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( USTrR ( OU r ( RtPU LlCAN
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By D. M. AMGBERRY
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"
nnOICm DOW , - . NEDRASltA
, - ' 1 1--- . , . -
i
LANGFORD
of the
THREE
" -
BARS ?
7Jy
KATE AND VIRGIL D. BOYLES
( Copyrlll t by A. C. ) Il'Clul'Co"III07 , )
CIIAPTIm I.
The Island With i1 Myctery.
110 said pORIUvoly to Dnltlo Ax , 111s
scrnssy bucltsldn cow pony , that they
would rldo to the summit of this ono
bluff , and that It should bo the Inst.
Dut ho hnd said the snmo thins mnny
timeR slnco strlldng the barren hili 1'0-
glen flnnklng both sides of the rIver.
Hump after hump hall been surmounted -
ed since UIO sound of the flrst llrom-
Iso had tickled the cnrs of the tlrod
broncho , humps as nllko as the two
humps of a Bnctrlan camel , the monot-
onOU9 continuity of which might very
well have confused the mInd of ono
less at homo on these ranges than
George WIlliston. von he , rIding a
' ( blind trail slnco sun.up , alttlng his
! saddle with a heavy IndJrroronco born
of heat and fatlguo , bognn to thlnle It
i might bo that they were deacrlblng a
t clrelo Qml the sun was plnylng thom
strange trlcka. Still , ho urged his pony
t to ono moro effort ; JURt so much
tar thoI' and they would retrace tholr
I stolJS , giving up for this dny at least
the locntlng or n smnll buneh or cattle -
tle , brauded a lazy S , mlsslug these
three dnys.
Had not untownrd circulllstances
Intervened , ho might still hnvo gene
blindly on ; for. laying ashlo the gambling -
bling tover thnt was o'n him , ho could
III aITord to lese the ton or twelve
steers somewhere wanderIng the whlo
rnngo or huddled Into sorno snfo plnco ,
there to abldo tIlO tlmo when a dnrlng
rustler might convenlontly play at
wilchcraft wIlh the brand or otherwise -
wise dlsposo or thom wIlh profit to
hlmseIr and wIth crodlt to his craft.
Moreover , what might possibly novel'
have been missed trom the vast herds
of Lnngtord , his nolghbor or the plaIns
country , wns or most sorlous import
to Williston.
"Devil take you , Dnttlo Ax , but
) 'ou'ro slow , " muttered Williston. "I'd
give a good denl to sit down this min.
ute to 80mo or my llttlo girl's flnp'
jncks nnd corree. Dut nothing tor us ,
Inzy.bones , tllI midnight-or mornIng ,
moro llkoly. Do walk up ns It you hnd
some lIttle staudlng In the world or
cow ponlos. You hnven't , of a slIrety ,
but. ) 'ou might mnke nn effort. All
things nro possible to him who trIos ,
you 1cnow , wblch Is a tremendous lIe ,
or courso. But perhaps It doesn't np.
ply to poor devIls lI1to us who are
'has beons. ' Hero wo nro. Ah ! "
There were no moro hills. Almost
directly nt his reot was ono or those
precipitous cut.awnys thnt charncter.
Izo the bordoI' blurrs or the MIs80uri
rIver. A row moro steps , In the dark ,
and horse and rldor would have plung.
od over a sheer wnll or nenrly 200
teet. As It was , Wl11lston gave a gnsl1
or Invohmtnry horror whIch almost
slmultnneously gnvo 1Jlnco to ono 01
wonder and astonishmont. Ho hn
struck tbo rIver at a point nbsolutel )
new to him. It wns the tlmo or lo
water , nnd the rIver , in most or It !
phases mUddy nnd sUllon.looklng
gleamed sIlver and gold with the gilt
tel' or the sottlng sun , malting a royn
highway to the dwolllng.placo a
Phoebus. A Ilttlo to the north of thlt
sparklln bhbrond lay wll11t wouh
have been an Islnnd In high water
thlckl ; , ' wooded with wl110ws and cot
ton woods. Now n long stretch or sail (
reached between blufr ami Island.
DIsmounting , with the quick though
that , .ondor IBJnnd mIght hold the secret
crot of hlB lost. cattle , ho crept 1\1
Cl050 to the edge as be dnred. ' 1'hl
cut was sheer and tawny , entIrely dl : !
