The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-02-15


horses head. he rode toward it to
stamp ii out. II was not upon his
patrol. but that did not matter. His
duty was clear.
As be drew near he began to per-
ceive signs of a broken camp. The
ground was Uttered with utensils. 1t
was not an ordinary campfire, and the
rangers heart quickened Another
sheep herder has been driven out and
his tent and provisions burned" he ex
claimed wrathfully.
His horse snorted and SHE'D az he
rode nearer. and then q shudder passed
through the rangers heart as be per
ceived In the edge of the smoldering
embers a boot heel and then-o charred
hand! In the smoke of that fire was
the reek Of human flesh.
For long time the ranger sat on his
horse. peerinE down into those ashes
until at last 1t became evident to his
eyes that at least two sheep herderS
had been sacrificed on the cattleman's
altar Of hate and greed.
All about on the sod the story was
written all too plain. Two men, pos
sibIy three. had been murdered. cut to
pieces and burned not many hours be-
fore. There stood the bloody spade
with which the bodies had been dis
membered. and there lay an empty can
whose oil had lbee3 poured upon the.
mingled camp utensils. tent aud wagon
OF the herders in the attempt to incin-
crate the hacked and dismembered
limbs of the victims. The la wlessness
of the range had eliminated. The
ferOtity Of the berder had gone beyond
the savage. Here In the sweet autumn
air the reek OF the caftieman's venge-
ance rose like some hideous vapor
poisonous and obscene.
The ranger sickened as the bloody
tale unfOlded itself before him. Then
q fierce hate of such warfare famed
In his heart. Could this enormity be
committed under any other civilized
flag? Would any other government in
termingle SO fooiishly. SO childishly. its
state and federal authority as to per
Eait such diaboIism?
In bis horror. his sense of revolt. be
cursed the state OF which be was a
citizen. He would have resigned bis
commission at the moment. so intense
was his resentment of the supine. care
less. jovial. slattern government under
which he was serving.
by the Lord" he breathed. with
solemn intensity. ''if this does NOT
shame the people of this state into
revolt. If these tends are not hound
ed and hung. / will myself harry them
l cannot live and do my duty here I'm
less this crime IL avenged by law"
Chilled. shaking and numb. he SET
spurs to his horse and rode furiously
down the trail toward the nearest
town. so eager TO spread the alarm
that he could scarcely breathe a deel
breath. On the steep slopes he was
forced to walk. and his horse led sc
badly that his agony Of Impotence
was deepened. He had a vision of the
murderers riding fast into far coun
tries. Each hour made their appre
hension progressively the more diff
cult.
who were they?" he asked himself
again and again. what kind of mar
Aid tuiS tuiuSs N'dS tuc itIut'l uIdi
like Ballard? Even SO. he was hired
By whom? By ranchers covetous OF
the range: that was absolutely Ger
tain."
1t was long after noon before HI
came TO the end OF the telephone line
In a little store and postoffice at th'
upper falls of Deer creek. The tele
phone had booth fortunately. and hs
soon had Rpdfeld's ear. but his voice
wns so strained and unnatural that hi.
chief did not recognize It,
"ls that you. Ross? What's the mat
.Ar2 Your voice sounds hoarse-"