The Delta independent., 1911-02-24

their doors.
II wish he hadn't done that" muir
INJURED the girl.
II must be frank with you. Virginia.
l can't excuse that in him. 1t was
kind Of treachery. He must have been
warped by his associates. They CON
vinced him by some means that 1t was
his duty. and one fine day the Fork
was startled by a messenger who rode
in to say that the cattle barons were
coming with hundred Texas bad men
to clean out the town and to put their
own men into office. This last was
silly rot to me. but the people believed
it."
| The girl was tingling now. II re-
member. l remember the men who
rode into the town to give the alarm
l was scared almost breathless."
II was in sulphur City and did not
hear of it till 1t was nearly all over.
Redfield resumed. his speech showing
little Of the excitement which thrill
ed through the girls voice. 'Well. the
first act of vengeance was so i'll con-
sidered that it practically ended the
whole campaign. The invaders feii
upon and killed two ranchers. one OF
whom was probably not rustler at
all. but peaceable settler. and the
other one they most barbarously
hanged. More than this they attack
ed and vainly tried to kill two settlers
whom they met on the road-German
farmers. with no connection. so far as
known, with the thieves. These men
escaped and gave the alarm. In
few hours the whole range was atlame
with vengeful fire. The Forks. as you
may recall. was like swarm OF bum
blebees Every man and boy was
armed and mounted. The storekeepers
distributed guns and ammunition.
leaders developed. and the embattled
'punkin rollers rustlers and towns
men rode out to meet the invaders
The girl paled with memory of it.
.It was terrible. ! went all day with
out eating. and for two nights we
were all too excited to sleep. 1t seem
ed as If the world were coming TO an
end. Mother cried because they
wouldn't let her go with them. She
didn't know father was leading the
other army"
"She must have known soon. for It
was reported that your father was
among them. She certainly knew when
they were driven to earth in that log
fort. for they were obliged to restrain
her by force from going to your IA
ther. AS run over those furious
days it all seems incredible, like sud,
den reversion to barbarism."
"How did 1t all end? The soldiers
came, didn't they?"
Yes; the long arm Of Uncle Sam
reached out and took hold upon the
necks of both parties l guess your
father and his band would have died
right there had not the regular army
interfered. 1t only required sergeant
wearing Uncle Sans uniform to come
among tho-. armed and furious cow
boys and remove their prisoners"
II saw that. 1t was very strange
that sergeant was so young and so
brave"
He turned and smiled at her. DO
you know who that wasp
Her eyes flashed. She drew her
DTedlu Will gasp. w as IL MI. SaN-
anagh?'
Yes. it was Ross. He was serving
in the regular army at the time. He
has told me since that he felt no fear
whatever. Uncle Sans blue coat was
like Siegfried's magic armor.' he said.
1T was the kind of thing the mounted
police of Canada had been called upon
to do many time. and l went in and
got my men, That ended the war,
SO far as violent measures went, and
1t really ended the sovereignty of the
cattleman. The power of the .nester
has steadily increased from that mo
ment."
But my father-what became of
him? They took him away to the east.
and that is all l ever knew. What do
you think became of him?'
II could never make up my mind
All sorts of rumors come to us con
corning him. AS a matter of fact. the
state authorities sympathized with the
cattle barons. and my own opinion is
that your father was permitted to es-
cape. He was afterward seen in Tex
as, and later it was reported that he
had been killed there
The girl sat still. listening to the tire
less whir of the machine and looking
out at the purpling range with tear
mist eyes. At last she said. II shall
never think Of my father as bad man
he was always so gentle to me-"
"You need not condemn him. my
dear young lady. The people of the
Forks-some of them, at least-con-
slider him traitor and regard you as
the daughter of renegade, but what
does it matter? Each year sees the
old west diminish. and already. in the
work of the forest service. law and or
"a, hot oil ha