Told at Bhrubbory by moans or whicl
one might hazard descent. The san I
bet ! began Immodlnt.cly nt. the toot a
the yellow wllll. Even though on
managed to gain tIlO bottom , on ,
would hardly dare rIsk the decelttll
sands , ever Bhlrtlng , tall' and trencl
erOU8. Dnfiled , he was on the point. ( J
remounting to retrace his steps who
ho drollpod his toot trom the stIrru
amazed. Was the day or miracles nc
yet passed ?
It was the sun , or courso. Twolv
hours of sun In the eyes could pIa
strange tricks and might oven caus
a dancing black opeck to assume th
semblnnco or n man on horsobncl
pIckIng his way.enslly , though ma )
hap a bit. war1l1lncross the waste (
sand. lIe Reemod to have sprung tror
the vOr ) bowels or tIle blurr. Whenc
els01 Many a rod beyond and abov
the ghostly figure troWnod the tnwnJ
wIcked cut.awa ; , ' . Path for noilIll : !
horse nor man appeared 2:0 : rnras oy
could reach. It must bo tbe aun. Dt
It was not Ule sun.
Motionless , Intent , a flguro cnst I
bronze 11.8 tbo sun wont down , the lea
rnochJ11an gazed stendfastly dow
UIJon the rnlnaturo man and horf
creeping nlong so tar bolow. Not 'I
tlI tlle object or his fixed gaze 1111
been swnllowod by UIO tt'eoa and UI
derbrusll did his musclcL. ( elnx. Th
man had rIdden as It unafraid
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. What 11 ; _ . . . . w , .r..tJ' , JIIII11 cnn no ,
1':111 : BwiftlY through Williston's brain ,
nnd with no Idea or nbandonlnc his
search until ho hnd probed the mystery -
tery , ho mounted IInd rode northward ,
closely cxnmlnlng the edge or the
preclplco ns ho went nlong tor any
evldonco of a possible descent. Presently -
ently he came upon n cross ravlno , do-
, 'old of shrubbery. too Hteep tor n
horRe , but presentlnJ ; posslbllltlea for
mnn. WIth unerring Instinct ho followed -
lowed the cross-cut westward. Soon
scntterlng of Rcrub oaks began to
appenr , nnd Bumach already strealted
wIth crimson. A little tarther nnd the
trees begnn to show spiral wrenths or
woodblno and wild crapo. Yet a lIttle
fnrthor , and doubtlosB there would be
outlet tor horse as well liS mnn.
Dut Williston was growing hnpa.
tlent. Besides , the thought came to
him thnt ho hnd host Jlt risk his
lIucltslln to the unlenown dangers of
an untried trllll. What It ho ahould go
lame ? AecOl'dlngly ho 'fas loft hohhlll
In n slight dopresslon where ho
would 110 pretty well hlddon , lIud WII.
IIston sCl'ambled dowh the steep In.
cllno nlone. When foothold or hand'
hold was lucking , he simply let him.
self go and alld , grasiling the first rooter
or brnnch that pre8ented Itself In his
dnre.devll course.
ArrIved nt the hottom , ho found his
clothes torn nnd his hands bleeding ;
but thnt wns nothing. WIth grIm do-
termlnntlon ho mudo his wny through
the ravlno a ld strucle ncross the sand
trail wIth a sure realization or his
dnnger , but without the least nbate.
mont of his resolution. The snnd was
firm under hiD Ceet. The watcr had
receded a sufficlont length of tIme before -
fore to make the thought of qulole-
sands nn Idle fear. No llUff ot cloudy
smoke lealJCd from a rlflo bnrrel. If ,
as ho 11101'0 tlmn half suspected , the
Islund wns n rendez\'ous for eattlo
thieves , a pluco s1l\'ely ndmlrably fitted -
ted by nnture for sueh unlawful operations -
ations , the rustlers were either over-
conUdent or the Inaccessibility of tholr
retreat and l\Ol1t no lookout , or they
were Insolently Indifferent to expos ,
ure. 'fho formcr premlso was the
more Illtoly. A light breeze , born ot
the nftorglow , cnme scurr 'Ing down
the rlvor bed. Hero nnd there , where
the snnd was finest nnd driest , It rose
In little whirlwInds. No sound broke
the stlllne s of the sUl1lmer evenIng.
Whllt wns thnt ? Coyotes barltlng
over yonder across the rIver ? Tbat
-
Turned and Faced Squarely the Spo
Which Held the Watching Man.
