The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-03-18

| '''N''''''"i ffi'A's f-IHi''lilIS WIN NhFfl
sire az every changing aspect OF the
marvellous mountain scene II was In
| linitoly more gorgeous. more compel
ling. than his moonlight experience the
night before
As be- ed his horse out upon pro.
jectlni point of rocky ledge TO rest his
love for the range came back upon
him with such power that tears mistcd
his eyes aud his throat achcd Where
else will | find such scenes at this?"
he asked himself Where IN all tho
lowlands rould such splcndurs shine? ?
How can | leave this high world in
| which thcSc wonders come ANA go? |
will not. Here will bring my bride
and build my home This is my
world"
Rut the mist grew gray the aureole
of fire faded. the sun went down be.
hind The hills, und the chill Of evening
dcepcnrd nn the trHil. and ms he rc.
| approached the scene of mans inhu-
mnnlly ~ mnn the thought OF cnmping
there beside those charred limbs call.
ed for heroic resolution. He was hun.
| f'S' wv "HN - Nht AT IluNhtu ne
shivered.
AT the best the sheriff cannot reach
here before midnight" Lr said and
settled down to his unsuuglt. reyoltlng
vigil.
His one relief ,oy In the mental com
position of long letter to Lee Nir.
ginia, whose life AT that moment was
u comfort to him. III such purity.
such sweetness. can come from vio.
lencc and vu,garity then surely Il new
and splendid state can rise even oat
OF the ashes of these murdered men
Perhaps this is The end of the old"
he muSed. "pprhuuS This Is the begin.
ming Of the new" and MS he pondered
the lus; faint crimson died out of the
west. $50 uusl The hate and violence
die out of America" he said. "lcaving
the clear. sweet mir OF liberty behind .
He was near 10 the poet at the mo.
ment. for he was also the lover His
allegiance "a the grcat republic stood
the test His faith in democracy was
| shaken, but not destroyed. II will
wait" he decided. "This shall be the
sign, II this deed goes unavengcd
then will put of my badge and my
uniform and 20 back 20 the land where
for hundred years AT least such
deeds as these have been impossible"
He built Il fire MS night fell to serve
both as Il beacon and as defense
against the cold He felt himself
wclrdly remote In this vigil From
his far height he looked abroad upon
| the tumbed plain as il upon an ocean
dimly perceptiblc, yet august. AT this
moment" he said. curious and per.
| hapS guilty eyes are wondering what
| my spark of ,irelichl may mean"
His mind went again and again TO
that tall old man IN the ditch. What
was the meaning of his scared and
| sorrOwful glance? Why should one
| so peacefully employed al such Il time
and in such Il place wear The look of
Il hunted deer? What meant the tire
NOR In his voice?
Was It possible that one so gentle
should have taken part in this deed :?
"Preposterous suspicion, and yet he
had guilty look"
AT last. far In the night. he heard
the snort of Il horse and the sound OF
voices. The law tsuch us II wasl was
creeping NJ the mountain side in the
person of the sheriff OF Chauvenet
county and was about TO relieve the
ranger from his painful, responsibility
as guardian of the dead.
At last he came, this officer OF the
law, attended like a Cheyenne chief
by dozen lesser warriors of various
conditions and kinds. but among them
indeed second only TO the sheriff
was Hugh Redheld. the forest super.
visor, hot and eager with haste
As they rode up TO the fire the officer
called out; "Howdy, ranger? How
about it?"
Ross stated briefly. succinctly, what
he had discovered. aud as he talked
other riders came up the hill and gath,
cred closely around to listen in word
less sllencc-in guilty silence the
ranger could not help believing.
Redfeld spoke, "Sheriff Van Horne.
you and | have been running cattle in
this country for nearly thirty years.
and we've Witnessed all kinds of shoot
ing and several kinds of hanging. but
when II comes To chopping and burn
Ing men ! get off. | shall personally
offer Il reward of 81 900 for the ap.
prehenSon of these miscreants. and
hope youll make II your solemn duty
TO hunt them To earth"
"You won't have far to CO." remark
ed Ross significantly.
What do you mean?" asked the
sheriff
81 mean this slaughter. like the 9th.
ers that have taken place. was the
work of caitlemen who claim this
range Their names are known to us
ALL"
A silence followed so deep a silence
that the ranger was convinced of the
fact that In The circle OF his listeners
stood those pyho. Il they had not