Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-07-13

Of grent commonwealth ms an impenetrable shield.
between the convicted man and those who would take
his life At the bottom the autograph Of the
governor and the seal of the state stamped gold.
At the sight Of the signature, something in the young
fellows blood seemed to leap into fame.
And the wires down, and nobod7 in Ventroa
knows of this?" he demanded
That's it, The wires down and nobody knows.
Ny Cod! The governors messenger covered his eyes
with his hands. Dave McCarter gazed down at him
instant in silence and then turned away. Erect.
straght-lipped and suddenly pale with the rcall.
cation of his responsibility he stood looking off at the
pinc-clad hills facing the problem of the neeting
seconds and the inexorable miles. In a sense, the
task was not new TO him. For years he had been
used. when something was to be done. to provide
or If necessary to nvent-the means for its doing.
lost watched his face with gradual hope dawning
in his Presently McCarter thrust the envelope
into the bosom Of his gray flannel shirt wheeled
abruptly upon the PROSTATE man, and, STOPPING,
grasned him almost savagely by the arm
"Gct up"
1t was the voice of the gang boss MS void of sympn-
thy as the blow of an AK but vibrant with action.
Water the at that trough. Three four
swallows. Then choke her off and cinch up the sad
The final words came back he lifted the latch Of
the Toulouse door For an instant the MESSENGER
something was to be done vitalized him into action
McCarter returned with coil of rope.
There's chance lett he explained 4h while n, he
cat, but it's being here at all comes damn close
to a miracle that it puts it up TO us good and hard
I reckon" he added slowly. "the governor has right
to count anyway-in any sort Of ruction.
Lend hand here. Help me empty the water from
this trough
tuesdays and Fridays" he continued, lone of
Wells Fargo's mail carriers rides down the Kitson
Grade from Markleeville and Silver Mountain. This
is Friday The Grade runs close along the farther
bank of the creek in the bed of the canon right along
by the side of dam. I'm going fire the old trough
down ut him with the paper on board. If he's within
hundred yards of the place when she makes the
trip. he'll take notice"
At McCarers command, Yost fastened en1 Of
the rope around the horn and cantle of his saddle
while the foreman double looping and hitching
the other about the big logfor the trough was the
rough-hewn trunk of Douglass spruce dug out to
its purpose With sounding slap her
launches and many shouts of encouragement. Nc
Carter drove the mare across the clearing to the
mouth of the long chute down which the company's
logs sent to the dam in Taggarts Creek. nearly
seven hundred feet below When they had dragged
the trough well out over the hump from which
tcnpound push would set it on its flight McCarter
unhtchol the mare and again slackcned the sur
cinGle. Then. once more he looked at his watch
"He's due to pass at anywhere from five to fifteen
minutes, and he'll ride fast. He'll show when he first
swings around that quarter-cut in the bottom Of that
hill over across the canon We must wait. log
hits the water from here in less than fifteen seconds
by the watch But-hes the last human creature
that'll make Nentrola before Keep your eye on
that notch in the edge of the hill"
And Yost, spent with WEAKNESS. hunger. and the
terrible dread of failure fixed his gaze-and with it,
it seemed his life-on the point where the Kitson
Grade first struck down into the Taggart Creek
Canon. For the moment McCarter's attention was
held by he details of the mans appearance: the evil
dcnces OF that blind ride out along the ridge Slight
of stature and with delicate skin, it was easily clear
tiat ne was new to his present service PROBABLY
an attache of the governors office chosen for
this special mission by reason Of the personal con-
fdence of his chief His hands were scratched and
bleeding, his clothing was rent and torn in score OF
places, and there ugly blue welt across his
left cheek where the limb of tree had dashed him
in the darkness. His tongue, every and then,
mostening his parched and cracking lips, and his
forehead cleaning with perspiraton For an
instant Dave NIcCarter awoke to he fact that the
suffering.
"Theres stuff to eat and drink in the bar
racks-the last of the three shachs rhe doors I'M
locked"
Yost did look up and may not have heard.
McCarter leaned forward to test the poise of the
in motion, Then his vision ran idly down the long
runway of POLISHED pine. For hundred and fifty
feet its pitch was rather a fall than slope. Below
that it swept forward in long graceful curve and
reached the bank of the dam almost on the level But
the impetus of that first appalling plunge! lie had
seen great pine boles rush down that fearful path,
kissing and splitting fire they fed Some times he
had seen them dash heading ana furious, across the
surface of the dam to "kili' themselves against Il
long Outreachng granite rock which forever lur-
Ing them to combat Dead Mans Rock the loggers
and to the who signed il. Few things. in his
present mood could so have stirred his imagination
the sight of that signature. The who wrote
it had his Office by splendid fight in the open
against the great corporation which for years had
Early in the contest the situation had touched some
unexpected spring of sentiment In Dave McCarters
nature and reused him to action. With the zeal of
born fighter he threw himself brain and body, into the
contest Regardless of camapign committees or theil
programmes, he canvassed pretty much every mining
camp and logging outfit in his county, and the rougl
vigor Of his thought and speech told in the returns
Tucked away somewhere In his trunk two
page letter of thanks bearing the bold autograph
that which now forbade the execution of William
Gates.
But out Of that memorable campaign. now near
six months gone by the young maintaineer hat
brought one bitter regret regret which, puere as
in its origin had proved itself strangely persist
emit Largely through his efforts during tn
closing week of that strenuous contest grand rally II
the interests Of his candidate was planned and held
the town of Ventrola McCarer a member of tn
Reception Committee and so would have come int
close personal contact with the who had aI
pealed powerfully to his own nature 1t was a.
experience entirely aside from any that had yet com
his way 1t would have been a red-letter day in hi
life.
But at the last moment he robbed Of hi
triumph He stricken down with a fever AM