, alien sound ! A mnn's laugh , n curse , t
heart.hrenklng bellow or pnln. WIllis
ton parted over so slightly tlle thlcl
tollnge of underbrush tllnt separatec
him from the all to tamlllar sound :
a11l1 peered within.
In the midst or a smnl1 clenrlng-
mnn.mnde , tor several stumps wcr ,
scnttered here nnd thero-two mel
were engaged In unroplng and relen !
: Ing n red steer , sImilar In nll essentll1
rosllects to a bUllch or three or tou
huddled togcthor a 1lttlo to ono shll
'fhey were all choice , woll.fed nnhnnll
but Utoro were thousllnds or just suc
beasts herding on the free rnll Oi
, : Ho owacd red steers ; like those , bt :
was there a mnn In the cattle countr
who did not ? They were Imposslbl
or Identification wIthout the aliI e
tholr brand , nnd It 'happened the
they were so bunched as to coml11etel
bamo WIlliston In his eager effort
to decipher the stamp that would dl
oloso UteIr , owne ll. , That .th yVcr
tbo lU gltlmnto pre ) ' or cnttlo rus
lcrs , hi nev r tOl" ono moment daub
ed. Tllo situation was con61uslve.
bed or glowing embers constantl . I'
Illonlshed and kept at whIte hel
served to lighten up the weird scer
growIng dUsky under the surroundhl
cottonwoods.
WIlliston thought ho recognized I
ono or the men-tho ono who seerne
to bo directing the procedure or th
lIttle altair , whose wIde and dirty 1111
rim was so tantalizingly drnwn OVI
his cycB-the sOlitary rIder wbose u
expected appearance hnd so stnrtll
him II. ahort Umo betoro. Both ho IU
his compnnlon were dressed alter tI
rough , nondescript manner or cntt
men , both were ga ' , laughln nr
talkatIve , and seemIngly as obllvlol
to posslblo danger WJ It engaged In tJ
1D0st Innocent nnd legitlmnte buslnm
A 1ltUo to the left and stand 11
atone wns nn odd cr nturo ot mo '
striking appearanco-a large , SpOttl
steer wItb long , pecullnr.looklng herr :
n It was qulto Imp0881ble to mlstale SUI
, n a 1108se61110n Ir It had once been yom
'n Ita right side was turned tull town
10 Williston nnd In the center or the h
IU stood out dlaUnetly the cleanly CII
.d . terlzed tbreo perllondloular lines tll
tI. were the Identifying mnrk or t1
Is 'rbreo Dars raneh , ono of these sari
btlE' . opulent , selt-centered outfitB who
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Intollls1frJy : muHlplylng sign was be
coming such n verItable nnd prophetIc
writing all the wall for WIlliston nnd
hla Idnd.
Wbo , than , had dart'd to drive betoro I
him an unhnnl so brnnded ? The bold.
ness or the transgrosslon nnd the '
Inso'j
lent Indlftorenco to the onormlty ot nt-
tendant cOllscqnehces held him for the
momellt breathless. HIs attention wns
once more called to the movements
of the men. 'l'ho steers with 'Which
they hnd been working wna letl away
stili moanIng wIth surprlso nnd pain ,
nnd another brought forwnrd from
the reserve bunch. ' 1'he branded hip ,
It It wus n hrand , WIlS turned away
rrom Williston. 'fho bowlldered nni.
mal waS/clovorly roped nnd thrown to
the ground. ' 1'ho man who wns plain.
ly dlroctIng th nITalr , he of tbo droop.
Ing hat and lazy shoulders , stepped to
the flre. Wllliston held his breath
wIlh the Intellslty of his Intorest. ' 1'ho
mnn atooped and took an Iron from
the flre. It was the endgate rod or a
wngon and It was rod.hot. In the uct
ot straightening himself from his
atooplng position , the glowIng Iron
stlcl , In his right hnnd , ho fiung frol\l
hltJ hend wIth nn easy swing tbo flOII-
pln [ ; hat thnt Interfered with the nlcot .
of sight. requisite In the worle ho wa ! !
nbout to do , and faced sQuarely thnt
qulot , Innocent. looltlng spot whIch
held the watching man In Its brush ;
and In the moment In whIch Wllllston
drew hnstlly bnck , the fear or disco\-
ery beating a tattoo or cold chills down
his spine , recognition of the mnn came .
to him In a clarlf'Ing ; burst of com.
prehension.
