Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-03

Brainerd refuses to DO. Nate has Brainerd
that he GNate) intends to address mass
Nate that It viii has be ed @
Babson has aroused public feeling AGAINST
says he believes the act under which Babson
is proceeding Is unconstitutional.
INSTALLMENT XIX.
~ ARBY, Nate Tichenor's chauf-
feur, was enjoying to the full
est his masters visit to Eden
- Valley. Distinctly New York
product. Darby had heard
there was considerable space west Of
the Hudson River, but he had not been
was as wide-open as he had found it.
Darby had enjoyed the branding but
most of all he had enjoyed the idleness
of his job.
Miss Kershaw had been very kind to
Darby, too, in that she had sent him
down an old. safe saddle horse to ride.
Also, she had sent horse down for the
gloomy. but efficient, Joseph; but, I'M
fortunately, she sent a stock-saddle
with him, and as Joseph had never
ridden anything but an English saddle,
his conservatism forbade that he should
/ try anything new. He compromised.
|
the fashion of his kind, shooting blue
jays and hawks and fishing. Like
Darby, he rejoiced because his master
required but little service from him.
Before leaving for San Francisco,
however, the master had given the task
| OF posting mo Shooting Fishing or
Trespassing" notices from the gate at
| the entrance to Eden Valley to the
farthest limit of the Kershaw ranch.
! This task pleased both servants, par
/ ticuiary Joseph, who possessed a truly
Britannia passion for privacy and the
protection Of private shooting and fish,
! ing preserves from alien invasion. The
notices once up. therefore, Joseph saw
his duty plainly before him. With
much msgiving, therefore, he climbed
into the stock-saddle on the horse
Lorry Kershaw had sent him, slung
.22-caliber rife in a scabbard and set
! forth to apprehend poachers-a poacher
being considered by Joseph as abso-
lutely the lowest form Of human life.
For two days he ambled through the
pleasant valley, enjoying the solitude.
The day Tichenor came home from
/ San Francisco Darby seized upon his
absence to go fishing, while Joseph
saddled his horse and set forth again
on his delightful journeying. his heart
still beating high with the hope OF ind
ing a poacher. And late in the after
noon, as the shadows were growing
, long in Eden Valley and Joseph was
reminded that he must return home
soon and prepare dinner for his master,
who had informed him he would dine
! at home that night, he discovered a
| poacher.
He had ridden into a thick grove of
yellow pines when, happening TO glance
10 It IA riG
Eden Valley from ForlCrn Valley, he
saw a man descending through the
buckbrush and laurel. Through his
masters binoculars the excellent Jo-
seph made appraisal and discovered
the man carried a rife.
! The man could readily have found
more open going, yet he preferred TO
stick to the tall brush nor did he ad-
vance confidently as an honest man
should. Arrived at last at the foot
of the ridge the fellow found himself
hiding place in a cluSnp of laurel
about 80 feet above the road and Jo-
seph both saw and heard him break
off some branches as If to clear his
/ view OF the road. Then he sat down.
| Something devilish queer about this
! felloW-what?" Joseph decided. He
got off his horse cautiously and slipped
| from tree TO tree until he was within
40 yards CT the man. when he sat
down behind a clump of mazanita to
await developments. Through his BIZ
noculars he could now make out the
mans form; he saw that the fellows
rifle rested in a crotch in a laurel
bush.
concluded. BY Jove, bally assassin
what? The Fighter will bear close
Watching for a Bit I fancy
: Suddenly, up the valley, Joseph
caught a faint rumbling, He knew
that would be his masters automoone
crossing a loosely planked little bridge
across one of the small lateral streams
! that flowed down the hillside to Eden
Valley Creek. Instantly there was
slight movement in the laurel busn'
| little later Nate Tichenors car hove
into view joseph saw the hiding mans
Rand come up and grasp the rife, saw
his head corle down to cuddle the
stock; so Joseph, horribly excited. but
with his duty clear before him, slgnteo
on the mans head and pulled away. He
was rewarded by hearing grunt:
then the bushes parted. the man leapeo
down into the road and scuttled across
| it for the haven of the clump OF sugar
pines in which Joseph was hldoen. AS
| he passed the bush behind Whlch 10
seph knelt concealed the valet leapeo
up. followed and banged the fellow
heartily over the head with his rlne
barrel Then he helped himself to the
strangers rifle and stepped out into the
road
ITS quite all right Mr.. Tichenor"
he shouted. Joseph speaking. sir. Inc
Brighter was out to scupper you, 1
fancy, but I've scuppered him. Do
come and have a look at the rascal,
sir"
| ~. xs,a,.o 49,, ol;ch4ad opd followed
Joseph into the pine grove, where ne
rolled the unconscious man over ana
looked at him. That's Pitt River Char
ley" he announced. Hes han-oreed
Indian and years ago he used to be
professional killer. thought the fool
had retired, but somebody must have
made it worth his while to get back
into harness. Are you quite certain ne
was cunning for me, Joseph?"
! Absolutely, sir; I've been Watching
him for an hour, sir. His gun was az
his shoulder and he was sighting on
you. sir, when fired at his head, sir y
You're a rotten shot. at that range.
Joseph. You've put a .22-caliber bullet
through his right biceps. However. IL
sufflced to spoil his plan and SIAM
peded him, so he ran for these trees
He helped himself TO the canteen on
Joseph's saddle and dashed some water
over Pitt River Charleys dusky face
Then he emptied the fellows pockets
and found $3.50 in crisp, new bills
Tichenor grinned at his servant. 1T
seems I'm worth $500 dead to some
body, Joseph. It's the custom to pay
half down and the remainder upon
completion of the job, and whoever
hired this fellow is fool, because Pitt
River Charley would have worked for
a lot less money"
GOOD God, sir" cried the Mortified
Joseph.
well, you haven't got a killing on