Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-03-15

ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE TRAVELLING ON
SECRET MISSION
civilian employees OF the government
travel on regular tickets like other
people"
Il know they do" admitted the 9th
er, and then. with sharp side glance
which Blount missed, especially If
they are travelling on a secret mission"
You needn't be alarmed. You have
not told me anything the government
could make use off, returned Blount,
carrying the jest one necessary move
further along.
1t was precisely at this point, as
Blount remembered afterward, that
the forestry subject was dropped.
Later on. after the talk had drifted
back TO mining and from mining into
politics, the hawk faced man announc-
ed his intention of going back TO his
section in the body of the car 10 take
nap.
little further along toward evening
the great range which had been visible
for hours in the west began 10 define
itself in peaks and high. bald shoulder
ings Of wind swept mesas, and Blount
the Homecoming wanderers Guickened
pulse answering to the nearer view Of
the mountains.
At the dining car dinner. which was
served while the high peaks of the
main range were still rejecting the
crimson and gold Of the sunset, BlOunt
missed his luncheon companion.
Now that he recalled it he remem-
bered that he had seen nothing of the
} hawk faced man since the early after
noon. But the absence of companion
ship was a relief rather than a depriVa.
ton.
Almost without knowing It he found
himself Fastening through his dinner
so that he might return TO the Pullman
window. When at length he had the
lOugcd for sight of a bunch of cattle,
with the solitary night herd hanging
by one leg in the saddle 70 watch the
passing train. the call Of the west was
once more trumpetinE in his ears.
At Il small timber shipping station
well within the mountains where the
logs were shot down to the mills in
. trougb-lise water chute from the wood
ed heights twenty miles distant there
was q longer stop than usual, and
BlOunt got of 10 make inquiries.
There was & freight wreck ar some
point few miles farther west, and
the train would probably be delayed
for several hours.
BY this time Blouut was on we'll re
msmbered ground. Forty miles away
in a direction somewhat east OF north
lay the Blount home domain, where he
-. A.
hours gallop 10 the westward the level
rays of the setting sun would be play
ing upon the little station Of Painted
Hat. which had been the shipping point
for the home ranch. And halfway be
tween Painted Hat and the Circle Bar
, lay the horse Corrals Of one Debbleby,
= hermit OF the mountains and the
boy Evans earliest schoOlmaster in the
great book Of nature.
Since Blount could not go on by
train. what was TO prevent the taking
Of an immediate and delightful plsnge
into the land Of heart stirring recol-
IectionS?
Arranging with the Pullman con
ductor TO have his hand baggage left
in Gantry'S Office at the capital. Blount
crossed quickly TO a livery stable OPP
posite the station, bargsined for sad
die horse, borrowed a poncho and a
pair OF leggings and presently. with
the squeak OF the saddle leather max
ing sweet music in his ears, had bro
ken violently, for the moment at least,
with ali the civilized traditions.
He would 20 TO see Debbleby; drop
in upon the old ranchman without
warning and thus get his first taste Of
the homeland unmixed with any OF