OREGON CITY COURIER, FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 1911
iST i' fjfe " COPYRIGHT. 1910, BY HAMLIN tXH J ' j. .fSjl
CHArTEU XV.
SHADOWS ON TI1E MIST.
THE decision which Cavanagh
made between love and duty
distinguished the officer from
the man, the soldier from the
civilian. lie did not hesitate to act,
and yet he suffered a mental conflict
as he rode back toward the scene of
that inhuman sacrifice on the altar of
greed.
"It will be hours before any part of
the sheriff's posse can reach the falls,
even though they take to the swiftest
motors, and then other long hours
must intervene before I can ride dowu
to her. Yes, at least a day and a night
must drag tbelr slow course before I
can hope to be of service to her." And
the thought drew a groan of anxiety
from him. At such moments of mental
stress the trail is a torture and the
mountain side an inexorable barrier.
Halfway to the hills he was Inter
cepted by on old man who was at
work on an irrigating ditch beside the
road. He seemed very nervous and
very inquisitive, and as he questioned
the ranger his eyes were like those of
a dog that fears bis master's hand.
Ross wondered about this afterward,
but at the moment his mind was busy
with the significance of this patient
toller with a spade. He was a prophet
ic figure in the most picturesque and
Sterile land of the stockman. "Here,
within twenty miles of this peaceful
fruit grower," he said, "Is the crown
ing lnfuray of the freebootiug cowboy."
He wondered as he rode on whether
the papers of the state would make a
jest of this deed. "Will this be made
the theme for caustic comment In the
eastern press for a day and then bi
forgotten?"
As his hot blood cooled he lost faith
In even this sacrifice. Could anything
change the leopard west Into the tuine
ness and serenity of the ox? "No," he
decided; "nothing but death will do
that. This generation, these fierce and
bloody hearts, must die. Only In that
way can the tradition of violence be
overcome and a new state reared."
At the foot of the toilsome, upward
winding trail he dismounted and led
bis weary horse. Over his head and
about halfway to the first hilltop lay
a roof of fleecy vapor, faint purple
in color and seamless in texture.
Through this he must pass, and it sym
bolized to him tho line of demarcation
, between the plain and the mountain,
, between order and violence.
Slowly he led his horse along the
mountuln side, grasping with eager de
sire at every changing aspect of tho
marvelous mountuln scene. It was In
finitely more gorgeous, more compel
ling, than bis moonlight experience the
night before.
As he led his horse out upon a pro
jecting point of rocky lodge to rest bis
love for the range came buck upon
him with such power that tears misted
his eyes and his throat nehod. "Where
else will I find such scenes at this?"
he asked himself. "Where In all the
lowlands could ,such splendors shine? j
How can I leave this high world in i
which these wonders come and go? 1
will not! Here will I bring my brldo
and build my home. This Is my
world."
But the mist grew gray, the aureole
of fire faded, the sun went down be
hind the hills, nnd the chill of evening
deepened on tho trail, and as he re
approached the scene of man's inhu
manity to man the thought of camping
tnere beside those charred limbs cnll
cd for heroic resolution. He was hun
gry, too, and as the air pinched ho
shivered.
"At tho best the sheriff cannot reach
here before midnight," he said, and
settled dowu to his unsought, revolting
vigil.
His one relief lay in the mental com
position of a long letter to Lee Vir
ginia, whose life at that moment was
a comfort to him. "If such purity,
such sweetness, can come from vio
lence nnd vulgarity then surely" u new
nnd splendid stute can rise even out
of the ashes of these murdered men.
Perhaps this is the end of the old,"
be mused, "perhaps this Is the begin
ning of the new," and as lie pondered
the last faint crimson died out of the
west. "So must the hate and violence
die out of America," he said, "leaving
the clear, sweet air of liberty behind."
He was near to the poet at the mo
ment, for he was iilxu (lie lover. Ills
allegiance to the ureal republic stood
the test. His faith In di'ir.ieracy was
shaken, but not destroyed. "I will
wait," he decided. "Tills slmll be the
sign. If this deed goes unavenged
then will I put off my badge and my
uniform nnd go back to the land where
for a hundred years at least such
deeds as these have been Impossible."
