Putnam patriot., 1911-05-26

] must drag their slow course before ! ] can hope Co be of service 10 her" And the thought drew gFoan of anxiety from him Al such moments of mental 1 stress the trail is torture and the ! mountain side an memorable barrier Halfway 10 the hills he was inter cepted by an old man who was al work on an lrriga ting ditch beside the road He seemed very nervous and yery induisifiYe. and ss he questioned 1 the ranger his eyes were like those of dog that fears his masters hand Ross wondered about this afterward. but at the moment his mind was busy ! with the significance of this patient toiler with spade fIe was prophet 1 ic aeure in fhe most picturesque and sterile Iaud of the st0ckman Here. | within twenty miles of this peaceful fruH grower hc said. "is tue crown 1 ing lafamy of tue freeboOtIug cowboy.
 He wondered ifs he rode on whether the papers of the state would make i .esf of this deed Will This Joe made th, theme for caustir comment in tbe eastern press for day and then be forsaftaHfa
 As hIs hot hood cooled he lost faith fn even thi= sacrifice Could anything change the leopard west into the tame l ness and serenity of he OK? No" he decided. ~nothlng b8i death will do fThat This generation. these fierce and bloody hearts. must die. only in That way can the tradition of violence be l overcome and ue0 state reared. Al the fool of the t0ilsome. upward i winding tra.i Dc dis-aountfd and led his weary horse 0Fer his head and rtout halfway to the Hrst hilltop lay raef of feeey eaHor. faint purple l u caier and seamiesS in texture Through thls he muzf pa.-s and il sym bolizHa to HiH thr line of demarcatiou between the plain and the mountain between order and violence.
 1 Slowly be Led his horse along the mountain side grasplne with eager de tire al every changing aspect of the 1 marvellous mountain scene Ii was in l hnitely more gorgeous. more compel ling thun his moonlight experience the night before
 As he led his horse out upon pro | lecting point of rocky ledge 10 rest his love for the range came back upon him with such power that fears misted 1 his eyes and his throat uched. Where sse will find such scenes at this?'' he asked himself Where in all the lowtands could such splendors shine How can 1 leave ths high world in which these wonders come and go? will not. Here will bring my bride and build my home This Is my world "
 But the mist grew gray. the aureole of fire faded. thc sun went down be hlnd The hlls md the chll of evening deepeued on the traiL and as he re approached the scene of mans lnhu- manity to man the thought of camping there beside those churrod limbs call cd for heroic resolution. He was hun gry loo, and as Che air pinched he shiyercd
 At thc best the sheriff cannot reach here |. fore midnight" he said. and settled down 10 his unsought, reyolting vigil.
 ] His one relief ,ay in the mental com position of long letter 10 Lee Nir- gnia whose life at that moment was comfort te him. If such purity, Auch sweetness. cun come from vio- lcnce and yulgarity then surely new and splendid state can rise even out of the ashes of these murdered men Perhaps this Is the end of the old" ]" he unused. perhaps thlS Is the begin ming of the new" and as he pondered the last faint crimson died out of the west so must the hate and violence die out of Amerlca.' he said. leaving the clear. sweet air of liberty behind "
 He was near to the poet at the mo ment, for he wuS also the lover. His allegiance to the great republic stood the test His faith in democracy was shaken. hut not destroyed "l will wait.' he decided This shall be the sign If this deed goes unavenscd then will put on my hadge and my uniform and go back to the land where for a hundred wears .at least such deeds us these have been Impossible
 He built lire IN night fell to serve both Us beacon and as a defense against the cold Iio felt himself weirdy remote in this vigil. From his far height he looked abroad upon the tumbled plain as if upon an ocean dimly perceptihle, yet august. At this moment" he said curious and per haps guilty eyes are wondering what my spark of firelight may mean"
 Ills mind went again and again to that tal old man in the ditch. What was the meaning of his scared and sorrowfui glance? Why should one so peacefully employed at such time and in such place wear the look of nor in his voice?
 Was it possib'e that one so gentle should have taken part in this deed |. "preposterous suspicion, and yet he had guilty look
 Al last. far in the night. he heard the snort of a horse and the sound oi voices The law (such as ii wasl was creeping up the mountain side in the person of the sheriff of Chauvenet county ard was about 10 relieve th' ranger trom his painful responsibility as guardian of the dead.
 Al last(he came. this officer of th, law. attetaled like Cheyenne chief
 by dozent lesser warriors of variou, conditions aud kinds. but among then
 Indeed. secknd only 10 the sheriff
 was Hugh Rtdael1. the forest super visor. hot and \ager with haste. As they rode Sp 10 the fire the officel ] called out: "H pwdy. rangerG How