Dut t man cVldently saw nothIng
and SUl ected nothIng. His cnsunl
glnnce was IIrobnbly only a mnnIfestn-
tlon of his habitual attltudo of bolng
never off his guard. 110 npproached
the prostrate steer with Indlfferenco
to an ' moaning that might bo attached
to the soft snnpplng of t.wlgs caused
by Williston's Involuntary drawIng
bacle Into the dons01' shndows.
"Y' don't suppose now , do you , that
any blamed , interfOl'ln' off'cer Is
a.loafin' round where he oughtn't to
bo ? " said the second mun with n
laugh.
WIlliston , much rolle\'ed , agatn
Iloored cautiously through the brush.
lIe wns confident a brnnd wns about
to be worked over. lIe must soo-
what there was to sec.
"Easy now , boss , " sahI the second
man with an officious warning. He
wns a big , beefy follow wIlh a heavy ,
bnrdoned fnce. Williston sounded the
depths or his memory but Called to
place him among his acquaintances In
the cow country.
"Gamblo on 'mo , " returned the load.
or , with rendy good nnture , "I'll make
It as clean as a boiled shIrt. I take It
you don't lenow m ' reputation , pard.
well , you'll learn. You'ro all right ,
only a trlfio green , that's nll. "
With a Urm , quick hnnd , he began
rfmnlng the searing Iron over the
right. hip of the unlmnl. When he had
flnlshed nnd the steer , released , stag.
gered to Its teet , WillIston snw the
brand cloarly. It was J. R. If It had
been worked o\'er another brand , It
cortnlnl ' was a clear job. lIe could
see no indications of noy old markings
whntsoover.
" 'roo clenn to be worleed over a
lazy S , " thought WIlliston , "but not
0\01' three bnrs. "
"Thore were six rods. " saId the
chief , sUr\'o 'Ing the remaining bunch
with u crIllcnl eye. "Ono must have I
wnndered off whllo IVas gono. Get
out there In the brush and round him
UIJ , Alec , whllo I tackle this long-
thorned gontlemnn. "
WIlliston turned nolsolessly away
from the scene which so suddenly ,
threntenod dnngor. Both mon were I
tully armed nnd would brool , no eaves.
dropping. Once more ho crossed U10
sand In snfoty and tound his horse I
where ho hnd lort him , up the rnvlne.
He vnulted Into the saddle and gnl.
loped away Into the qulot night.
( 1'0 HE CONTINUED. )
MODERN DEMAND FOR SILENCE. ,
German Newspapers Protest It Is BeIng -
Ing Carried to Extremes.
- .
"now the Urnes chnnge ! " says a .
wrltor In the li'rnnkfurter Zeltung , "In :
the days or our tnthers no doscrlptlol ]
of a homelike , cosy room was com.
Illoto without a rorerence to the tick.
Ing clock. It was this gentle sound
which emphnslzed the quiet of the
placo. People had no nerves In those
dnys. To-day the thought of a mn.
chine ticking err the seconds and strlk.
Ing the hour Is a source or worry and
distress. Time Is go.lng , blthey \ do I
not wIsh to be reminded or It contI11Ii.
nlly ; no clock Is better than tbo lickIng .
Ing mnchlno. And now to meet the reo
qulroments or the nervous peoplo. 3
factor ' nt Schram burg Is mnttlng 11
nolsoless eloclr. " In nn nrtlclo on the
same aubject nnothor pnpor says :
In " 'fhe nntl.nolse crnze has mnlo dlsa ,
HI groenblo and unendurable some at UII : !
18 nolsos which once wore music to us ,
tand 800n wo wUJ flnd a way to sllenc (
lr the birds and to Uluffio the sound 01
n. the rustllng leaveD. "
) d
The Cutting Retort.
\(1
"You don't hl\vo to brag or success , '
' 0 declnred the big woman when ahl
.1
hnd listened to the little woman's nc
\ (
count or how well she was doing wltl
s her worl , : "It shows for Itselt. " "Anl
10 you don't have to tell outrIght or thl
IS. docllne of success once you have boOl
I successful , " remarleed the IIttlo won ]
ed 's nn , wbo hnl listened flrst to the bll
woman's talle ; "It shows In the blttel
LSl' ness with which you comlllnin or o ,
l ) I "
Istlne clrcumstnnces.
s.
rd His Present State.