Ho built ii fire as night fell to serve
both ns n beacon and as a defense
against the cold. He felt himself
weirdly remote iu this vigil. Krom
bis far height be looked abroad upon
tho tumbled plain ns If upon an ocean
dimly perceptible, yet august. "At this
moment," ho said, "curious and per
haps guilty eyes are wondering what
my spark of firelight may mean."
His mind went again and again to
that tall old man In the ditch. What
was tho uu'iining of his scared nnd
sorrowful glance? Why should one
so peacefully employed at such a time
and lu such a place wear the look of
a hunted deer? What meant the tre
mor iu his voice?
Was It possible that one so gentle
should have taken part In this deed?
"Preposterous suspicion, and yet ho
bad a guilty look."
At last, far In the night, he heard
the snort of a horse nnd the sound of
voices. The law (such as It wast was
cropping up the inniintniii side In the
person of the sheriff of Chauvenet
county and was about to relieve the
ranger from his painful responsibility
as guardian of the dead.
At last he came, lb la officer, of the
law, attended dike n Cheyenne chief:
by a dozen lesser warriors of various
conditions and kinds, but anion? tlii'm
indeed, second only to the sheriff
was Hugh Itedfield. the forest super
visor, hot nnd eager with haste.
As they rode up to the fire the officer
called out: "Howdy, ranger? How
about it?"
Ross stated briefly, succinctly, what
. he had discovered, nnd ns ho talked
! other riders came up the hill and gath
ered closely around to listen In word
less silence In guilty silence, tin
ranger could not help believing.
Rcdfield spoke. "Sheriff Van Home,
you and I have been running cuttle In
this country for nearly thirty years,
and we've witnessed all kinds of shunt
ing and several kinds of hanfJnj.'. but
when it conies to rluippli'.g and burn
lng men I get off. I shall persimiillv
offer a reward of $l.oi)(t for the up
prehension of these Dilscivanls, shmI I
hope you'll make It your solemn tint
to hunt them to earth."
"You won't have far to go," rei:iai'l
ed Ross significantly.
"What do you menu?" askeil tb
sheriff.
"I mean this slaughter, like tho oth
ers that have taken place, was tin
work of cattlemen who claim this
range. Their names are known to us
all."
A silence followed so deep a silence
that the ranger was convinced of tho
fact that In the circle of his listeners
stood those who, if they had not
shared In the slaughter, ut least knew
the names of the guilty men.
At last the sheriff spoke, this time
with a sigh. "I hope you're all wrong
Cavanagh. I'd hate to think any con
stltuent of mine had sanctioned this
Job. Give me that lantern, Curtis."
The group of ranchers dismounted
and followed the sheriff over to the
grewsome spot, but Itedfield stayed
with the ranger.
"Have you any suspicion, Ross?"
"No, hardly a suspicion. However,
you know ns well as I that this was
not a sudden outbreak. This deed was
plunned. It represents the feeling of
many cattlemen in everything but the
extra horror of Its execution. That
was the work of drunken, infuriated
men. But I am more deeply concern
ed over Miss Wetlierford's distress.
Did she reuch you by telephone to
night?" "No. What's the trouble?"
"Her mother Is down again. I tele
phoned her, and she asked me to come
to her, but I cannot go, for I have a
case of smallpox up on the hill. Aru
bro, the Itnsque herder, Is dowu with
It, and another border is up there alone
with him. I must go back to them.
But meanwhile 1 wish you would go to
the Fork and see what you can do for
her."
His voice, filled with emotion, touch-
ed Redfleld, and ho snld, "Can't I go to
the relief of the herder?"
"No; you must not think of it. You
are a man with a family. But If you
can find any one who has had the
smallpox send him up. The old herder
who Is nursing the patient Is not strong
and may drop at any moment. Then
it's up to me."
The men came back to the campfire
conversing In low tones, some of them
cursing in tones of awe. One or two
of them were small fanners from Deer
Creek, recent comers to the state, or
men with bunches of milk cows, and
to them this deed was nwosome.
The sheriff followed, saying: "Well,
there's nothing to do but wait till
morning. The rest of you men better
go home. You can't be of any use
here."
For more than three hours the sher
iff and Itedfield sat with the ranger,
wailing for daylight, n ml during this
time the naino of every man In the re
gion was brought up and discussed,
Among others, Itoss mentioned the old
man lu the ditch.
