Semi-weekly herald., 1911-03-20

AhA- f-h'hi' III n thhhhfb
horses head. he rode toward 1t to
stamp it out II was not upon his
patrol, but that did not matter. His
duty was clear.
As he drew near he began to per
ceive signs of n 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 as he
rode nearer, and then shudder passed
through the rangers heart as he per-
ceived In the edge OF the smoldering
embers boot heel and then-a charred
hand! In the smoke of that fire was
the reek of human flesh.
For long time the ranger sat on his
horse peering 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
sibly 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 been poured upon the
mingled camp utensils, tent and wagon
Of the herders In the attempt to incin-
crate the hacked and dismembered
limbs of the victims. The lawlessness
Of the range had eliminated. The
ferocity of the herder had gone beyond
the savage. Here In the sweet autumn
air the reek of the cattleman's venge-
ance rose like some hideous vapor,
poisonous and obscene.
The ranger sickened as the bloody
tale unfolded itself before him. Then
a fierce hate of such warfare famed
In his heart. Could this enormity be
committed under any other civilized
hagi Would any other government In
termingle 50 foolishly. so childishly, its
state and federal authority as to per
init such diabolism?
In his borror, his sense of revolt, he
cursed the state Of which he was
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 fiends are not hound
ed and hung, | viii myself harry them.
l cannot live and do my duty here un-
less this crime is avenged by law"
Chilled, shaking and numb. he set
spurs to his horse and rode furiously
down the trail toward the nearest
town, 80 eager to spread the alarm
that he could scarcely breathe deep
breath On the steep slopes he was
forced to walk. and his horse led 30
badly that his agony Of impatience
was deepened. He had vision OF the
murderers riding fast into far coun-
tries. Each hour made their appre-
hensiOn progressively the more diff
cult.
"Who were theyf" he asked himself
again and again. What kind of man
did this thing? Was the leader a man
like Ballardl Even so. he wns hired
By whom? BY ranchers covetous Of
the range; that was absolutely GER
tain"
1t was long after noon before he
came to the end Of the telephone line
In little store and postotfice at the
upper falls of Deer creek. The tele-
phone had booth fortunately, and he
soon had Redfeld's ear, but his voice
was SO strained and unnatural that his
chief did not recognize 1t.
"Is that you. Ross? What's the mat
ter2 Your voice sounds h0arss."