II ) "Whnt stnto does the young fello'
.u. . belong to who wnnts to marry all
nt Blllyuns' daughter ? " "JudgIng froll
110 his appearllllCO when I saw him caUl
no out of the old mun's office 1 should sa' ,
BO IL atate or coUupso. "
.
LANGFORD
of the
THREE
BARS ?
7Jy
KATE AND VIRGIL D. BOYLES
( Copyrllbt , by A. e. ) lcClul ( & : Co" 11107 , )
. . . ,
SYNOPSIS.
Gcor \"l11lston , n poor rnncllmnn ,
III h minded and cultured , Bcnrcllcs fOl'
cattle mlsllng from Ills ranch-the "I.nz '
S. " On n woodell Bpot In the river's bed
that wouh1 have becn an Island hall the
Missouri bcen at high wator. ho lsco\'rs
n bnnd at horse thlevcs cmngc(1 In workIng -
Ing over brands on cattlc. lIe creeps
npar enough to note the chang-Ing ot the
"Threo Hars" brand on one stcer to the
"J. n. " brand.
CHAPTER II.
"On the Trail. "
Wl111ston hlmsoU came to the door.
, His thin , scholarly fnce loolted drawn
nnd worn In the mld.dny glare. A
tiredness In the eyes told grnllhlcally
or n sleepless night.
I "I'm glad to see 'ou , Langford , " he
said. "It was good of ) 'ou to come.
Leave your horse Cor 1\Inry. Sho'll
give her water when she's cooled off I
" I
a bit.
I "You sent for mo , 'Vl11Iston ? " aslwd ,
the young mnn , rubbing his fnce affec.
tlonntely against the wet nccl of his
I mare.
I "I did. It was good ofou to como
to s06n. "
I "Fortunately ) 'our messenger found
I me nt home. As for the rest , Snde ,
I here , hasn't her beat In the cow
country , if she Is only a cow pen ' , eh.
Sndle ? "
I At that moment Mary Wl111ston
cnmo Into the open doorway of the
rude claim shanty set down In the
very heart of the sun.seared plain
whlcb stretched awny Into heart.chol , .
Ing dlstnnces from every possible
point of the compass. And sweet
she wns to look upon , though tanhed
and glowing from close association
wIth the ardent sun and riotous wInd.
Her auburn hall' , maI'O reddish on the
ondges from sunburn , wns flno and
soft nnd there wns much of It. It
seemed newly brushed and suspicious.
ly glossy. One sees Cnr on the plnlns ,
and two years out of clvlllzntlon are
not enough to malte a girl forget the
use ot a mirror , even If it be but a
brol\6n sUver. , propped up on III no.
board dressing table. She loolmd
strangely grown.up desplto her short ,
rough sltlrt and badly scuffed leather
riding leggings. Langford stared at
her with a startled loole of mingled
admiration and nstonlshment. She
came forward and put her hand on
the muro's brldlo. She wns not em.
barrassed In the least. But the color
came Into the strnnger's face. He
swept. his wIde hnt from hIs head
, qulekly.
"No indeed , Miss Williston ; I'll
wuter Sade m'solf. "
"Please let me. I'd love to. "
,
"She's used to It , Langford , " snld
I' ' Williston In his quiet , gentlemnnly
voice , the well. bred cadence ot wblch
spoke of a traInIng far removed from
the ll rassments and harshnosses or
life In this plains country. "You see ,
I she Is the only boy I have. She must
of necesslt ) ' bo my chore boy as well
as my herd hoy. In her lolsuro moments -
ments she holds down her kitchen
, claim ; I don't know how she do os It ,
but she docs. You hnd bettm' let her
do It ; she will hold It against yon if
yon don't. "
"But. I couldn't have a woman do.
Ing my grooming tor me. Why , the
very Idea ! "
Ho Hllrong Into the saddle.
"Dut yon walled for me to do It , "
said the girl , looking up at him cu.
rlously.
