Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1911-03-17

horse and his dog
The officer caught up his hat and
coat and started for the door. Its
ne for the open air." said he.
As the men withdrew Ross followed
them and, standing in his door. de-
livered his final volley. IF this state
! does not punish those iends every de-
cent man should emigrate out Of II.
turning the land over to the wolves.
the wildcats and other beasts Of prey"
Gregg as he retreated called bas K: :
That's all right, Mr. Ranger. but
you'd better keep to the hills for
| few weeks. The settlers down below
won't enjoy having a man with small
rox chassaying around town. They
might rope and tie you
Wctherford came out of his hiding
place with grave face.
They're right about our staying
clear Of ewn.' said Cavanagh.
They'll quarantine us sure"
Wetherford now that the danger of
arrest was over was disposed to be
| grimly humorous. There's no great
loss without some small gain don't
think We'll be troubled by any more
visitors. not even by sherlffs or doc
tors. reckon you and are in for a
couple Of months of the quiet life-the
kind we read about"
Cavanagh now that he was definite
| lv out of the forest service perceived
the weight Of every objection which
his friends and relatives had made
against his going into 1t. 1t was a
lonely life and must ever be so. 1t
was all very well for a young unmar-
ried man who loved the woods and
hills beyond all things else and who
could wait for advancement, but 1t
was a sad place for one who desired
a wife. The rangers place was on
the trail and in the hills, and to bring
q woman into these high silences, into
these lone reaches of forest and fell,
would be cruel. To bring children into
them would be criminal.
All the next day. while Wetherford
pottered about the cabin or the yard,
Cavanagh toiled at his papers, resolv-
ed to leave everything in the perfect
order which he loved. Whenever he
looked round upon his belongings, each
and all so redolent of the wilderness,
he found them very dear. His chairs.
which he had rived out of slabs: his
guns, his robes, his saddles and their
accOuterments-all meant much to
him. "Some of them must 60 with
me-" he said, "and when am settled
| down in the old home I'll have one
room to myself which shall be SO COM
| pletely of the mountain America that
when | am within it | can fancy my
self back in the camp"
He thought of South Africa as pos
sibility and put it aside, knowing well
that no other place could have the
same indefinable charm that the Rocky
mountains possessed for the reason
that he had come to them at his most
impressionable age. Then, too, the
United States, for all its faults, seem
ed merely an extension of the English
form of government.
Wetherford was also moving in deep
thought and ut last put his perplexity
into question. What am / to dof
I'm beginning to feel queer. / reckon
the chances for my having smallpox
are purity fair. Maybe I'd better drop
down to Sulphur and report to the au-
thorities. I've got a day or two be-
fore the blossoms will begin to show
on me-"
Cavanagh studied him closely. "Now,
don't get to thinking you've got 1t. l
don't see how you could attach
germ. The high altitude and the
winds up there ought to prevent in
fection. I'm not afraid for myself,
but If you're able perhaps we'd better
| pull out tomorrow"
Later in the day Wetherford express
ed deeper detection. II don't see any
thing ahead Of me anyhow" he con-
fessed. 'If go back to the pen I'll
die of lung trouble, and don't know
how I'm going to earn living in the
city. Mebbe the best thing could do
would be to take the pox and 60 un-
der I'm afraid Of big towns" he con-
tinued. 81 always was, even when I
had money. Now that am old and
broke daren't 60. No city for me-"
Cavanagh's patience gave way. But,
man, you can't stay here! I'm pack
| ing up to leave. Your only chance
of getting out Of the country is to go
when l go and in my company" His
voice was harsh and keen, and the old
man felt its edge, but he made no re-
| ply, and this sad silence moved Cav
anagh to repentance. His irritability
warned him of something deeply
changing In his own nature.
Approaching the brooding felon, he
spoke gently and sadly. I'm sorry
for you, Wetherford, l sure am, but
it's up to you to get clear away so that
Lee will never by any possible chance
find out that you are alive. She has
romantic notion of you as a repre-.
sentative of the old time west, and II
would be dreadful shock to her II
she knew you as you are. It's hard to
leave her, know, now that you've
seen her, but that's the manly thing tc
do-the only thing to do"
"Oh, you're right-of course you're
right But l wish / could be of some
use to her. wish could kind of keeE
watch over her. I'd be glad enough te
play the scullion In her kitchen. But
if you're going to take her.
But I'm not" protested Ross. "Tn
going TO leave her right here. can
take her"
Wetherford looked at him witt
steady eyes, into which a keen ligh
leaped. Don't you intend to MARI.