ravine be-
low.
As he rode over the trail. lost in
thought. Warren was dead to external
sounds He did not notice the fidget-
ing of his horse nor his frightened
whnnies He had no intimation what
ever that any one was approaching
along the trail from the opposite direc-
ton. And yet not a hundred feet
ahead OF him horse and rider were
rounding the curve Of the mountain
Neither noticed the other until they
were fifty feet apart Then by some
strange intuition both raised their
heads Recognition was mutual aud
instantaneous. for the man ahead Of
Warren was Ralph Henderson.
The faces of both men paled With
fear Not in years had two men met
on that narrow trail. and it seemed
some strange Intervention of destiny
that 1t should be Warren and Hender.
son. While the face of the cattleman
grew anxious, that of Henderson be-
came quickly overshot with a crafty
cunning.
"Hellow he drawIed pleasantly
Hello" muttered Warren neryously.
well, what are we going to do
about it," the city man continued. ut
looks as if you'd have to go back"
Not by - sight" snapped War
ren. There's no turning about for
either of us. Wen have to manage to
pass each other. The place seems pref.
" wide here"
Flip coin for the inner side" sug.
gested the other. suddenly reaching a
hand into his pocket
Fright" agreed Warren. "but let's
have hook az it FIRST
ilenderson's face turned scarlet and
he stayed his hand Il declare. I'm an
uul Of coin be ratified sheepishly
Here's an eagle" replied Warren.
wHh narrow eyes. "Heave her up.
Heads lasS ON The inside tails ! pass
uu the outside
He TOSSED The coin TO Henderson as
he >poSr who pale faced ana hesiiat.
u. fumbIed with it moment and
lei II 49, up into the air with a twin
OF veteran trickstpr II fen down on
ihe trail az their feet ringiug out clear
md cold
Tails" cried the city man, overcome
with excitement His face resumed
something Of its natural color ana the
old craftiuess stole into his eyes
Warren accepted bis fate tuncha-
antly. although he knew that il might
mean death for him There was one
thing about IL. howeve. that CALLED
him. He well knew that Henderson
was on his way TO the Patterson ranch
and it came to him as rather bitter
thought that he might have to play
the martyr and sacrifice his own life