"He wouldn't hurt n bumblebee," de
clared the sheriff. "He's got a bunch
of cattle, but he's the mildest old man
In the state. He's tho last rancher in
the country to even stand for such
work. What made you mention him?"
"I passed him ns I was riding buck,"
replied Cavanagh, "and be had a sc ared
look In his eyes."
Tho sheriff grunted. "You Imagined
all that. Tho old chap always has n
kind of meek look."
It was nearly noon of n glorious day
as Cavanagh. very tired and very hun
gry, rode up to the sheep herder's tent.
etlicrrord was sitting in the sun
calmly smoking his pipe, the sheep
were feeding not fur a way, attended
by the dog, and an air of peace covered
his sunlit rocky world.
"How is tho Basque?" asked the
ruuger.
Wetherford pointed upward. "All
over."
"Thou it wasn't smallpox ?"
"I reckon that's what it was; it
sure was tierce. I Judge it's a case
of Injun burial no ceremony -likht
hero lu the rocks. I'll let you dig the
hole (I'm Just about nil lit), but mind
you keel) to the windward all the time.
I dou't want you spotted."
Cavanagh understood tho necessity
for these precautions, but first of all
came his own need of food and rest.
Turning his tired horse to glass, be
stretched himself along a grassy, sun
ny cranny between the rocks and there
ate and afterward slept, while all about
him tho lambs culled and the conies
whined.
Ho was awakened by n pebble tossed
upon him, und when ho arose, stiff mid
sore, but feeling stronger nnd in bet
ter temper, the sun was wearing low.
Setting to work at his task, ho threw
the loose rock out of a hollow in the
ledge ucur by, and to this rude sepul-
cher Wetherford drugged the dead
man, refusing all uld, mid there piled
a culm of ro' ks above bis grave.
The ranger took a hand at the end
and rojled some bugp bowlders udou
me grave to insure tlfe wolves" defeat,
"Now burn the bedding," lie com
niauded. "The whole cuuip has got to
go, and your clothing, too, after w
get down the hill."
"What will we do with the sheep?"
"Drive them over the divide und
leave them."
All those things Wetherford did, and
leaving the camp In ashes behind him
Cavnnagh drove tho sheep before hliu
on his homeward way. As night fell
the dog, at his command, rounded tlieni
up and put them to bed, and the men
went on down the valley, leaving
the brave brute on guard, pathetic fig
ure of faithful guardianship.
"It hurts mo to desert you, old fel
low," called the ranger, looking back
"but there's no help for It. I'll come
up In the morning and bring you some
biscuit."
It was long after dark when they
entered the canyon just above the cab-
In, und Wetherford was shivering
from cold und weakness.
"Now, you pull up just outside the
gate nnd wait there till I bring out
some blankets. Then you've got to
strip to the skin and start the world
ALL OVEH "
all over again," said Cavanagh. "I'll
build a fire here, and we'll cremate
your past. How about it?"
'I'm willing," responded Wether
ford. "You can burn everything that
belongs to me but my wife and my
girl."
AH through the ceremony which fol
lowed ran this self banter. "I'll be
all ranger, burring a commission," he
said, with a grin as be put on tho
olive yellow shirt and a pair of dusty
green trousers. "Aud here goes my
past!" he added as ho tossed bis con
taminated rags upon the lire.
What a corking opportunity to make
a fresh start," commented Cavanagh.
"I hope you see it."
"I see it, but it's hard to live up to
your mark."
When every precaution had been
taken tho ranger led the freshly scrub
bed, Bcoured and transformed fugitive
to his cabin.
"Why, man, you're fit for the state
legislature," he exclaimed as they
came Into the full light. "My clothes
don't precisely meet every demand you
make upon them, but they give you
an air of command. I wish your wife
could see you now." Then, seeing that
Wetherford was really iu earnest, lie
added: "You can stay with me as long
ns you wish. Perhaps in time you
might be able to work into the service
as a guard, although tho chief is get
ting more und more insistent on real
foresters."
There were tears lu Wetlierford's
eyes as he said: "You cannot realize
what this clean, warm uniform means
to mo. For nine years 1 wore the
prison sliipcs. it is ten years since I
was dressed like a man."
"You need not worry about food or
shelter for tho present," replied Cava
nagh gently. "Grub Is not costly here,
and house rent Is less than nominal,
bo make yourself ut home nnd get
strong."
