The Red Cloud chief. (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923, May 31, 1923, Image 2
RED CLOUD. NEBRASKA. CHIEF SriTSl ine NEVER TOO LATE SYNOl'Stfl.-ArrlvInK at the lone ly llttlu nillroiul Ntiitlon of V.l Cnjiin, Ni'W Mexico. Miiilcllno lliiininoiiil. Now York foi'lcty Klrl, fttxtn nn ono to meet lior. Whllo In tho wultltiK room, a drunken cowboy entcru, iiiikH If who Im iii.'irilcd, ntiil dcimrtn, IvaviiiK her tcrrlllcd, Ho loturiiH with u priest, who roch through onio nort of ceremony, ntul tho cowboy force her to nay "SI." AdkliiK her name and learnlriB her Identity tlio cowboy uncum dazed. In a nhnntlni; ncrnpo outHldo the i-o-mii n Mexican In killed. The cow boy iotH a Rlrl, Itonlta, lako IiIh horse and escape, then conducts Madeline to Florence KlnKflley. friend of hor brother. Florence welcomes her, learns bur atory, and dlsmlpjiea the cowboy, fletin Stew art. Next nay Alfred Ihiinmond, Mndellnc'n brother, takcH Stewart to task. Madeline exonerates him of any wrong Intent. Alfred, hcIoii of a wealthy family, bad been dis missed from his borne because of tils dissipation. Madeline hcuh that the West linn redeemed him. Hbe meets Stlllwell, Al's employer, typ ical western ranchman. Stlllwell tells her how Stewart beat up tho sheriff to save her from arrest and then lit out for the bonier. Danny Mains, ono of StlllweH'a cowboys, has disappeared, with some of Still well's money. Ills friends link hla name with the Rlrl Ilonlta. Made line pi-tn a glimpse of life on a western ranch. Stewart sends Made line his hnrsQ Majesty. Shu buys out Stniwell and "Iter MaJesty'B Kancho" becomes famous. She finds her life work under "Tho Msht of Western Stars." CHAPTER VII Continued. Sometimes hIio thought of licr par ents, HlHtiT, frli'tidH, of how they hail imrMlsioiitly refused to ucllcvu kIic could or would stay In thu West. They wcro always asking her to come home. Slit" wrote that sliu would return to her old home u-jiiio time, of course, for u visit; and letters such as this brought returns (hat amused Made line, sometimes saddened her. Her father's business had been mieli that lie could not leave It for Ihu time re (tilred for u western trip, or else, iiceordlnK to his letter, he would have come for her. Mrs.- Hammond could not have been driven to cross the Hudson river; her un-American Idea of the wilderness westward wns that Indians still chased buffalo on the out Nlclrts of Chicago. .Madeline's sister Helen had long been eager to come, as much from curiosity, Madeline thought, as from sisterly regard. And lit length Madeline concluded that the proof of her breaking permanent ties might better be, seen by visiting rela tives anil friends before, she went back East. With that In mind sbo Invited Helen to visit her during the summer, and bring as many friends as she liked. No slight tnslc Indeed was It to over set' the many business details of Her Majestj's Ilancho and to keep a rec ord of them. Madeline found the course of business training upon which Jier father hud Insisted to he Invalu able to her now. It helped her to us Klnillate and arrange thu practical details of cattle-raising as put forth by the blunt Stlllwell. She established an extensive vegetable farm, and she planted orchards. The climate was superior to that of California, and, with abundant water, trees ntul plantH and gardens nourished and bloomed In a way wonderful to behold. Hero In the farming section of the ranch Madeline found employment for the little colony of Mexicans. Their lives had been as bard .and barren as the dry valley where they had lived. Hut as the valley had been transformed by the soft, rich touch of water, bo llielr lives had been transformed by help and sympathy and work., Tho children wore wretched no more, and many that had been blind could now see, and Madeline had become to them a new and ble.ssed Virgin. Madeline looked abroad over these lands and likened the change In them and those who lived by them to the change In her heart. It may have been laucy, but the sun seemed to he brighter, the sky bluer, tho wind sweeter. Certain It was that the deep green of grass and garden wns not fancy, nor the wlilto and pink of blos som, nor the blaze and perfume of llower, nor the sheen of lako and the Jlutterlng of new-born leaves. Where there had been monotonous gray there was now vivid and chnnglng color. Formerly there had been silence both day and night; now during the sunny hours there was music. Tho whistle of prancing stallions pealed In from the grassy