The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-02-16

NO, Cney won [, L tell yOu, 1nS1Steu
the ranger. 'Hainos suspected nothing
l had his eye. He never saw you be-
fore and has nothing but a descrip-
ton to go by, so cheer up. Your uni
form and your position with me will
make you safe-perfectly safe. They'll
find the BasQue's camp burned and
the sheep in charge Of the dog ant
they'll fancy that you have skipped
across the range. But see here, OLD
man." and he turned on him sharply.
you didn't tell me the whole truth.
You said you were out on parole"
Il couldn't tell you the whole truth, !"
replied the fugitive. "But will now.
! was In for life sentence. 1 was
desperate for the open air and home
sick for the mountains. and struck
down one Of the guards. l was will
ing to do anything to get out.
thought If could get back to this
| country and my wife and child I'd be
safe. / said I'd be willing to go back
to the pen if necessary. but I'm not.
/ can't do it. I'd die there. You must
save me for my girls sake"
His voice and eyes were wild with a
|
| Cavanagh, moved to pity, assured him
of his aid. "Now, isten." he said.
I'm going to shield you on account
| of your work for that poor shepherd
| and for your daughters sake. It's my
/ duty to apprehend you, of course, but
/ I'm going to protect you. The safest
| thing for you to do is to go back to
| my cabin. Ride slow, so as not to get
there till they're gone. They'll ride
| over to the sawmill without doubt. II
they come back this way remember
that the deputy saw you only as a
ragged old man with long beard and
that Haines has nothing but printed
! description to 60 by. There's no use
| trying to fee. You are marked
man In that uniform, and you are
| safer right here with me than any
| where else this side Of Chicago
Haines is likely to cross the divide in
the belief that you have gone that
way, and If he does you have no one
but the deputy to deal with"
| He succeeded at last In completely
-rousing the older mans courage.
! Wetherford rose to meet his opportu-
L
sThat's the talkw exclaimed Cav
anagh to encourage him. you can
throw them off the track this time. and
| when come back tomorrow I'll bring
some other clothing for you, and then
| we'll plan some kind of scheme that
| will get you out of the country. Til
| not let them make scapegoat of you"
| The ranger watched the fugitive as
| he started back over the trail in this
desperate defiance of his pursuers with
| far less confidence in the outcome than
he had put into words.
] "All depends on Wetherford himself
If his nerve does not fail him, If they
take the uniform for granted and do
| not carry the matter to the supervisor.
| we will pull the plan through" And
| in this hope he rode away down the
| trail with bent head, for all this bore
heavily upon his relationship to the
| girl waiting for him in the valley. He
| had thought Lie burden, a social
| disability, but a convict father now
made the mothers faults of small ac
/ count.
The nearer he drew to the meeting
|
that meeting became. Cavanagh had
seen Virginia hardly more than score
| Vt times. and yet she filed his thought
| confused his plans, making of his braip
| place Of doubt and hesitation. For
her sake he had entered upon a plar
| to shield criminal, to harbor an es
| capped convict. 1t was of no avail to
| argue that he was moved to shield
Wetherford because of his heroic &C
| ton on the peak. He knew perfect.
well that it was because he could not
graced by the discovery OF her fathers
| identity, for in the searching inquiry
which would surely follow his secret
| would develop.
To marry her. knowing the character
Of her father and her mother. was
madness, and the voice within him
warned him Of his folly. "Pure wa
ter cannot be drawn from corrupt
sources it is said. Nevertheless the
thought of having the girl with him
| I'm the wilderness filed him with di.
vine recklessness. While still he de-
bated, alternately flushed with resolve
to be happy and chilled by some
strange detection. he met Swenson, the
young guard who guarded the forest
on the South Fork.
AS he rode up Cavanagh perceived
in the other mans face something pro-
| foundry serious. He did not smile in
greeting. as was usual with him. and.
| taking some letters from his pocket.
passed them over in ominous silence.
He had face of such bitterness that
| it broke through even the absorbed
and selfish meditation into which Cav
anagh had been thrown.
whats the matter, Swenson? You
look as If you had lost a friend"
81 have" answered the guard short
", "and SO have you. The chief is
| out"
"What?
They've got himw he exclaimed.
'He's OUT
Cavanagh sprang up. 81 don't be-
Heve it! For what reason? Why?"
Don't that letter tell you? The whole
town is chuckling. Every criminal and
| plug ugly in the country is splitting in
our faces this morning. Yes, sir, the
| president has fired the chief-the man
that built up this forestry service. The
whole works is going to h., that's
what it is. Well have all the coal
1