Wetherford lifted his bead. "But I
want to do something. 1 waut to re
deem myself Iu some way. I don't
want my girl to know who I am, but
I'd like to win her respect. I can't be
what you say she thinks 1 was, but
if I had n chance I might show my
self n ninti again. I wouldn't mind
I. ho knowing that I nm alive. It
might be a comfort to her. But I
don't want even her to be told till I
can go to tier In my own duds.".
"She's pretty sick," said Cavanagh.
"I telephoned I.ee Virginia last night,
and If you wish you may ride down
with me tomorrow and see her."
Tho old man fell n-trenible. "I
daren't do that. I can't bear to tell
her w here I've been."
"She needn't know. I will tell her
you've been out of your mind. I'll say
anything you wish. You can go to her
in tho clothes you have on if you like.
She will not recognize you ns the pris
oner I held the other night. You can
have your beard trimmed, and not.
even the justice will know you."
All reserve had vanished out of the
convict's heart, and with choking
voice bo thanked his young host. "I'll
never be n burden to you," he de
clared In a firmer voice. "And If my
lung holds out I'll show you I'm not
the total loco that 1 'pear to be."
CHAPTER XVI.
CAVANAGH FOLLOWS HIS rlllEF.
11 T breakfast next
uagh said: "I
and take some
dog. 1 can't
morning Cava
must ride back
8omo bread to the
og. i can t go away anu
leave him there Without saying hello."
"Let me do that," suggested Wether
ford. "I'm afraid to go down to the
Fork. I reckon I'd better go back nnd
tend the sheep till Gregg sends some
one up to take my place."
"That might be too late to see Lize.
Lee s voice showed great anxiety. She
may ue on ner (leathbeiT. No; you'd
better go down with me today," be
urged. And at last the old man con
sented. rutting some bread in bis pockets,
Ross rode off up the trail to see bow
the dog und his flock were faring. He
had not gone far when he heard the
tinkle of the bells and the murmur of
the lambs, and a few moments later
the collie came toward him with the
air of u boy who, having assumed to
disregard the orders of his master, ex
pects a scolding. He plainly said:
"I've brought my sheep to you because
I was lonesome. Please forgive me."
Cavanagh called to him cheerily and
tossed blm u piece of bread, which he
caught in his fceth, but did not swal
low. On the contrary, he held It while
leaping for Joy of the praise he henrd
In his new found master's voice.
Turning the Hock upward toward the
higher peaks, the ranger commanded
tile collie to their heels und so. having
redeemed Ills promise, rode back to the
cabin, where be found Wetherford sad
died and ready for his momentous trip
to the valley. lie had shaved away
his gray beard, and had Ross been un
prepared for these changes he would
have been puzzled to account for this
decidedly military figure sitting statu-
esquely on his pony before the door.
You can prove an alibi," be called
ns ho drew war. "Gregg himself would
never recognize you now."
Wetherford was in no mood for jok
ing. "I.Ize will. I wore a mustuche in
the old days, and there's a scar on my
chin."
As he rode lie confided this strange
tiling to Cavanagh. "I know," said he.
that I.Ize is old and wrinkled, for I've
seen her, but all the same I can't re
alize It. That heavy set woman down
there Is not Lize. My Llze is slim and
straight. This woman whom you know
h::s stolen Jier name and face, that's
ill. I can't explain exactly what I
feel, but Lee Virginia means more to
me now than Lize."
"I think I understand you," said
Cavanagh. with sympathy in his voice.
The nearer Wetherford came to the
actual meeting with his wife the more
he shook. At last he stopped lu the
road. "I don't believe I can do it,"
he declared. "I'll be like a ghost to
her. Wliut's the use of it? . She'll only
be worried by my story. I reckon I'd
better keep dark to everybody. Let me
go back. I'm plum seared cold."
While still he nrgued two men on
horseback rounded a sharp turn . In
the trail anfl cftme face to face with
the ranger. Wetlierford's face went
suddenly gray. "There's the deputy!"
'Keep quiet. I'll do the talking,"
commanded Cavanagh, who was in
stant in his determination to shield the
man. "Good morning, gentlemen," he
culled cheerily. "You're abroad early!"
The man in front was the deputy
sheriff of the county; his companion
was n stranger.
"That was a horrible mess you stum
bled on over on Deer creek," the dep
uty remarked.
"It certainly wns. Have any arrests
been made?"