ridges. Innumerable birds bad come and, like the northward Journeying ducks, they had tarried to stay. Tho song of meadow-lark and blackbird and robin, familiar to Made Hue from childhood, mingled with the new and strange heart-throbbing song of the mocking-bird and the piercing blast of the desert eagle find tho mel ancholy moan of the turtle-dove. CHAPTER VIII El Cnpltnn. StlllwoH's Interest In tho revolution across the Mexican line had manifestly Increased with the news that Gene Stewart hnd achieved distinction with tho rebel forces. Thereafter the old cattleman sent for Kl l'aso nnd Doug las newspapers, wrote to ranchmen he knew on tho big bend of the Illo Grande, and ho would talk Indefinitely Jto anyone who would listen to him. . There upneureU to be no doubt tlmt Ligh the cowboy hnd performed sonic dar ing feats for tho rebels. Madeline found his name mentioned In several of the border papers. When the rebels under Muilcro stormed and captured Hits city of Juarez, Stewart did fight ing that won him the name of Kl Capi tal!. This battle apparently ended the revolution. The capitulation of Presi dent Diaz followed shortly, and there whs a feeling of relief among ranchers on tho border from Texas to Califor nia. Nothing more was beard of (lene Stewart until April, when n re port reached Stlllwell that the cow boy had arrived In Ml Cajon, evidently hunting troubk'. The old cattleman saddled a horse and started post-haste for town. In two days he returned, depressed In spirit. Mndellno hap pened to he present when Stlllwell talked to Alfred. "Wal, It's sure uuuizln' strange uhniit (Ii'iie. It's got me locoed, lie arrived In Kl Cajon weak or so ago. He was I rained down like as If he'd been rldln' the range all winter. Ho had plenty of money Mex., they said. An' all the Greasers was crazy about him. Called him Kl Capltnu. Ho got drunk an' went roarln' round for I'at IJnwe. You remember that Greaser who was plugged lust October- the night Miss Majesty arrived? Wal, he's (laid, an people say thet I'at Is u-goln' to lay thet klllln' onto Gene. I reckon thet's Jest talk, though I'at Is mean enough to do It, If ho lied the nerve. Any way, If ho was in Kl Cajon ho kept mighty much to hlsself. Genu walked up an' down, up an' down, all day an' night, look in' for I'at. Then Gone met Danny an tried to get Danny drunk. An' he couldn't 1 Whut do you think of that? Danny hedn't been drlnkln' wouldn't touch n drop. I'm sure glad of thet, hut It's so nrnazln' strange. Why, Danny was a llsh fer red liquor. I guess ho an' Gene had some pretty hard words, though I'm not suro nbout thet. Anyway, Gene went down to thu railroad an' ho got on an engine, an' he was In the engine when It pulled out. I Jest lied an Idee, Miss Majesty. If I can get him, Gene Stuwart Is the cowboy I want for my foreman. He can manage this bunch of cow-punchers that are drlvln' me dotty. What's more, since he's fought fer tho rebels nn' got that name Kl Capltan, all tho Greasers In tho coun try will kneel to him. Now, Miss Majesty, we hevn't got rid of Don Carlos an' his vauueros yet 1 don't like tho looks of things a little hit I'll tell you now thet Don Carlos knows somethln' about the cattle 1 lost, an' thet you've been losln' right along. Thet Greaser Is hand nn' glove with the rebels. I'm wlllln' to gamble thet when ho does get out ho an' his vnqueros will make another one of the bunds of guerrillas thet are liar assln' the border. This revolution ain't over yet. It's Jest commenced. An' these gangs of outlaws are goln' to take ndvantage of It. We'll see some old times, inebbe. Wal, I need Gene Stewart. I need him hnd. Will you let me hire him, Miss Majesty, If I can get him straightened up?" The old cattleman ended huskily. "Stlllwell, by nil means tlnd Slew art, and do not wait to straighten him up. Hrlng him t the ranch," replied Madeline. Thanking her, Stlllwell led his horse away. Madeline had discovered that a good deal of her sympathy for Stlllwell In his hunt for the reckless Stewart had Insensibly grown to be sympnthy for the cowboy. It was rather a paradox, "Gene Walked Up an' Down, Up an' Down, All Day and Night, Lookln' fer Pat." hh thought, that opposed to the con tinual reports of Stewart's wildness as he caroused from town to town were Hie continual expressions of good will and faith and hope universally glen out by those near her at the ranch. Stlllwell loved the cowboy; Florence was fond of htm ; Alfred liked and admired him, pitied him; tho cowboys swore their regard tor him tho more ho disgraced