Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-07-09
CHAPTER XVI
Erednn

Freedom.
On the northern bank of the Tim
anyoni the Brewster street, of which
the wagon bridge is a prolongation,
becomes a country road, forking a
few hundred yards from the bridge
! approach to send one of it's branch
ings northward among the Little
| Creek ranches and another westward
up the right bank of the stream.
At this fork of the road, between
eleven and twelve o'clock of the
night of alarms, Sheriff Harding's
party of special deputies began to
assemble. Under each mans saddle
flap was slung the regulation weapon
of the West-a scabbarded repeating
rife; and the small troop punching
| itself in the river road looked SER
viceably militant and husinesslike.
An automobile rolled silently down
the mesa road from the north and
came to a stand among the horses
The sheriff drew rein beside the car
and spoke to one of the two occu-
| pants:
Well Mr.. Smith, we're all here"
How many?" was the curt ques-
ton.
Twenty"
Good. Here is your authority
handing the legal papers to the Off
Ger. Before we go in you ought to
know the facts. A few hours ago a
man named McGraw, calling himself
deputy United States marshal and
claiming to be acting under instruc-
tons from Judge Lorching's court in
Red Butte, took possession of our
dam and camp. On the even chance
that he isn't what he claims to be,
we are going to arrest him and
every man in his crowd. Are you
game for it?'
I'm game to serve any papers
that Judge Warmers got the nerve
to ISSUE" was the big mans reply.
That's the talk; that's what
hoped to hear you say. Was Stanton
arrested ?"
He sure was. Strothers found him
in the Hophra House bar, and the
line of talk he turned loose would
have set wet blanket afire. Just
the same, he had to go along with
Jimmie and get himself locked up"
That is the first step; now If
you're ready, we'll take the next"
Harding rode forward and the ad-
vance began. For the first mile or so
the midnight silence was unbroken
save by the murmurings of the near
by river in it's beds. Once Smith
took the wheel while Starbuck roll
ed and lighted a cigaret. 1t was
Starbuck who harked back to the
talk which had been so abruptly
broken off.
Lets not head into this ruction
with an unpicked bone betwixt us,
john" he began gently. Maybe I
said too much, back yonder at the
foot of the hill"
mo; you didn't say too much"
was the low-toned reply. And then:
Billy, a few months ago I was jerk
ed out of my place in life and set
down in another place where prac-
tically everything / had learned as
boy and man had to be forgotten.
l don't know that I'm making it un-
derstandable to you. but"
Yes, you are" broke in the man
at the wheel. I've had to turn two
or three little double somersaults
myself in the years that are gone"
They used to call me Monty
Boy back there in Lawrenceville,
and fitted the name" Smith went
on. 1--WE just had to do the best I
coult out here. l found that 1 had
body that could stand man-sized
hardship, and a kind of savage nerve
that could give and take punish
ment, and a soul that could drive
both body and nerve to the limit.
Also, I've found out what it means
to love woman"
fUo Ne CtouttzuaHN