"Not yet. but we're on a clew. This
Is Marshal Haines of Dallas, Mr. Cav
anngli," pursued the deputy. The two
men nodded In token of the introduc
tion, and the deputy went on, "You
remember that old cuss that used to
work for Gregg?"
Again Cavanagh nodded
"Well, that chap Is wanted by the
loxas authorities. Mr. Haines here
wants to see him mighty bad. He's
an escaped convict with a bad record."
"is that so?" exclaimed Cavanagh,
"1 thought he seemed a bit gnu shy."
"The last seen of him was when Sam
Gregg sent him up to herd sheep. I
think he was mixed up in that killing
myself him and Ballard and we're
going up to get some track of him.
Didn't turn up at your station, did
he?"
"Yes; lie came by some days ago, on
his way, so he said, to relieve that
sick Basque, Auibro. 1 went up a
couple of days ago and found the
Basque dead and the old man gone. I
burled the herder the best I could, aud
I'm on my way down to report the
case."
The deputy mused: "Ho mny be
hanging round some of the lumber
camps. I reckon we had better go up
nnd look the ground over anyhow. We
might just chance to overhaul him,
"He may have pulled out over the
range." suggested the ranger. "Any
how, It's a long way up there, aud
you'll probably have to enmp at my
place tonight. You'll find the key
hanging over the door. Go In and
make yourself comfortable."
The deputy thanked him nnd was
about to ride on when Cavanagh add
ed: "1 burned that Basque's tent and
bedding for fear of contagion. Ills
outfit was worthless anyhow. You'll
find the sheep Just above my cabin
and the liorso In my corral."
"The old man didn't take the horse,
eh? Well, that settles it; he's sure at
one of the camps. Much obliged. Good
day."
As the two officers rode awny Weth
erford loaned heavily on his pommel
aud stared at the ranger with wide
eyes. His face was drawn and his
Hps dry. "They'll get me! They'll get
me!" he said.
"Oh, no, they won't," rejoined Cava
nagh. "You're all right yet. They
suspect nothing. How could they,
with you iu uniform aud in my com
pany r
All the same, I'm seared. That
man Haines had his eyes on me every
minute. He saw right through mc.
They'll get me, nnd they'll charge me
up with that killing."
No, they won't, I toll you," insisted
the ranger. "Haintw suspected nothing.
I hud his eye. He never saw you be
fore ud has nothing but a descrip
tion to go by, so cheer up. Your uni
form and your position with me will
niae jo.u sjife-ne.rfectlj' safe. They'll
mm the UasqifeTJ camp burnea and
the sheep lu charge of the dog, and
they'll fancy that you have skipped
across the range. But see here, old
man," and he turned on him sharply,
"you didn't tell me the whole truth.
You said you were out on parole."
"I couldn't tell you the whole truth,"
replied the fugitive. "But I will now.
I was In for a life sentence. I was
desperate for the open air and home
sick for the mountains, and I struck
down one of the guards. I was will
ing to do anything to get out. I
thought If I could get back to this
country and my wife and child I'd be
safe. I said I'd be willing to go back
to the pen if necessary, but I'm not
I can't do it, I'd die there. You must
save me for my girl's sake."
His voice and eyes were wild with a
kind of desperate fury of fear, and
Cavanagh, moved to pity, assured him
of his aid. "Now, listen," he said.
I'm going to shield you on account
of your work for that poor shepherd
and for your daughter's sake. It's my
duty to apprehend you, of course, but
I'm going to protect you. The safest
thing for you to do is to go back to
my cabin. Ride slow, so as not to get
there till they're gone. They'll ride
over to the sawmill without doubt. If
they come back this way remember
that the deputy saw you only as a
ragged old man with a long beard and
that Haines has nothing but a printed
description to go by. There's no use
trying to flee. You are a marked
man in that uniform, and you are
safer right here with me than any
where else this side of Chicngo,
Haliies is likely to cross the divide in
the belief that you have gone that
way, and if he does you have no one
but the deputy to deal with."
He succeeded at last in completely
rousing the older man's courage.
Wetherford rose to meet his opportu
nity. "I'll do it," he said firmly.
That's the talk!" exclaimed Cav
anagh to eucourage him. "You can
throw them off the track this time, and
when I come back tomorrow I'll bring
some other clothing for you, and then
we'll plan some kind of scheme that
will get you out of the country. I'll
not let them make a scapegoat of you."