himself. The Mexicans called him Kl Gran Capltan. Madeline's personal opinion of Stewart had not changed In the least since tho night It had been formed. Hut certain attributes of his, not clearly dnllned In her mind, nnd the sift of his beautiful horse, his ' JLl b of Western Fk jnomaiiice-; By Zane Grey Copyright by Harper and Brothers valor with the lighting rebels, nnd all this strange regard for him, especially that of her brother, inado her exceed ingly regret the cowboy's present be havior. Meanwhile Stlllwell wns so earnest nnd zealous that one not familiar with the situation would have believed he was trying to find und reclaim his own son, lie made several trips to little stations In tho valley, nnd from these he returned with n gloomy face. Made lino got the details from Alfred. Stew art was going from hnd to worst drunk, disorderly, savage, sure to land In the penitentiary. Then came u report that hurried Stlllwell oiT to Kodeo. He returned on the third day, n crushed man. Ho had been so bit terly hurt that no one, not oven Made line, could get out of him what had happened. Ho admitted llndlng Stew art, falling to lnllucnco him ; nnd when tho old cattlemnn got so fnr ho turned purple In tho fnce and talked to him self, ns If dazed: "Hut Gene wns drunk. Ho wns drunk, or ho couldn't hev treated old Hill like thet!" Mndellno was stirred with nn anger toward the brutal cowboy that was ns strong as her sorrow for tho loyal old cattleniun. And It wns when Stlllwell gave up that she resolved to take a hand. She yenrncd to hnvo the faith In human nature tlmt Stlllwell had in Stewart. She sent Nels, mounted upon his own horse, nnd leading Majesty, to Kodeo In search of Stewart Nel.s had Instructions to bring Stewart back to the ranch. In due time Nels re turned, leading tho roan without n rider. "Yep, I shore found him," replied Nels, when questioned. "Found him half sobered up. He'd been In n scrap, an somebody hod put him to sleep, 1 guess. Wal, when ho seen thet roan boss he let out a yell nn grabbed him round the neck. The boss knowed him, nil right. Then Gene hugged the boss an' cried cried like I never seen no ono who cried like he did. 1 waited awhile, an' was Jest goln' to say somethln' to him when ho turned on mo rod-eyed, mnd ns lire. 'Nels,' ho said, 'I care n It I of a lot fer ptbot boss, nn' I liked you pretty well. hut If you don't take lilni uwny quick I'll shoot you both.' Wnl, I lit out. I didn't even git to say howdy to him." "Nels, you think It useless any nt tenipt to see him persuade him 7" asked Madeline. "I shore do, Miss Hammond," re plied Nels, gravely. "I've seen n few sun-blinded an' locoed an' snuke polhoned and skunk-bitten cow-punchers In my day, but Gene Stewart beats em all. He's shore runnln' wild lor the divide." Mndellno dismissed Nels, but before ho got out of earshot she heard him speak to Stlllwell, who uwnltcd him on the porch. "Hill, put this In your pipe an' smoke It none of them scraps Gene bus lied was over n woman ! It used to be thet when he wns drunk he'd scrap over every pretty Greaser girl he'd run across. Wal, Gene's scrap pin' now Is Jest to git shot up hls self, for some reason thet only God Almighty knows." Nels' story of how Stewart wept over Ids horse Influenced Mndellno powerfully. Her next move was to persuade Alfred to see If he could not do better with this doggedly bent cow boy. Alfred needed only a word ot persuasion, for he said hu had con sidered going to IJodeo ot his own nccord. llo went, and returned alone. "Majesty, 1 can't explain Stewart's singular uctlons," said Alfred. "Ho has changed terribly. I fancy Ids once magnlllcent strength Is breaking. It It actually hurt me to look at him. 1 couldn't have fetched him hack hero not us ho Is now. Hill did all any man could do for another. We've nil done our best for Stewnrt. If you'd been given u chance perhnps you could have saved him. Hut It's too lute. Tut It out of mind now, dear." Madeline, however, did not forget nor glvcjlt up. Days passed, and each one brought additional gossip of Stewart's headlong career toward the Yuma penitentiary. For he had crossed the line Into Cochise county, Arizona, where sheriffs kept a stricter observ ance of law. Finally a letter cntno from a friend of Nels' In Chlrlcaliua saying that Stewart had been hurt In a brawl there. This epistle Inclosed a letter to Stewart from his sister. Kvl dently. It had been found upon him. It told u story of Illness nnd made nn appeal for aid. Nels' friend forwarded this letter without