"DId I ? I didn't menn to. Yes , I
did , too. But I beg your vardon. You
see-say , look here ; are you the 'little
girl' who left word ror me this morn-
IngY"
"Yes. Why not ? "
"Well , you see , " smiling , but npolo.
getlc , "ono or the boys Bahl thnt 'VlI.
lIston's little girl hnd rIdden over and
said her father wanted to see me as
soon ns I could come. So , ) 'ou see , I
thought- "
, -rlDad always cnlls mo tbat , so most
) or the people nround hero do , too. It
r Is very silly. "
I "I don't think so at all. I only
I wonder why 1 have not known about
" . you before , " with a trnn smile. "It
must bo because I'vo been nwny so
e
much or the time Intoly. Why didn't
you wnlt tor mo ? " ho nslted suddenly ,
d : " 'I'en mlles Is t\ sort of n lonesoml : !
run-ror 1girl. . "
I "I did wnlt 1whllo , " snhl Mnry
I'honestly , "bul you didn't Reom In nn
I'
I hurry. I expect you didn't cnre to b (
; bored that long wny with the sill ; ,
. I chntter or IL 'little girl. ' "
.1 " 'Veil , " suld Langrord , ruefully , "l'n
ntrald 1 did teol a IIttlo rello\'el wher
I round you hnd not walled. 1 nevel
I will ngnln. I do beg your III\\'don , " 114
d , called , l ughlnCly , over bls shouldel
n as bo gaBollO(1 ( awny to the spring.
o I When he returned Ulero WitS no on4
1 to recelvo blm but WIlliston. Together
I gothor they entered the 1101lso. It wal
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n smnll room Into which I.angford wnG
tlahered. It was nlso " ( Ir ) ' ilIa In. It
waa moro than tlmt , It Wlla hllbh ' .
An cusy chilli' 01' two thnt hns Aur-
vlved the wrccltnEo of the hOllso of
WllIlston hnd been ahhJIIClI to this
"Innd or promise , " together with n
few other nrtlcles such as were I1h80'
lutely Indlspensnble. 'rho tnblo wlla
II. hlg shllllling box , though LanHrorl1
did not notlco thnt , for It WIlS nently
covorcd with a moth.onten plul1l-col-
ored felt cloth. A rug , crocheted out
of purtI.colored rugs , a rollc of 1\1nry's
conservntIve nnd thrifty grandmdther ,
served as n carpet for the llvlng room.
A peep through the open door Into the
next nnd only other room dl8elosed
gllmpsos of matting on the floor.
'I'hero wns a holy plnco even In this
cas tawny house on the prnlrlo. As the
'oung man's cnroless eyes took In
this now significance , the door closed
softly. 'rho "lIttlo girl" had shut
herself In.
The two meil sat down Ilt the tablo.
It was hot. ' 1'hey were perspirIng
free 1) ' . 'rho flies , swarming through
the screenless doorwa ' , stung dlsa.
greeably.
Laconically Williston told his story.
Ho wasted no words In the telling. In
the presence at the man whoso big
success mndo his own pItiful failures
Incongruous , his sonsltlvo scbolnr's
nnture had shut up IIko a clam.
Lnngfo\l's jnw was sot. His ) 'oung
fnco was tense with Interest. Ho hnd
. thrown his hnt on the floor as ho came
I In , as Is the way with mon who have
I lived much without women. He had n
strong , bronzed fuce , with dare.devll
eyes , blue they were , too. nnd he hnd
a certain turn of the hond , a marl. of
distinction which success nlways gIves
to her sons. Ho had big shoulders ,
clad In a blue Ummel shirt open at
the throat. In his absol'lltlon he had
forgotten the "little girl" as complete.
Iy ns If she had , In'ery truth , been
the 10. 'ear-old of his Imagination.
How plnlnl ) ' ho could see all the unholy -
holy situation-the handful of des.
peruto men perfectly protect2d on tbe
the little Island. Ono man sighting
from bohlnd n cottonwood could piny
ha.voc . with a whole sheriff's posse
on that open stretch of sand.bnr.
Nothing but a surprlso-and did these
Insolent mon fear surprlso ? They had
laughed at the suggestion of the near
"Who Could J R Be ? "
presence or an officer of the law. AmI
did they not do well to laugh ? Surely
It was a joke , a good one , tbls Idea
of un officer's being - wbore ho was
needed In Kemah county.
