Evening star., 1911-07-30
6

lost all of restraint stable had meant
anything like this. The cement floors spoeSs and
the long line of stalls of polished wood with brass newels
and fittings shone like the silver in the dining
The mats and blankets of blue and each bore the
monogram of the owner in yellow.
"TheSe the coach and carriage horses, Camilla"
Bent explained.
eyes, Ma am" put in the groom. @The hunters
here" and he led the way to the boXstalls."
"Where is Mackinaw? Mr. Janney promised him to
for tomorrow"
@Mackinaw is right here, Maam. And fine bit of
flesh he is He in and threw off the blanket while
Camilla followed "Not blemish. Hell take his four
rails like they two Just give him his head and you
won't be far off when they kill"
ooh, what a darlingi I'm wild to get on him. Is he
gentle?"
She patted him on the neck and he nosed her pocket
for sugar. One by one she saw them all, and they
reached the kennels in time for the evening meal.
"Oh, WELL" she sighed as they turned back toward
the house. "Im almost reconcied to riches One could
live in place like this and forget there was anything
else in the world
@Yes, perhaps some people might" he said signifi-
cantly. Il couldn't even if | wanted to. The only
real Joy in life is the memory of sasuache Peak at
Sunsets pass--theyre symbols of the brevity of
things beautiful"
aBut the night is long" he murmured, $50 long and
so dark"
Jeff WRAYwas learning many things. The arrival of
Lawrence Berkey on the scene had at tlrst seemed
rather alarming Several wires in cipher before Larry
reached New York had apprsed Jeff of an uncertain
of mind in members of the directorate of the Den
yer & Western Railroad Company Collins, Hardy,
and even lin Noakes had been approached by repre-
sentatves of the Chicago Utah with hatter1ng offers
for their interests in the D. & w. and Berkey reported
them the horns of a dilemma.
Collins and Hardy big owners OF land that lay
along the trunk line and dependent that COM
pany for all facilities for moving their wheat and other
crops 1t had always been easy get to haul
their stuff market and this fall they got their hay
and potatoes in only by dspensation from the men
higher up. Noakes, as Jeff well knew, owned stock
in the through ine but the showing of the Saguache
Mountain Development Company for the year had been
strong that he had felt his associates would see
the Importance of keeping their interests intact tenn
porzing where they could with the Denver crowd who
had it in their power to threaten his connections at
Saguache.
Mulrennan wiring Jeff copiously. There was
election pending in Kenney, and the Denver crowd
had advanced candidate for Judge in opposition to
the party with which Pete affiliated Other re-
ports both in New York and from the West indicated
strong pressure from the East the officers OF the
d. & W. Berkely viewed all these indications of
concerted movement against Jefs railroad with in
creasing dismay, and lost no time IN giving him his
opinion to the possible outcome of the raid.
But Jeff apparently losing sleep over the stu
alton. He fully that the whole movement
had originated in New York, and that Cornelius Bent
and his crowd were back Of it. He knew too that the
Analgamated Reduction Company wanted his new
smeer. Long ago he had foreseen this possibility,
and had laid his plans accordingly. The Denver &
Saguache was his. With Noakes Collins, and Hardy
he had control of the Denver & Western; but their
possible defection-whch he had also foreseen-had
made other plans necessary.
Three months before he East through other
persons he had unobtrusively secured right of way
from Saguache Pueblo distance Of hundred and
twenty miles. The line of this survey was well the
southwark and would open up country occupied only
by small settlers under the homestead laws. He had
turned the organization of the Development Company
loose for Two months that vast tract OF land and
had at reasonably small expense secured by purchase
long time options the most valuable land along his new
line. His engineers Germans, imported for the
work, who had affiliations with other roads, and his
a6 q tarW ed O 10 a e lad n lSO