Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-01-04

SclOuSueSS OF now pdSSlOndLely he now
chung to this thing which would blot
out his former infamy. He never
forgot that he was free Strangely,
too along with this feeling of new
manhood there gathered the force of
imperious desire to run these chief
outlaws to their dooms He never
called them 0utIaws-but rustlers,
thieves, robbers, murderers, criminals,
He sensed the growth Of u relentless
driving passion, and sometimes he
feared that, more than the newly
acquired zeal and pride i'll this ranger
service, it was the old, terrible in
heritcd killing instinct lifting it's
hydra-head in new guise.
This night a wonderful afterglow
fingered long in the west, and against
the golden-red of clear sky f. o bold,
black head of Mount Ord reare. itself
al0ft, beautiful but aIOOf sinister yet
calling. Small wonder that Duane
gaZed in fascination upon the peak
Somewhere deep in it's corrugated
sides or lost in a rugged canyon was
hidden the secret stronghold of the
master outlaw Cheseldne All down
along the ride from Ell Paso Duane
had heard of Cheseldine, Of his band,
his fearful deeds, his cunning, his
widely separate raids Of his fitting
here and there like a Jack-o'-lantern
but never a word Of his den, never a
word Of his appearance.
Next morning Duane did not return
to Ord. He struck off to the north,
riding down a rough, Notwithstanding
road that appeared to have been used
occasionally for cattle-driving AS
he had ridden in from the west, this
northern direction led him into totally
unfamiliar country. While he passed
on, however, he exercised such keen
observation that in the future he
would know whatever might be of
service to him if he CHANGED that
way again.
After a couple of hours riding he
entered a town which he soon dis
covered to be Bradford. 1t was the
largest town he had visited since
MARTA, and he calculated must have
al
habitants, not including Mexicans.
He decided this would be a good
place for him to hold up for while,
being the nearest town to Ord, only
forty miles away. So he hitched his
horse in front of a store and leisureIy
set about studying Bradford.
It was after dark, however,
that Duane verified his suspicious CON
corning Bradford. The town was
awake after dark, and there was one
long row of saloons, dance-halls,
gambling-resOrts in full blast Duane
visited them all, and was surprised
to see Witness and license equal to
that of the old river camp OF BANDS
in its paimipst days. Here it was
forced upon him that the farther west
one Travelled along the river the
sparser the respectable settlements,
the more numerous the hard charac-
ters and in consequence the greater
the element of laWlessneSs. Duane
returned to his clearinghouse with the
conviction that MacNelIys task of
cleaning up the Big Bend country
was Il stupendous one. Yet he re-
Elected, a company of intrepid and
understanding rangers could have
soon cleaned up this Bradford.
The innkeeper had one other guest
that night, long-coated and wide
sombrer0ed Texan who reminded
Duane Of his grandfather. This man
had penetrating eyes, a courtly man
ner and an unmistakable leaning to
ward companionship and mintjulcps
The gentleman introduced himself as
Colonel Webb, of Marta, and took it
as a matter of course that Duane
made no comment about himself.
Duane, as always, was good
listener. Colonel Webb told, among
other things, that he had come out
to the Big Bend to look over the
affairs of a deceased brother who
had been rancher and a sheriff of
one of the towns, Fairdale by name.
Found no affairs, no ranch, not
even his grave" said Colonel Webb.
And l tell you, sir, if hells any
tougher than this Fairdale I don't
want to eXpiate my sins there
'Fairdale. l imagine sheriffs
have hard row to hoe out here"
replied Duane, trying not to appear
curious.
The Colonel swore Justify.
what this frontier needs, sir, is
about six companies of Texas Rang
ers. A fine body of men, sir. and the
salvation of Texas"
Governor Stone doesn't entertain
that opinion" said Duane
Here Colonel Webb exploded. Mani
testify the governor was not his choice
for a chief executive of the great
state. He talked politics for while,
and Of the vast territory west of the
Pecos that seemed never to get a