Stewart's knowl edge, thinking Stlllwell might care to help Stewart's family. Stewart had no money, he said. The sister's letter found Its way to Madeline. She read It, tears in her eyes. It told Mndellno much more than Its brief story of Illness and pov erty and wonder why Gene had not written homo for so long. It told of motherly love, sisterly love, brotherly love dear family ties that had not been broken. It spoke of pride In this Kl Capltan brother who had become famous. It was ulgneil "your loving sister I.etty." Not Improbably, Mndellno revolved In her mind, this letter was one renson for Stewart's headstrong, lnng-cniitin- , ued abatement. It had been received too late after he had squandered the money that would have meant so much to mother nnd sister. Ho that as It might, Madeline Immediately sent n hank-draft to Stewart's sister with n letter explaining tlmt tho money was drawn In advance on Stewnrt's salary. This done, she Impulsively determined to go to Chlrlcaliua herself. Nels, when Mndellno asked him to nceompany her to Chliicnhua, replied, reluctantly, that he would rather fol low on his horse. However, she pre vailed over his hesitancy, and with Florence also In the car they set out. For miles and miles the vnlloy road was smooth, hnrd-packed, and slightly downhill. And when speeding was perfectly safe, Madeline wns not averse to It. And when the enr stopped In tho wide, dusty street of Clilrfcnhua Nels gladly tumbled out. "Nels, we shall wait hero In the car whllo you find Stewnrt," snld Made line. Nels crossed the rnllroad track nnd disappeared behind the low, lint houses. After n little time he reap peared nnd hurried up to the car. "Miss Hammond, I found him," said Nels. "He was sleepln'. I woke him. lie's sober an' not bad hurt; but I don't believe' you ought to sec him. Mehbo Florence " "Nels, I wn it to see him myself. Why not? Wl. it did he say when you told him I wn 'lore?" "Shore I did., t tell him that. I Jest says, 'Hullo, Gene!' an' he says, 'My Gawd! Nels I mc'-be I nln't glad to see a human belli'.' lie nsked me who was with me, nn' I told him Link nn' sonic friends. I sal. I I'd fetch them In. lie hollered at thet. Hut I went, anyway. Now, If you really will see him, Miss Hammond, It's u good chance. Hut shore It's n touchy matter, an' you'll be some sick nt sight of him. He's layln' In n Greaser hole over here. Likely the Grensers hev been kind to him. Hut they're shore n poor lot." Mndellno did not hesitate a moment. "Thank you, Nels. Take me at once. Come, Florence." They left the cnr. now surrounded by gaplng-cyed Mexican children, and crossed the dusty space to u narrow lane between red adobe walls. Pass ing by several houses, Nels stopped at the door of what nppeared to, ho uu ulleywny lending back. It was lllthy. "He's In there, round thet first cor ner. It's a patio, open nn' sunny. An", Miss Hammond, If you don't mind. I'll wait here .for you. I reckon Gene wouldn't like any fellers around when ho sees you girls." "Florence, you wait also." said Madeline, nt the doorway, und turned In alone. And she hud stepped Into n broken down pntlo littered with alfalfa straw and debris, nil clear In the sunlight. Upon a bench, hack toward her, sat n mun looking out through the rents in the broken wall. lie had not heard her. Madeline did not recognize Stew nrt. The side of his face exposed to her was black, bruised, boarded. Ills clothes' were ragged and soiled. There were bits of alfalfa In his hair. His shoulders sagged. He made a wretched and hopeless figure sitting there. Madeline divined something of why Nels shrunk from being present. "Mr. Stewart. It Is I, Miss Ham mond, come to see you," she said. He grew suddenly perfectly motion less, ns If he had been changed to stone. She repeated her greeting. Ills body Jerked. He moved violent ly us If Instinctively to turn nnd face this Intruder; but a more violent movement checked him. Mndellno wnlted. How singular that this ruined cowboy had pride which kept him from showing his face! And was It not shame more tluui pride? "Go away," he muttered. "Mr. Stewnrt !" she began. "I have come to help you. Will you let ineV" "For God's sake! You you " he choked over the words. "Go uwny I" "Stewart, perhnps It was for God's sake that I came," said Madeline, gently. "Surely It wns for yours and your sister's " Madeline hit her tongue, for she had not meant to be tray her knowledgo of I.etty. Ho groaned, and, staggering up to the broken wall, he leaned there with his face hidden.' Madeline