The ranger watched the fjgitive as
he started back over the trail in this
desperate defiance of bis pursuers with
far less confidence in the outcome than
he had put into words.
"All depends on Wetherford himself.
If his nerve does not fail him. if they
take the uniform for granted and do
not carry the matter to the supervisor.
. we will pull the plan through." And
in this hope he rode nwuy down the
trull with bent head, for all this bore
heavily upon his relationship to the
girl' waiting for him in the valley. He
bad thought Lize a burden, a social
disability, but a convict father now
made the mother's fuults of small ac
count1. The nearer he drew to the meeting
with Lee Virginia the more Important
that meeting became. Cavanagh had
seen Virginia hardly more than a score
of times, and yet she filled his thought,
confused bis plans, making of Ills brain
a place of doubt and hesitation. For
her sake he had entered upon a plan
to shield n criminal, to harbor an es
coned convict. It was of no avail to
argue that he wns moved to shleli1
Wetherford because of bis heroic ac
tion ou the peak, tie knew perfectly
well that it wns bpctnipo he could not
see that fair, brnve vir! fur'lier d'
graced by the discover.- of h; fa'her'
Identity, for in the seir hing inquiry
which would surely follow his secret
would develop.
To marry her, know ing the charactei
of her father and her mother, wa
madness, aud the voice within hlni
warned (Si in of his folly "l ure w:
ter cannot be drawn from corrui ,
sources," it is said Never; hel -ss th
thought of having the girl with hl:i.
in the wilderness filled lilui with dl
vine recklessness While still he do
bated, alternately Hushed with resolve
to be happy and chilled by sonn
strange dejection, he met Swinson. the
young guard who guarded the forest
on the South Fork.
As he rode up Cavnnagh perceived
in the other muu's fin e something pro
foundry serious. He did not smile in
greeting, us was usual with hliu, und.
taking some letters from his pocket,
passed them over in ominous silence.
He hud a face of such bitterness that
It broke through even the absorbed
and selfish meditation Into which Cav
anagh had been thrown.
"What's the matter, Swenson? You
look ns if you had lost a friend."
"I have," answered the guard short
ly, "and so have you. The chief Is
out."
"What?"
"They've got him!" he exclaimed.
"He's out."
Cavanagh sprang up. "I don't be
lieve it! For what reason? Why?"
"Don't that letter tell yon? The whole
town is chuckling. Every criminal and
plug ugly In the country Is spitting In
our faces this morning. Yes, sir, the
president has fired the chief the man
that built up this forestry service. The
whole works Is going to h , that's
what It is. We'll have all the coal
thieves, water power thieves, poachers
and free grass pirates piling in on as
In mobs. They'll eat up the forest I
see the finish of the whole business.
They'll put some western man In
somebody they can work. Then where
will we be?"
Cavanagh's young heart burned with
Indignation, but he tried to check the
other man's torrent of protest
I can't believe It There's some
mistake. Maybe they've made him
the secretary of the department or
something."
"No, they haven't They've thrown
him out. They've downed him be
cause he tried to head off some thiev
ery of coal mines In Alaska." The
man was ready to weep with chagrin
and indignant sorrow.. Hi vain
cnoked. and he turned uway to con
ceal his emotion.
Cavanagh put the letter back into
his pocket and mounted his horse
"Well, go ou back to your work,
Swenson. I'm going to town to get
,U . l . .
- luc lllr uu lm
out what it all means."
He was almost as badly stunned by
the significance of Sweiison's news us
Swenson himself. Could it be possible
that the man who had built up the
Held service of the bureau the man
whose clean hnndrd patriotism had
held the boys together, making them
every year more clearly u unit, n lit
tle" army of enthusiasts could It. be
possible that the originator, the or
ganizer of this great plan, had been
stricken down Just when his Influence
was of most account? lie refused to
believe it of nn administration pledged
to the cause of conservation.
As he entered the town he was
struck instantly by the change in the
' faces turned toward him, In the Jocu-
lar greetings hurled at him. "Hello,
Mr. Coasack! What do you thluk of
your chief now?"
m , I,. . , ,
J.U1S Will put an end to your 111-
ferun I nonsenso." snld nnntlmr "Wo'll
CAVANAGH PENNED HIS RESIGNATION AND
MAILED IT.
have a man In there now who knows
the western ways aud who's willing
to boom things along. The cork Is out
of your forest bottle."
