The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-02-11


HE AWAITED THE APPROACHING HORSE
MEN, RESOLUTE AND READY TO ACT.
saddle blanket"
Gregg threw out hand in COM
mand. tOpen it up. NEdwards!" he
said sullenly.
Or came the outfit, and under the
tent lay the noble head of a wild ram.
a look of reproach still in his splendid
yellow eyes.
Cavanagh's face hardened. 81
thought so. Now heave it back and
cinch up. It's you to the nearest
magistrate. which happens to be Hig-
ley OF Roaring Fork. IN make an ex-
ample Of you fellows"
There was nothing for Gregg to say
and nothing for Edwards to do but
obey, for a resolute ranger with an
excellent weapon Of the latest and
most approved angular pattern stood
ready to enforce his CT mmand. and
when the pack was recinched Cava-
nagh waved an imperative hand. 81
guess I'll have to take charge of your
guns" he said. and they yielded with
out a word Of protest Nov march!
Take the left hand trail"
A couple Of hours Of slant travel
brought them to the rangers cabin,
and there he ordered dismount.
As the coffee was boiling he lectured
them briefly. You fellows are not
entirely to blame" he remarked philo-
sophically. You've been educated to
think a game warden a joke and On
Gle Sam long way of. But things
have changed a bit. The law Of the
state has made me game warden. and
I'm going to show you how it works.
It's my duty to see that you go down
the road-and down you go!"
Edwards. the guide. was plainly
very uneasy and made several at
tempts to reach Cavanagh's private
ear and at last succeeded. 1--WE been
fooled into this" he urged. Il was
hard up and stranger in the country.
and this young fellow hired me to
guide him across the range. / didn't
shoot a thing. / swear ! didn't. Ii
you'll let me OF I'll hit the trail to
the west and never look back. Don't
take me down the road. Let me orr
II can't do that" replied Cavanagh.
but his tone was kindlier. for he per-
ceived that the old fellow was thin,
hollow chested and poorly clad. "You
knew you were breaking the laws.
didn't your
This the culprft admitted. "But
was working for Sam Gregg. and wheI
Joe asked me TO go show him the trail
didn't expect to get cinched for kill
ing game l didn't fire a shot-now
that's the truth"
Nevertheless" retorted Ross, ''you
were packing the head, and I mus.
count you in the game"
Edwards fell silent then. but some
thing in his look deepened the rangers
pity. His eyes were large and dark.
and his face SO ernaciated that he
seemed fit only for a sanitarium.
The trip to the Fork (timed to the
gait of a lazy pack horse, was a tedious
eight hours march. and 1t was nearly
o'clock when they arrived at the out
skirts Of the village.
To the casual observer in a town of
this character there was nothing spe
driving pack horse. but to those
whose eyes were keen the true rela-
honship of the ranger to his captives
was instantly apparent, and when they
alighted at Judge Higley's office a
bunch of eager observers quickly COL
lected
Hello. joel What luck?" called Bal
lard.
Our luck was little too good-we
caught game warden" replied the
young scapegrace.
The ranger was chagrined to ind the
Office Of the justice closed for the day
and. turning to his captives. said: I'm
hungry, and I've no doubt you are.
I'm going to take you into Mike Hal.
sey's saloon for supper. but remember
you are my prisoners
In fifteen minutes the town was rum
bling with the news. Under Billiards.
devilry all the latent hatred of the
| ranger and all the concealed opposition
to the forest service came to the sur
face like the scum on a pot of broth
The saloons and eating houses boiled
with indignant protest. What bust
ness Is 1t Of Ross Cavanagh's?" the,
demanded. What call has he to in
terfere? He's not game warden"
Yes, he Is. All these rangers are
game wardens." corrected another.
mo, they're not. They have to be
| commissioned by the governor"
well, he's been commissioned. He's
warden all right"
81 don't believe It. Anyhow. he's too
| fresh. He needs to have halt. Let's
| do him. Let's bIuf him out"
Lee Virginia was in the kitchen SUI
perintending the service when ono of
| the walters came in GREATNESS with
| excitement. Ross Cavanagh has shot
Joe Gregg for killing sheep!
Lee faced her with blanched face.
| "Who told you sop
They're all talking about 1t out
there. Gee, but they're hot! Some OF
'em want TO lynch him."
| Lee hurried out into the dining room,