rellected that perhaps the slip of speech had been well. "Stewart, plenso let me say what I have to sr.y?" lie was silent. And she gathered courage and Inspiration. "Stlllwell Is deeply hurt, deeply grieved that he could not turn you back from this this fatal course. My brother Is, also. They wanted to help you. And so do I. I hnvo come, think ing somehow I might succeed where they have failed. Nels brought your sister's letter. I I read It. I was only the more determined to try to help you, nnd Indirectly help your mother ncd Letty. Stuwart, we want you to come to the ranch. My cow boys aro without a capablo leader. Will you come?" "No," bo answered. "Hut Stlllwell wants you so badly." "No." "Stewart, I want you to come." "No." Ills replies had been hoarse, loud, furious. All his motions, like his speech, hud been violent. "Will you please go away?" he asked. "Stewnrt, certainly I cannot remain here longer If you Insist upon my go Stars ing. Hut why not listen to me when I want so much to help you? Why?" "I'm u d d blackguard," he burst out. "Hut I was a gentleman once, nnd I'm not so low that I can stand for you seeing mo here." "When I tnndu up my mind to help you I tnnde It up to see you wherever you were. Stewnrt, como away, come back with us to the rnnch. When you nre anions friends again you will get well. You will bo your old self. Tho very fact that you wore once u gentle man, that you como of! good fumlly, makes you owe so much more to your self. Why, Stewnrt, think how young you nre! It Is n shame to waste your life. Come hack with me." "Miss Hammond, this wns my Inst plunge," he replied, despondently. "It's too Into." "At least make nn effort, Stewnrt. Try !" "No. There's no use. I'm done for. I'lense leave me thank you for " He had been savuge, then sullen, nnd now ho wns grim. Madellnu nil hut lost power to resist his strange, "My Cowboys Are Without a Capable Leader. Will You Come? deadly, cold finality. No doubt ho know ho was doomed. Yet something halted her held her oven as she took fn backward step. And she became conscious of n subtle change lit her own feeling. She had come Into that squalid hole. Madeline Hammond, earnest enough, kind enough In her own Intentions; but she hnd been al most Imperious a woman habitually, proudly used to being obeyed. She di vined that all tho pride, blue blood, wealth, culture, distinction, nil the Im personal condescending persunsion, all tho fatuous philanthropy on earth would not avail to turn this man a single hnlr's-breadth from his down ward career to destruction. She was going to fall to help him. Sbo experi enced a sensation of Impotence that amounted almost to distress. The sit uation assumed a tragic keenness. "Stewnrt; look nt me," she asked. He shuddered. He was abject, crushed, lie dared not show his swollen, blackened face. Ills fierce, cramped posture revealed more th-in his features might have shown; It be trayed the torturing shame of n man of pride and pnssion, it man who had been confronted In his degradation by the woman he had dared to enMiriiie In his heart. It betrayed his love. "Listen, then," went on Madeline, nnd her voice was unsteady. "Listen to me, Stewnrt. You can shake off this desperate mood and be n man." "No!" he cried. "Listen to me ngaln. Somehow I know you're worthy of Stlllwell's love. Will you come back with us for his sake?" "No. It's too late, I tell you." "Stuwart, the best thing In life Is faith In human nature. I have faith In you. I believe you are worth It." "You're only kind und good saying that. You can't meiyi It." "I mean It with all my henrt," sho replied, a sudden rich warmth suffus ing her body as she saw the llrst sign of his .softening. "Will you como bade If not for your own sake or Still well's then for mine?" "Whut nm I to such a woman ns you?" "A man In trouble, Stewnrt. Hut I have como to help you, to show my faith In you." "If I believed that, I might try," ho said. "Listen," she began, (softly, hurried ly. "My word Is not lightly given. Let It prove my faith In you. Look at mo now nnd say you will como." lie heaved up his big frame ns If trying to east off a giant's burden, nnd then slowly he turned toward her. Ills face was a blotched and terrible thing. The physical brutalizing murks, were there, ami at that Instant all that appeared human to Madeline wns (ho dawning In dead, furnuce-llke eyes of u beautiful light. "I'll come," he whispered, huskily. "Give me a few days to straighten up, then I'll come." 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