The Delta independent., 1911-04-21
CHAPTER XIV.
SHADOWS ON THE MIST.

ClNIlldu he uOt ueSltdte ~ dCt,
and yet he suffered a mental conflict
as he rode back toward the scene Of
that inhuman sacrifice on the altar of
greed.
at will be hours before any part of
the sheriff's posse can reach the falls,
even though they take to the swiftest
motors. and then other long hours
must intervene before l can ride down
to her Yes, at least day and night
must drag their slow course before l
can hope to be of service to her." And
the thought drew a groan of anxiety
from him. At such moments Of mental
stress the trail is torture and the
mountain side an inexorable barrier.
Halfway to the hills he was inter
cepted by an old man who was at
work on an irrigating ditch beside the
road. He seemed very nervous and
very inquisitive. and as he questioned
the ranger his eyes were like those of
dog that fears his masters hand.
Ross wondered about this afterward,
but at the moment his mind was busy
with the significance of this patient
toiler with spade. He was a prophet
ic figure in the most picturesque and
sterile land of the stockman. Here,
within twenty miles of this peaceful
fruit grower" he said. lis the crown
ing infamy of the freebooting cowboy"
He wondered as he rode on whether
the papers of the state would make a
jest of this deed. "Will this be made
the theme for caustic comment in the
eastern press for day and then be
forgotten"
AS his hot blood cooled he lost faith
in even this sacrifice. &C = anything
change the leopard west into the tame
ness and serenity of the OK? No" he
decided; nothing but death will do
that. This generation. these fierce and
bloody hearts. must die. Only in that
way can the tradition Of violence be
overcome and a new state reared"
AT the foot of the toilsome. upward
winding trail he dismounted and led
his weary horse. Over his head and
about halfway to the first hilltop lay
a roof of heecy vapor. faint purple
in color and seamless in texture.
Through this he must pass. and it sym
bolized to him the line of demarcation
between the plain and the mountain.
between order and violence.
Slowly he led his horse along the
mountain side. grasping with eager de-
sire at every changing aspect of the
marvellous mountain scene. 1t was in
finitely more gorgeous. more compel
ling. than his moonlight experience the
night before.
AS he led his horse out upon a pro-
jecting point of rocky ledge to rest his
love for the range came back upon
him with such power that tears misted
his eyes and his throat ached. where
else will I find such scenes at this?"
he asked himself Where in all the
lowlands could such splendors shine?
How can / leave this high world In
which these wonders come and go?
will not. Here will l bring my bride
and build my home. This is my
world"
But the mist grew gray. the aureOle
of fire faded. the sun went down be-
hind the hills. and the chill OF evening
deepeued on the trail. and as he re-
approached the scene of mans inhu-
manity to man the thought of camping
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 a long letter to Lee vir-
ginia, whose life at that moment was
Cnmfnrt fn hin,
such sweetness. can come from vio-
lence and vulgarity then surely a new
and splendid state can rise even out
of the ashes OF these murdered men,
Perhaps this is the end of the Old
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, "leaving
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. II will
wait" he decided. This shall be the
sign. If this deed goes unavenged
then will put on my badge and my
uniform and go back to the land where
for a hundred years at least such
deeds AS these have been impossible"
He built fire as night fell to serve
both as a beacon and as a 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
dim'y perceptibie. yet august AT this