"And m ' brnnd was on thnt spotted
steer , " ho Interrupted. "I know the
creaturo-Icnow him woll. He has a
mean e 'e. Had the gall to dispute the
right or wuy wIth mo once , not so
long : lgo , olthor. He was In the cor-
rnl nt the tlmo , but ho's been on the
range all summol' . Ho mn ' have tbe
ovll e 'o nil right. hut ho's mlno , bnd
eye nnd all ; nnd what Is mine , I will
have. And Is that the only original
.
brand YOIl saw ? "
"The only ono , " quietly , "unless the
the J R on thnt red stOOl' when he
got up was an original ono. "
"J It ? Who could J R be ? "
"I couldn't say , but the mnn wus
-Jesso Dlacl. . "
"Jesso Dlacle ! "
The repeated words were fall'ly SIJlt
out.
"Jesse Dlack ! I might have known.
Who else bold enough to loot the
Three Bnrs ? But Ws day hus come.
Not a hall' , nor n hIde , not hoof , not
tnllow enough to try n flapjack shaH
be left on the Three Bars before he
repQnts his hlsolonce. "
"Whnt will 'Oll do ? " asked Willis ,
ton.
"What will 'ou do ? " retorted Lang.
ford.
"I ? Whnt cnn I do ? " In the vugue ,
helpless mnnner or the dreamer.
"Evor .thlng"-It 'ou will , " brIefly.
Ho snntched up bls wide hat.
"Whore are you going ? " nsked 'Vll.
listen , curloua ! ) ' .
"To see Dlcle Gordon hetore this dn '
Is nn hour older. Will you como
along ? "
"Yo-es , " hosltntlngly. "Gordon
hnsn't made much success of things
. so fnr , hns ! 10 ? "
"Because 'oll-nnd men lIke 'Oll-
are under the thumb ot men 1I1te
Jesse Blncle , " said I.nngCord , curll ) "
"Arrnld to pench for tear ot antag.
onlzlng the gang , Afrnhl to'oto
agnl lst the tools or the cattle thlo\05
for fen I' or antagonizing the gnng.
Arrnld to cnll 'our souls your own
tor fenr or nntagonlzlug the gung. Your
'on the fonce' Ilolley didn't work ver ) '
well this time , ( lid It'f You ha\'en't
found 'our cnttle , have YOI'fhe
angel must huve forgotton. Thought
3 'ou were tnlnted or Egypt. oh ? "
"It Is easy for 'ou to tnlk , " aald wn ,
s IhitoD , Dlmpl ) ' . "It would be dl1IIcult U
- -
- , -
- . , ' . ' - r . . 11" - -
W
- 'II : < - . { ; ' ' . '
. ' ' . . . ' #
, . . ' , ; .1 "f"
your brend and butter nnd you muo , ; > . . .
'
girl's IlS well depended on scrawny -
IItUo bunch ] lko mine. "
"Maybe , " said Langford , shrugging
his shoulders. "Doesn't aeem to have
exempted you though , does It ? But
Blnck Is no respecter at persons , you
Imow. However , the tlmo hns como
tor DIck Gordon to show of what sturt
ho Is mndo. It W H tor this thnt I
I
I worked for Ills eleetlon , though I confess -
,
fess I little thought at the time thnt
proofs for hIm would be tllrnlshe1 1
from my own herds. Present condl- 1
.
tlons humlllllto me uUerly. Am I a
weakIlng that they should exist ? Are
wo an wcnltllngs ? "
A fnlnt , I\ppreclaUv smllo passe ( }
o\'er Williston's fnce. No , Langford
did not look a wenkllng , neither had
the 11rofossOlt humlllntlon lowered his
proud head.
Langford strode to the door. Then ' the
ho turned qlllcltl ) ' . .
"Look hero , Williston , I shnll mnke
) ' 011 angry , I SllppOSO , but It hns to go
In the cattle country , nml you llttlo
fellows hnven't ahown up very white _
In these donls ; you Imow that your-
self. "
"Woll ? " rrJ
"Aro you goIng to stand pat wIth
liS ? "
"If ) 'ou menn , am I going to toll ,
what I Imow when called 'JPon , " answered -
swered Wllliston , with a simple dignity -
nity that mndo Langford color with
sudden shame , "I nm. There nro mnn ) '
of us 'IIttlo fellows' who would have
been glnd to stnnd up ngalnst the
rustling outrages long ago hnd wo l'e-
j
celved any \JackIng. The moral support -
port of mon or ; } 'our class bas not been
what you mIght call a sort of 'on the
spot' support , now , hns It ? " rolapslng
Into a gentle sarcasm. "At least , un-
m ) 'ou came to the front , " ho quail-
fled. .
