The Raymer enterprise., 1917-11-01
CHAPTER IV-Contlnued.

I'm afraid he'd have to loosen up
on his record little before we could
bring him In here. Badly rs we're
needing money man. We can hardly
AFFORD 10 put John Smith into the
saddle-at least not without knowing
what bis other name used to be"
No; Of course not. guess. after
all, he's only lame duck like good
many Of the rest OF them. Day before
yesterday. Burdell, the deputy sheriff.
was out at the camp looking the gangs
over for the fellow who broke into
Lannignn's place last Saturday night.
When he came into the Office Smith
was busy with an estimate, and Bur
dell went up and touched him on the
shoulder, Just to let him know that II
was time to wake up. Suffering cats
II took three OF US to keep him from
breaking Burdell In two and throwing
him out Of the window !"
THAT looks rather bad" was the
presidents comment. Col Dexter Bald
win had been the first regularly elect
ed sheriff Of Timanyoni county In the
early days and he knew the symptoms.
"Was Burdell wearing his star where
II could be seen7"
The engineer nodded.
"What explanation did Smith maker"
"Oh, he apologized like a gentleman,
and said he was subject to little nery-
Gus attacks like that when anybody
touched him Unexpectedly. He took
Burdell over TO Pete Slmm's shack sa-
loon and bought him a drink. Perkins,
the timekeeper. says hos going to get
a megaphone so he ean give due notice
in advance when he wants to call
Smiths attention..
The colonel pulled out a drawer In
the desk. found his box OF diplomatic
cigars and passed II to the engineer,
saying: Light up sure-enough good
one. and tell me what you think Smith
has been doing back yonder In the
other country"
Williams took the cigar but he SHE'D
at the conundrum.
"Ask me something ensy," he said.
"Tve stacked up few guesses. He's
from the middle West--as the Bible
says, his speech betrayeth' him-nnd
he's had a good Job Of some kind; the
kind that required him to keep abreast
OF things. II there's anything In looks,
you'd say he wasn't n thief or an en-
bezzler. and yet It's pretty apparent
that he's been used to handling money
in chunks and making II work for Its
living. I've put II up that there's a
woman In It. Perhaps the other fel-
low got In his way. or came up behind
him and touched him Unexpectedly. or
something OF that sort. Anyway I'm
not going to believe he's a crooked
crook until I have to-"
Colonel Baldwin helped himself to
one OF his own cigars, and the talk
went back to business. In the irri-
cation project, Williams was n stock
holder as well as chief OF construction,
and Baldwin had more than once
found him a safe adviser. There was
need for counsel. The Timanyonl
Ditch company was In rather hazard
Gus condition financially. and the presi-
dent and Williams rarely met without
coming sooner or later to q threshlng
out Of the situation.
The difficulties were those which are
apt to confront small md local enter
prise when II 10 so unfortunate as to
get In the way OF larger undertakings.
Colonel Baldwin. and a group Of his
neighbors on the north side Of the
river, were reformed cattlemen and
horse breeders. Instead of drifting
farther west 10 advance OF the incom-
Ing tide of population following the
coming Of the railroad. they had
avalled themselves OF their homestead
rights and had taken up much Of the
grass land In the favorable valleys, ir-
rgatlng II at first with water taken
out Of the river In private or neighbor-
hood bitches.
Later on came the sheep-feeding
period. and after that the utilization
OF lnrger rrop- raising arpas The smalI