Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-07-16

his predecessors death was due to
any other cause.
Sabra argued with him. almost
Historically. but In vain. you didn't
do anything about helping them catch
the Kid. out there on the prairie.
when they were looking for him, and
you knew where he was--or Just
about-and he had killed man, too
and robbed bank, and | don't know
what all"
THAT was different. The Kids diff
ferent," Yancey answered, unreason.
ably and infuriatingy.
Different How different? What's
this Pegler to you They'll kill you,
too-theyll shoot you down-and then
what shall l do?-Cim-Cim and
here, alone-Yancey, darllng-I love
you Soft anything should happen to
you" She waxed incoherent.
Listen, honey. Hush your crying
and listen. Try to understand. The
Kids terror. He's a bad one But
1t isn't his fault. The government at
Washington made him an outlaw. The
Kids father rode the range before
there were fences or railroads In Kan
sas, and when this part of the country
was running wild with longhorn cat
tie that had descended straight from
the animals that the Spaniards had
brought over four centuries ago. The
railroads began coming In. The set
coast, up across Texas, through the
Indian territory to the end OF steel at
Abilene, Kan. The Kid was brought
up to all that. Freighters. bull
whackers, mule SINNERS, hunters, and
cowboys all he knew. Into
Dodge City. with perhaps nine months
pay jingling In his pocket. III bet
neither the Kid nor his father before
him ever saw nickel or dime. They
wouldn't have bothered with such
chicken feed. Silver dollars were the
smallest coin they knew. They
worked for 1t. too. I've seen seventy
five thousand cattle at Il time waiting
shipment to the East. with lads like
the Kid In charge The Kids grand
father was a buffalo hunter. The
range was the only life they wanted
Along comes the government. What
happens? They take the range away
from the cattle men and cowboys-the
free range that never belonged to them
really, but that they had come to think
OF as theirs through right OF use.
Squatters come In, Sooners. too. and
Nesters, and then the whole rush OF
the Opening. The range is cut up into
town sites, and the town into lots, be-
fore their very eyes. Why. It must
have slckened them-killed them al
most--to see Ii.
Wilderness one day; town sites the
next. And the cowboys and rangers
having no more chance than chips Ia
a flood. Can't you see 1t? Shanties
where the horizon used to be; gro
Gerry stores ON the old buffalo trails.
They went plumb locoed, tell you.
They couldn't fight progress. but they
could get revenge on the people who
had taken their world away from
them and cut 1t Into little strips and
dirtled 1t.
1.-THE Kids bad, yes. They don't
come worse than he. And they'll get
him, eventually. But the man who
fathered him needn't be ashamed OF
him. There's no yellow In the Kid
For one dreadful sickenng second
something closed with iron fingers
around Sabra Cravat's heart and
squeezed 1t. and 1t ceased to beat.
White faced, her dark eyes searched
her husbands face. Wichita whispers,
Kansas SANDER. But that face was all
exaltation, like the face OF an evan
gellst, and as pure His eyes were
glowing The iron fingers relaxed.
"But Pegler. The men who killed
Pegler. Why are they so much
worse"
"skunks Dirty Iackals hired by
politicians"
'But why? Why?"
Because Pegler had the same Idea
| have-that here's a chance to start |
clean, right from scratch. Live and
let live. Clean politics instead Of the
all around a new way |
of living and of thinking, because
we've had a chance to see how rotten |
and narrow and bigoted the other way
has been. Here everything's fresh |
It's all to do. and we can do It.
There's never been a chance like 1t |
In the world. We can make q model |
empire out OF this Oklahoma country,
with all the mistakes OF the other
pioneers to profit by. New England,
and California. and the settlers OF the
Middle West--it got away from them,
and they fell into the rnt. Ugly poll
les, ugly towns, ugly buildings, ugly
minds" He was of again, Sabra, all
mpatience, stopped him.
but pegler. What's that got to do
with Pegler7" She hated the name.
She hated the dead man who was
stalking their new life and threaten
ne to destroy 1t.