"You wlll nof bo the loser , antI
there's my hand on It , " saId Lang :
ford , frnnltly and earnestly , IgnorIng I
the lntter part of the speech. "The
Three Bnru never forgets a fl'lend.
They may do you before we are
tbrough with them , \VlllIston , but re
member , the Three Bars never for-
gets. "
1\Iary Williston. from her wIn do , , ' .
as Is the way wIth a maId , watchocl
the two horsemen for many a mile as
they galloped away She followed them
with her e 'es while they slowly became -
came faint , moving sp3cles In the level
distance and unUl they were altogeth'i :
or blotted out , and there was no sign .
of living thIng on the plnln that
stretched betweon. But Inul Lang-
ford , as Is the way wIth a man , forgot -
got that he had se < { l a heautlful girl , '
- . .
and had thrllled to her glance. Ho . . . ,
looked back not once ns he urged his ,
trusty little 111aro on to see Dick
Gordon.
( TO DE CONTINUED. ) _
AS EXPLAINED BY rt-IE EDITOR.
Drastic Action Evidently Was Necessary -
sary , and It Was Taken.
- , ,
'fhe Bule's Creel , ( S. C. ) In et : to , J
the Times recently came out with a /
dtJuble.leadod editorial as folluws : 1
" 'Va wish to make our abject Apolo- . 1
gles to lIon. lIezoldnh E. Kinney 1
for having said of him In our ] ast Issue -
sue that he 'fumlgates his garments :
What wo meant to say was 'fulminates
Ills arguments.Ve ha\'e had our e 'a
on the printer over since he twisted : L
phrase which aPileared in an oclltol'lal
of ours from 'full of Internal rottenness -
ness and dead men's bonea' Into Internal -
ternal rattlesnaltCB and dead wren's
1 , : ' '
tones. ' And as soon ac OUl' eye lIt ' " . . .
upon this gratuitous insult nbove to
the Hon. Hezoklah E. Klnnoyvo
armed ourso\'e8 with our reveatlng
shotgun. sought out the guilty party
and shot him down In cold blood , notwithstanding -
withstanding the tact that the now
deceased ' ' 'laS the only support or a
widowed mQ"tber amI possessed a lu'gO :
nnd floarlshlng Camlly. We wish to
assure the Hon. Hezoklah E. Klnnor
that In the future bls person and his
sleeches ) will bo handled In those columns -
umns with respect.-New York Press.
.
A ; ) ckwoods Humorist.
The ens tern tourlats decldod to ba\'o
n lIttle fUll wIth n Dlllvllla citizen to
whom they had applied for Intormn-
tl n us to the road they wore travel-
Ing.
"How long l1ave you lived bere ? "
ther nsked.
"Long enough to know better . " I .j
"Don't you like tbe country ? " :
"When It goes to rmlt me. " :
'
"Ever heon up In an alrsblp ? "
"No. Wben I make Ull my mind to
fly , I'll know whal' to light. "
"Ev r ride on n railroad tra.ln ? "
"No. Nighest I ever come to Ituz
beln' blowed up by 0. snwmlll. "
" 'VeU , toll us what 'moonsblno'
lIquor menns. "
The DlllvllIo man shifted his
"chaw" of tobacco from olle jaw to the
other , spat on tbo greellswnrd , and as . . .
he IJrepared to climb a fence , said : \ .
"II-I , nnd a heap or ItAtlanta !
ConstItution.
1
Turkish Labor Too Cheap. . .
An Amerrcan manutacturer of Jaun-
dry mnehlnery tried to Introduce It.
Into Smyrna , Turkey , but Consul
Ernest L. Harris has relJOrted that so
long ns the prlco of labor In that
Turkish city remains so low tbo prac-
I tlco will continue of doing the wnuh-
Ing at home , and there will bo no opportunity -
portunity for the sale of laundry mn-
I chlner ' . or late ) 'eara III Smyrna It.
has become the llrnctlce , he says , to 11.
cortaln extent to send the wushed
linen to public Inundrles Cor Ironing
allli stnrchlng , but e\'en this Is cens-
Ing. SllCclficlltions were druwn up tOI'
the establIshment ot a laulldl'Y after
I the AmerIcan plnn , nnd cnreful conslil.
eratlun WIUI given to the prlco ot coal
and labor. It wn9 fOllnt ! that tbo mur-
I. ,
, gin wns so slUall that the undortAkins
: was bound to be a tallure.
_ . .I \
--1
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