Putnam patriot., 1911-06-02

! iiduEAaE bhfi tAiE hBbAs ''D sA NAfs make yourself comfortable"
 The deputy thanked him and wal 1 about to ride on when Cavanagh add ed: T burned that Basque's tent ana bedding for fear of contagiOn. Hii outfit was worthless anyhow. You'I find the sheep just above my cabir and the horse fin my corral"
 The old man didn't take the horse eh? Well. that settles fl; he's sure al one of the camps. Much obliged. Good day"
 As the two officers rode away Weth erford leaned heavily on his pomme | and stared at the ranger with wide eyes His face was drawn and his lips dry They'll get mel They'll get me- he said.
 ~Oh no, they won't" retoined Cava. uagh. You're all right yet. They suspect nothing How could they. with you in uniform and in my com panyfs
 "All the same, I'm scared. That man Haines had his eyes on ne every minute He saw right through me. They'll get me. and they'll charge me up with that killing"
 No. they won't. l tell you" insisted the ranger "fIainss suspected nothing. I had his eye He never saw you be fore md has nothing but a descrip- tion to go by. so cheer up. Your uul- form and your position with me will make yuu safe perfectly safe. They Il fad the BaHaues camp burned and tAe sheep in charge of the deg. and theyH fancy that you have skipped across the range But see here. old man.a and he turned on him sharply. you didn't fell me the whole truth. You said you were out on parole
 "I couldn't tell you the whole truth" replied the fugitive. "But l will now. | was in for life sentence. l Was desperate for thc open air and home sick for the mountains. and l struck down one of the guards. l was will ing 10 do anything to get out. l thought if I could get back to this country and my wife and child I'd be safe 1 said I'd be willing to 20 back 10 the pen if necessary. but I'm not. 1 can't do IT, I'd die there. You must save me for my girls sake"
 His voice and eyes were wild with q kind of desperate fury of fear. and Gavanagh. moved to pity. assured him of his aid Now. listen" he said. Pm going to shield you on account of your work for that poor shepherd and for your daughter's $ sake. It's my duty to apprehend you. of course, but I'm going 10 protect you. The safest thing for you to dc Is to go back to my cabin. Ride slow. so as not to get there ill they're gone. They'll ride oyer to the saWmill without doubt If they come back this WAY remember 1 that the deputy saw you only as Il 1 ragged old man with q long beard and | that IIaines hns nothing but n printed description to go by There's no use trying to flee You are a 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, aud 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- nity "Ill de It." he said firmly That's the talk" exclaimed Cav anagh to encourage him. You can throw them of the track this time. and when l 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. I'll not let them make a scnpcgoat of you
 The ranger watched the fugitive as he started back over the trail in this desperate defiance of his pufsuers with fur 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 de not carry the matter to tine 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 ill the valley He had thought Lize a burden. social disability. but convict father now made the mothers faults of small ne count
 The nearer he drew to the meeting with Lee Virginia the more important that meeting became. Cavanagh had seen Virginia hardly more than score ,Fs stt ll lt.a HllA1 his thnnnlf confused his plans, making of his brain q place of doubt and hesitation. For her sake he had entered upon q plan to shield criminal, to harbor an es- | capped convict It was of no avail to argue that he was moved to shield | Wetherford because of his heroic ac | ton ou tue peak. He knew perfectly well that it was because he could not see that fair, brave girl further dis 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 characteg
 of her father and her mother. was
 madness, and the voice within hin
 warned him of his folly. Pure wa
 ter cannot be drawn from corrup
 sources,' it is said. Nevertheless tn,
 thought of having the girl with hin
 in the wilderness filled him with al
 vine recklessuess. While still he de
 bated, alternately flushed with resolv
 10 be happy and chilled by som
 strange dejection. he met Swenson. tn
 young guand who guarded the flores