The Delta independent., 1911-05-26
CHAPTER Xxx.

II was uOW uNlus u
romance stranger and more star
Ting than any she had ever
- read. In imagination she was
able to look back and down upon the
Fork as If she had been carried into
another world-a world that was at
once primeval. yet peaceful: a world
of dreaming trees, singing streams and
silent peaks; a realm in which law
and order reigned. maintained by one
determined young man whose power
was derived from the president him
self. She felt safe-entirely safe-for
just across the roaring mountain tor
rent the two intrepid guardians of the
forest were encamped. One OF them.
1t is true. came of Swedish parentage.
and the other was a native Of Eng
land. but they were both American in
the high sense of being loyal to the
federal will. and she trusted them
more unquestioningly than any other
men in all that west save only Red
field. She had no doubt there were
others equally loyal. equally to be
trusted. but she did not know them.
She rose to a complete understand
ing Of Cavanagh's love for the high
country" and his enthusiasm for the
cause. cause which was able to
bring together the student from Yale
and the graduates Of Bergen and of
Oxford and make them comrades in
preserving the trees and streams of
the mountain states against the en-
croachments of some of their own Citi-
zens. who were openly. shOrtsightedly
and cynically bent upon destruction.
spolatiOn and misuse.
She had listened to the talk of the
forester and the supervisor. and she
had learned from them that Cavanagh
was sure of swift advancement now
that he had shown his courage and
his skill. and the thought that he
might leave the state to take charge
of another forest brought her some
uneasiness. for she and Lie had plan
ned to go to Sulphur City. She had
consented to this because 1t still left
to her the possibility Of occasionally
seeing or hearing from Cavanagh. But
the thought that he might go away al
together took some of the music out of
the sound of the stream and made the
future vaguely sad.
For the next two days Cavanagh
slept but little. for his patient grew
steadily worse. AS the flame of his
fever mounted. Wetherford pleaded
for air. The ranger threw open the
doors. admitting freely the cool. sweet
mountain wind. He might as well
die of draft as smother" was his
thought. and by the use of cold cloths
he tried to allay the itching and the
pain.
With the coming of the third night
Wetherford was unconscious and un-
recognizable to any one who had
known him in the days of "the free
range" He was going as the wild west
was going. discredited. liberated. poi
soned incapable of rebirth. yet carry
ing something fine to his grave. He
had acted the part of brave man I:
that shall be said of him. He had
gone to the rescue of the poor Basque
instinctively. with the same reckless
disregard Of consequences to himself
which marked his character when az
a COW boss on the range he had set
aside the most difficult tasks for his
own rope or gun. His regard for the
ranger into whose care he was now
about to commit his wife and daugh
ter persisted in spite of his suffering.
In l,ia was his hope. his stay. Once
again, in IA lucid moment, he reverted
to the promise which he had draw
from Cavanagh.
IF | go you must take care-Of my
girl-take care of Lie too. Promise
me that. Do you promise?" he insist
ed
II promise-on honor" Ross repeat
ed, and, with faint pressure of his
hand $50 slender and weak, Wether.
ford sank away into the browse which
deepened hour by hour, broken now
and then by convulsions. which wrune
the stern heart of the ranger till his
hands trembled for pity.
The day was well advanced when the
sound of rattling pebbles on the hill
back of his cabin drew his attention
and few moments later man on a
weary horse rode up to his door and
dropped heavily from the saddle. BE
was a small, dark individual. with
spectacles, plainly of the city.
Beware! Smallpox" called Ross as
his visitor drew near the door.
The newcomer waived his hand con
temptuously. "I've had 1t. Are you
Ross CavanaghT"
II am"
"My name is Hartley. represent
the Denver Roundup. I'm interested
in this sheep herder killing-merelJ
as a reporter" he added. with a feet
ing smile. Did you know old mar
Dunn Of Deer Creek had committed
suicide"
Cavanagh started and his face set
; Nor