Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-07

tells Bill to and meet Harjes the forks Of the
trail that night and say whether YOU all have gone down
record, and that then he'll get the rest OF his money
he got for sellin and old Hardpan out. just waits
till he slips out, and slips out after him gets there
about as he does, an an hears the finish.
You Bill is to play innocent an not know nothin'
all about it, because he just plain sneak. Harles
paws him some money with all them tough men ooSin
on and says, III stick here till dawn and that gives
you time to get back and look sound asleep anything
busts loose
Il have hard work to beat Bill back to the camp:
then, as soon he's slipped in the clubhouse, me
watchn him all the time from the there by the
cabin, gives you the call All | went back for
was nv gun Not that wanted to use it Just then
that give if had to; but because wanted to
show Bill Ridley up before you ALL and the men that
hired him, and make him admit it.
Bill didn't show the way hoped he would. He got
and lost his temper. That's bad thing for any
man. gunman other, to do. He tried to pull on
I've shot in half the time it took me to get him.
And, Jim, amt very sorry for it. The ain t no man
of size beat UP the way he did, an none
bigger that tackled the job and lived blow about
it That's what he did there in the clubhouse one night
Renemberin' that it would make a heap of trouble
for you boys if did anything stood for It, and rolled
till my back to him, an let the other felers
think didn't have no sand So he got naser an mas
tier, an kept putin curb bits my temper-an then
he went too far,
Hes gone now and I've got YOU all, my friends, in
nice m,,ss an that's the only thing IN sorry for!
lin looked across the resoute face and the steady
eyes and said nothing He compelled to admit to
himself that he could blame this of primitive
instincts
that any who had SO lately slain another should
have been distressed by conscience. Summed up,
however it did also that Ridley, bully, gunman,
traitor and brawer, had come to the only end that he
could reasonably have expected.
THEY did not stop at noon time was too precious.
They watched the creep across the shadows
begin twist and waver. then to lengthen and dsap
pear Their horses were tired and tagging Their own
bodies ached. They were hungry and exhausted when
they came to Wietts camp the outlying post OF
timber company which kept fire wardenS its do
main.
But here they were doomed to disappointment; for
all WllettS horses, his ridden by
the subwardens who paroed that great divide. Wlett
they could with the urgency of their needs and
he gave them advice.
"Theres another station fifteen miles across that
Cowlck spur" he said And if you boys want to hike
there I'll get busy the telephone and see to 1t
that couple of horses fresh they've got, will be
turned over to you. Then you hire good man
bring EN- back, if there's extra man there who
can be spared I'll have him go with you and return
them know how it is. Been through the mill myself.
He put out his hand Frenchy and shook it as if to
express his sympathy. ats not nice fix to get into"
he said "but there times when just does seem as
if it can't be helped
He accompanied them for mile and half on their
trail to show them the and put them into one of the
ranger paths that thread the lumbermen's divide.
$50 long!' he said. "Wish you luck, Boys and
turned back.
They we're too tired to talk, and too determined
to waste breath on speech, as they plodded along
through the night. Up to where the timber line
approached and the forests thin they longer OBJ
structed the rays of the they went before they
dropped down the long steady slant that to take
them to the other camp Jim, who knew that Frenchy
had slept little the previous night, marveled at
the little mans vitality; yet there he went sturdy and
wirv, INCREASINGLY his iron will had conquered all
physical fatigue Jim grew tired and footsore and yet
Frenchy set the pace perstenty at gait that covered
the miles.
THERE it is think" the latter said quietly as he
sighted light through distant trees, and they
went toward it freely, knowing that behind that
light men were awaiting them.