Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1911-03-16

OH Salu you were Vul on PeA Wv =
II couldn't tell you the whole truth.
replied the fugitive. but Will now
/ was in for life sentence l was
desperate for the open air and home
sick for the mountains, and l struck
down one Of the guards. ! was Will
ing to do anything to get out.
thought If l could get back to this
country and my wife and child I'd be
safe. j sold I'd be willing to go back
to the pen if necessary. but I'm not
| can't do it. I'd die there. You must
save me for my girls sake"
His voice and eyes were wild with
kind Of desperate fury of fear, and
Cavanagh. moved to pity, assured him
of his aid. Now, listen," he said.
Pm going to shield you on account
of your work for that poor shepherd
and for your daughters sake. It's my
duty to apprehend you. of course, but
I'm going to protect you. The SAFEST
thing for you to do is to go back to
my cabin. Ride slow, so as not to get
there till they're gone. They'll ride
over to the sawmill without doubt. Ii
they come back this way remember
that the deputy saw you only as
ragged old man with a long beard and
that Uaines has nothing but printed
description to 60 by. There's no use
trying to flee. You are marked
man in that uniform, and you are
safer right here with me than any
where else this side of Chicago.
Haines is likely to cross the divide in
the belief that you have gone that
way, and If he does you have no one
but the deputy to deal with"
He succeeded at last in completely
rousing the older mans courage.
Wetherford rose to meet his opportu-
nifty. ..I'll do it." he said firmly.
That's the talk" exclaimed Cav
anagh to encourage him. You can
throw them off the track this time. and
when l come back tomorrow I'll bring
some other clothing for you, and then
we'll plan some kind of scheme that
will get you out Of the country. I'll
not let them make scapegOat of you"
The ranger watched the fugitive as
he started back over the trail in this
desperate defiance Of his pursuers with
far less confidence in the outcome than
he had put into words.
"Ali depends on Wetherford himself.
II his nerve does not fail him, II they
take the uniform for granted and do
not carry the matter to the supervisor,
we will pull the plan through" And
in this hope he rode away down the
trail with bent head, for all this bore
heavily upon his relationship to the
girl waiting for him in the valley. He
had thought Lie burden. social
disability, but convict father now
made the mothers faults Of small ac-
count.
The nearer he drew to the meeting
with Lee Virginia the more important
| that meeting became. Cavanagh had
| seen Virginia hardly more than score
Of times, and yet she filed his thought,
! confused his plans, making of his brain
| a place of doubt and hesitation. For
her sake he had entered upon a plan
| to shield a criminal, to harbor an es-
| capped convict. 1t was of no avail to
argue that he was moved to shield
Wetherford because Of his heroic ac
| ton on the peak. He knew perfectly
| we'll that 1t was because he could not
see that fair. brave girl further dis
graced by the discovery Of her fathers
identity, for in the searching inquiry
which would surely follow his secret
would develop.
To marry her. knowing the character
of her father and her mother. was
madness. and the voice within him
warned him of his folly pure wa
ter cannot be drawn from corrupt
sources it is said Nevertheless the
thought of having the girl with him
in the Wilderness filed him with di-
vine recklessness. While still he de.
bated. alternately flushed with resolve
to be happy and chilled by some
strange detection. he met Swenson, the
young guard who guarded the forest
Oh the South Fork
AS he rode up Cayanagh perceived
In the other mans face something pro.
foundly serious. He did not smile in
greeting, as was usual with him, and.
taking some letters from his pocket,
passed them over in ominous silence
He had face of such bitterness that
IT broke through even the absorbed
and selfish meditation into which Cav
anagh had been thrown.
whats the matter. Swenson? You
look as II you had lost friend"
Il have" answered the guard short
iy, land so have you. The chief is
OUT
"WhatY'
They've got him.! he exclaimed.
Hes out"
Cavanagh sprang up. 81 don't be-
lieve 1t. For what reason? WhyT
Don't that letter tell you? The whole
town Is chuckling. Every criminal and
plug ugly in the country is splitting in
our faces this morning. Yes, sir. the
president has fired the chief-the man