Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1911-02-09

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 ii time, and went in and
got my men That ended the war,
so far as violent measures went, and
it really ended the sovereignty of the
cattleman. The power of the hester
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 | ever knew. What do
you think became Of him?"
Il 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 a 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 a traitor and regard you as
the daughter Of a 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
der advance. Notwithstanding all the
shouting of herders and the beating
to death of sheep, no hostile shot has
ever been fired within the bounds Of a
national forest. In the work of the
forest rangers lies the hope of ultimate
peace and order over all the public
lands.
The girl fell silent again, her mind
filled with larger conceptions of life
than her Judgment had hitherto been
called upon to meet. She knew that
Redfeld was right, and yet that world
of the past-the world of the swift
hCL III III AN IloIIIIIbS lO11S
horned, half wild kine-still appealed
to her imagination. The west of her
girlhoOd seemed heroic in memory.
Even the quiet account of it to which
she had just listened could not conceal
its epic largeness of movement. The
part which troubled her most was her
fathers treachery to his neighbors.
That he should fight, that he should
kill men in honorable warfare, she
could understand, but not his recrean-
CIV, his desertion of her mother and
herself.
She came back to dwell at last on
the action of that slim young soldier
who had calmly ridden through the
Infatuated mob. She remembered that
she had thrilled even then at the
vague and impersonal power which he
represented. 70 her childish mind he
seemed to bear Il charm, like the he
roe of her story books-something
which made him invulnerable.
After a long pause Redfield spoke
again. The memory Of your father
will make life for a time a bit hard
for you in Roaring Fork. Perhaps
your mothers advice is sound. Why
not come to Sulphur City, which is
almost entirely of the new spirit?'
IF l can get my mother to come,
too, l will be glad to do so, for l hate
the Fork. But | will not leave her
there, sick and alone"
much depends upon the doctors
examination tomorrow"
They had topped the divide now be-
tween the Fork and Sulphur creek
basin, and the green fields, the alfalfa
meadows and the painted farmhouses
thickened beneath them. Strange how
significant all these signs were now!
A few days ago they had appeared
doubtful improvements; now they rep
resented the oncoming N OF Il
east. They meant cleanliness and de-
cent speech, good bread n sweet
butter.
Redfeld swept through the town,
then turned up the stream directly to-
ward the high wall of the range, which
was ragged and abrupt at this point.
They passed several charming farm
houses, and the western sky grew ever
more glorious with its plum color and
saffron. and the range reasSerted it's
mastery over the girl. At last they
came to the very jaws of the canyon,
and there. in a deep natural grove OF
lofty cottonwood trees, Redfield passed
before a high rustic gate which mark
ed the beginning Of his estate. The
driveway was Of gravel. and the inter
mingling of t~ransplanted shrubs and
pine trees showed the care Of the pro-
fessional gardener.
The house was far from being a
castle. Indeed. it was very like a
house in Bryn Mawr. except that it
was built entirely of half hewn logs.
with a wide projecting roof. Giant
hydrangeas and other Towering shrubs
bordered the drive, and on the rustic
terrace a lady in white was waiting.
Redfeld slowed down and scrambled
u~ngracefully out. But his voice was