Gregg Was most offensive, of all.
This means throwlug open the forest
to unybody that wauts to use It
means an eutire reversal of this fool
policy."
"Wait aud see," replied Cavnnagh.
But his face was rigid with the ex
pression of the fear and auger he felt.
With hands that trembled he opened
the door to the telephone booth, closed
It carefully behind hliu and called for
the supervisor's office. As soon us
Itedfield replied he burst forth in
question. "Is It true that the chief is
out?"
Redfield's voice was husky as he re
plied. "Y'es. lad; they've got him."
"Good Lord, what a blow to the serv
lee!" exclaimed Cavanagh with
groan of sorrow and rage. "What is
the president thinking of to throw out
the only titan who stood for the future
tho man who bad built up this corps
who wns its Inspiration?" Then after a
pause he added, with bitter resolution
"This ends It for me. Here's "where I
net off."
"Don't say that. boy. We need you
now more tlinn ever."
"I'm through. I'm done with Amer-
lea with the States. 1 shall write my
resignation at once. Send down an
other mail to take my place."
Redfield's pleadings were of no avail,
Cavnnagh went directly from the
booth to the postofflee, and there, sur
rounded by Jeering and exultant citi
zens, he peuued his resignation and
mailed it. Theu. with stern nnd con
temptuous face, he left the plnce, mak
ing no reply to the Jeers of his ene
mies, nnd, mounting his horse, me
chanically rode away out upon the
plains, seeking the quiet, open places
In order to regain calmness and de
cision, ne did not deliberately ride
away from Lee Virginia, but as he en
tered upon the open country he knew
that he was leaving her as he was
leaving the forests. He had cut him
self off from her as he had cut him
self off from the work he loved. His
heart was swollen big within his breast.
He longed for the return of "the colo
nel ' to the White House. "What man
ner of ruler Is this who Is ready to
strike down the man whose very name
means conservation aud who In a few
years would have made this body of
rorest rangers the most effective corps
of Its size In the world?" He groaned
again, nnd his thront ached with the
fury of his indlguntion.
"Dismissed for insubordination," the
report said. "Iu what way? Only in
making war on greed, in checking
graft, in preserving the heritage of the
people."
The lush that cut deepest was the
open exultation of the very men whose
persistent attempt to appropriate pub
lic property the chief had helped to
thwart. "Redfleld will go next The
influen' e that got the chief will get
Hugh. He's too good a man to escape.
Then, as Swenson says, the thieves
will roll In upon us to slash and burn
and corrupt What a country! What
a country!"
As he reached the end of this line of
despairing ithought he came back to
the question of his remaining personal
obligations. Wetherford must be cared
for, and theu-and then-there wns Vir
glula wuiting for him at this moment
"For h,r sake, to save her from hu
millatiou. I will help her father to free
dom."
This brought him back to the hide
ous tragedy of the heights, and with
that thought the Inst shred of faith la
the sense of Justice In the state vanished.
sum atH J sssn
-Hanoi aqj pun hdj4 aqj jo aouans aqi
0) pou.ininj at) aouj 3upoo.iq puo piioti
4'ioq qiA 'asjoq spi jo pnpsiii Suj
-inoq eui ;o uo)iio.uoiu oq j poiuo,j,).w
aq 'jiasnipi uospap eqi. a)ia 0 ssa
, .(I(3II .ailaAJg)tj ,0j pjp pu,; XB. B,
J ,llq .aop KXIM 3q JBnA1 po.U3Sqo usnn
.UA3 -mm 2,WABM sjaisiun Kj
MonJI J( SB uouv3 aul0q euj joj jsm.
! , papnaq omoj 8no4Ino.ip o puo
I)enjIU pj0M8 aAV0 s J0 Suod B,n
,'a3nnj aqj jo ijojsiq aqj a .map
-puj 0)umBjp, jaq;oun ipjara oq hjav
II -sjaqio aqj am 'poqsundtin ssud 0
alftutno spu nmjad uM ianx 'sjojap
-jnm asoqj joaoosjp joaso m-u ioqx,.
continued next week
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The scroll of fame bas variant at
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Generous Tramp.
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Idiosyncrasy often takes the form of
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