Semi-weekly herald., 1911-03-20

there beside those charred limbs call
ed for heroic RESOLUTION. He was hun
cry. too, and as the air pinched he
shivered.
"At the best the sheriff cannot reach
here before midnight" he said. and
settled down to his unsought, revolving
vigil.
His one relief lay in the mental com
position of II long letter to Lee yir-
ginia, whose life ut that moment was
comfort to him. 'If such purity.
such sweetness, can come from vio-
lence and vulgarity then surely n new
and splendid state can rise even out
OF the ashes of these murdered men
Perhaps this is the end of the DID,"
he mused, perhaps this is the begin
ming OF the new" and as he pondered
the last faint crimson died out OF the
west 80 must the hate and violence
die out OF America" he said '1eaying
the clear. sweet air OF liberty behind"
He was near to the poet at the mo-
ment. for he was also the lover. His
allegiance to the great republic stood
the test. His faith In democracy was
shaken. but not destroyed. 81 will
wait" he decided. "This shall be the
| sign, II this deed goes unavenged
then will / put Off my badge and my
uniform and go back to the land where
for hundred years at least such
deeds as these have been impossible"
He built fire as night fell to serve
both as beacon and as defense
against the cold. He felt himself
weirdly remote In this vigil From
his far height he looked abroad upon
the tumbled plain as II upon an ocean
dimly perceptible yet august AT this
moment" he said. curious and per
haps guilty eyes are wondering what
my spark of freight may mean"
His mind went again and again to
that tall old man in the ditch What
was the meaning of his scared and
sorrowful glance? Why should one
30 peacefully employed at such II time
and In such n place wear the look OF
hunted deer? What meant the tire.
NOR In his voice?
Was It possible that one 50 gentle
"Preposterous suspicion, and yet he
3 hhu Bullty look.
AT last. far In the night. he heard
the snort OF n horse and the sound OF
voices. The law (such as It was) was
{ creeping up the mountain side In the
person OF the sherlff of Chnuvenet
county and was about to relieve the
ranger from his painful responsibility
as guardian OF the dead.
At last lie came, this officer OF the
law, attended dixie u Cheyenne chief)
by dozen lesser warriors of various
conditions and kinds, but among them
Indeed, second only to the sheriff
was Hugh Redfcld, the forest super
visor, hot and enger with haste.
As they rode up to the fire the officer
called out: "Howdy. ranger? How
about it?''
Ross stated briefly. succinctly. what
he had discovered, and as he talked
other riders came up the hill and gath
cred closely around to listen In word
less silence-in guilty silence. the
ranger could not help believing.
Red6eld spoke. "Sherifr Van Horne.
you and | have been running cattle In
this country for nearly thirty years.
and we've witnessed all kinds Of shoot
Ing and several kinds OF hanging, but
when 1t comes to chopping and burn
ing men l get OF. shall personally
offer reward of 81 900 for the ap-
prehension of these miscreants, and I
hope you'll make 1t your solemn duty
to hunt them to earth.'
you won't have far to CO." remark
ed Ross significantly.
What do you meanT' asked the
sheriff.
II mean this slaughter, like the 9TH
ers that have taken place. was the
work of cattlemen who claim this
range. Their names are known to us
ALL"
A silence followed-so deep a silence
that the ranger was convinced Of the
fact that in the circle of his listeners
stood those who. II they had not
shared In the slaughter. at least knew
the names of the guilty men.
At last the sheriff spoke, this time
with a sigh. II hope you're all wrong.
Cavanngh. I'd hate to think any con
stituent OF mine had sanctioned this
The group OF ranchers dismounted
and followed the sheriff over to the
grewsome spot. but Redheld stayed
with the ranger.
Have you any suspicion, RossT'
mo. hardly suspicion. However.
you know as well us | that this was
not sudden outbreak. This deed was
planned. 1t represents the feeling Of
many cattlemen-in everything but the
extra horror OF It's execution. That
was the work OF drunken. infuriated
men. But / am more deeply concern
ed over Miss Wetherford's distress
Did she reach you by telephone to.
nightr'
mo. What's the troubleT'
Her mother IL down again. tele-
phOned her. and she asked me to come
to her, but l cannot go. for l have a
case OF smallpox up on the hill Am
bro. the Basque herder, is down with
1t, and another herder IL up there alone
with him. | must go back to them.
But meanwhile / wish you would 20 to
the Fork and see what you can do for
her."
His voice, filed with emotion, touch
ed Redneld. and he said. Cant go to