Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1934-07-19
CHAPTER x

Darby, Nate Tichenor's chauffeur,
was enjoying to the fullest his mas
ters 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
prepared to admit that the country
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 unfortunately she sent 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 COM
promised, therefore, by taking long
walks, after the fashion of his kind,
shooting blue-jays and hawks. and
fishing. Like Darby. he rejoiced be-
cause 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
ticularly Joseph, who possessed 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 misgiving, therefore, he climbed
into the stock-saddle on the horse
Lorry Kershaw had sent him, slung a
% calibre rifle in a scabbard and set
forth to apprehend poachers, a poach-
er being considered by Joseph as abb
solutely 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
finding a poacher. And late in the
afternoon, as the shadows were grow
ing long in Eden Valley and Joseph
10 h0 or rot
home soon and prepare dinner for his
master. who had informed him he
would dine at home that night, he dis
covered poacher
He had ridden into a thick grove
of yellow pines when, happening to
glance up the side of the ridge that
separated Eden Valley from Forlorn
Valley, he saw a man descending
through the buckbrush and laurel.
Through his masters binoculars the
excellent Joseph made appraisal and
discovered the man carried rifle.
The man could really have found
more open going, yet he preferred to
stick to the tall brush, nor did he adj
vance confidently as an honest man
should. Arriving at last at the foot
Of the ridge. the fellow found himself
a hiding place in clump 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 devilsh 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 of the man. when he sat
down behind clump of manzanita to
await developments Through his
binoculars he could now make out the
mans form; he saw that the fellows
rifle rested In crotch In a laurel
bush.
Hes waiting for somebody" Jo-
seph concluded. by Jove, a bally
assassin, what? The blighter will bear
close watching for bit. fancy"
(To be continuedl