Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1910-01-21
A Sympathetic Ear.


had but one interest In life, and that
vas 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- i
oerning Sinclair or his pursuer. It
was commonly agreed through the |
mountains that It would be dif1cult |
matter to overhaul any good man
riding Sinclair's Steel-dust horses, but
With Sinclair himself In the saddle,
unless 1t pleased him to pull up, the
chase was sure to be a 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 q 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-
s0rs and cowmsn, homesteaders and
rustlers, discussed the apprehension
Of Sinclair. Moreover, behind this ef-
fort to arrest one man who had saw.
agely defed the law were ranged all
Of The prejudicss, 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 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
or hard stories about him were known
70 be true, and It was this confidence
Of fellowship that made Sinclair, "a
hours after he had left 0roville, ride
down the hill trail to Crawling Stone
ranchhouse.
The morning had been cold, with q
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 q
stolen half-hour with McCloud al
Marion's, had ridden home to escape
the storm. Not less, but much more
81 than those about her she was alive tt
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
g self, and to Marion to have a care o.
herself; but even when Dicksie LEFT
them it seemed as If neither quite fell
the peril as she felt 1t.
q. In the afternoon the rain, falling
steadily, kept her in the house, ant
g she sat in her room sewing until the
light failed. She went downstairs
Puss had lighted the crate in tn
living room, and Dicksie threw hersel
into a chair. The sounds of hoof
aroused her and she went to viii
dow. To her horror, she saw Sinclai
walking with her cousin up to tn
front door. She ran into the dinin
room, and the two men entered tn
hall and walked into the Office. Chol
ing with excitement Dicksie ra
through the kitchen and upstairs I
master her agitation.
In the Office Sinclair was sittin
down before the hot stove with
tumbler of whisky. Lance, "-t
shook his head a. he spoke hoarsely-
~ want to say my friends have stoc
BY me to a man, but there's none
them treated me squarer throug
thick and thin than you have. We
I've had some bad luck. 1t can't /
helped. Regards"
He drank, and shook his wet ha
again. Four days Of hard riding hs
left no trace on his iron features. w
to the bone, his eyes flashed with fir
He held the glassful of whisky in
9 hand as steady as spirit-level al
tossed it down a throat as cool
dew.
Il want to say another thin
Lance: l had no more intention thi
child of hurting Ed Banks. l warn,
Ed months ago to keep out Of II
fight, and l never knew he was in
till 1t was too late. But I'm hoping
will pull through yet, if they dol
kill him in the hospital to spite me.
never recognized the man at all till
was too late. Why, one Of them US
q to work for me! A man with t
whole railroad gang In these mot
tains after him has got to look out
himself or his life amt worth gla
of beer. Thank you, Lance, not a
more. l saw two men, with tn
rifles in their hands, looking for me.
hollered at them; but, Lance, I'm rou
and ready, as all my friends knc
and | will let no man put a drop