The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1917-03-30
A SHERIFF'S
STORY
The Only Life He Took
That Troubled Him.
BY WILLARD BLAKEMAN

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Jake Rodman was a sheriff in the
then territory of Dakota. He had land
ed more desperadoes alive and dead
than any other sheriff, but it must be
admitted that by far the larger NUM-
Der were dead when captured. for very
few of them could be taken alive. BE-
sides, Rodman didn't take any chances,
for an officer Of the law was no more
immune from these people than any
one else. l once asked him II he had
any shrinking at killing one of them
or any qualms afterward. He replied
that IL he had been built that way they
would have landed him instead of his
landing them.
But there was one killin'." lie said.
that has troubled me ever since. !
wake up nights some time and get to
thinkin' about it and always feel the
same sinkin' about the heart. 1t was
this way:
Before ] was made sheriff | was
workin on ranch owned by a gen.
tleman as had come out from the east.
He had been "a banker or somep'n like
that. but had given up the business to
bring his daughter, little gal about
nineteen, who was threatened with
consumption. out here, hopin' the air
would do her good. Havin plenty of
money, the natural thing fer him to
do was to buy a ranch and stock 1t.
But he didn't care nothin about that.
except to give him somep'n to do. He
was bound up In his daughter Susie.
just as everybody else was. Talk about
heart winners, Susie could slaughter
more people that way than any one |
ever seen. There wasn't any one on
the ranch or off'n it that wouldn't
swaller dose o. lead fer her.
Il never could tell jist what it was
about her that had this effec, but
allowed the principal part Of It was
that her heart went out to every
body. When they was hankerin' to
do sumpin fer her she was worryin'
because they was putin themselves
out'n their way on her account. Be
sides, delicate people allus attract
strong ones. Susie was so frail she
looked as IL the fust good wind that
blew would carry her away. But be,
sides all this thur was somep'n win
min about her that no one could reck.
on on.
Il got ahead of every one else with
her this way: owned bl0oded mare
that was as easy managed as a kitten
and could git along like the wind.
Nothin' Susie liked better'n to ride on
horseback. but she wouldn't ride any
other horse than my Kate | used to
go with her lots O. times, fer her ia
Their wouldn't let her go alone and
didn't like to have her go under the
care o any one else. | was only about
ten years older than Susie and I'M
married; but, laws. Id as soon cal
culated on maxim love to some gal as
come down from heaven! But this
didn't matter nohow. fer there was a
young gent as he'd left college to go
to ranchin' that Susie had met and
tumbled to. IN our rides togather she
got confidential with me and tole me
all about 1t; tole me when the Teller
hisself didn't know nothin' at all about
It. In fac | was the only pusson as |
knowed it except the little gal herself. |
This young mans. Dick Walcott's, |
ranch was n matter O fifty miles from
)urn. which was known as the Court
ney ranch from Susie's father, who
owned 1t. But Walcott used to come
over quite frequent, maxim excuses
all the time. to see Susie. Gosh. how
he young Teller was wrapt up In her.
He would any time have crawled on
he ground before her. She tole me
she didn't let on she cared any more
'er him than any one else. because she
wasn't strong and healthy and wasn't
yillin' to pull any man down by mar
yin him. .Jist think O. this angel
'onfidin' this to a rough Teller like me
when nobody else knowed 1t!
There was one o the herders In Mr.
'ourtney's employ that was bad egg
lie TUX some sort O malice agin young
Valcott. | didn't know the reason at
rst. / jist reckoned that Walcott had
reated him like the galoot be was.
his herder, Jim Stiggs. was not only
powerful man. but was one O the
uickest and straightest shots | ever
cen. allus allowed that il had a
ispute with him I wouldn't do much
leepin', but would keep my right eye
n him continually till the fracas was
ettled. l was sorry he'd turned agin
Valcott, for Walcott was no match
er him whatever-more of Teller to ,
andle books than revolvers. Mind !,
on. ! wasn't thinkin' of Walcott. |
'as fearful for Susie, KNOWN mighty
'ell that If anything happened to him ,
would knock her into smithereens.
well, one day the secret of Stiggs' :
islike came out with a vengeance.
uCin n olI 81