Show 0 t t r th SERIALS STORY U D 0 ac aj KATE AND VIRGIL D 0 mi cluid co 1807 SYNOPSIS george a poor ranchman nigh minded and cultured searches tor cattle missing from his ranch the lazy S on a wooded spot in tha rivers bed abat would have been an island had the missouri been at high water he als covers a band of horse thieves engaged in working brands on cattle he creeps near enough to note the chang ing of the three bars brand on one steer to the J R brand paul lang tord the rich owner of the three oars Is informed of the operations of the gang of cattle thie vesa band of outlaws headed by jesse black who long have defied the uw and author ties of kemah county south dakota r engford Is struck with the beauty of mary commonly known as Wll liston s little girl louise dale an expert court stenographer who had followed her uncle judge II ammond dale from the east to the Dakota hs and who Is ihling with him at wind city is requested by the county attorney richard gordon to come to kemah and take testimony in the preliminary hearing of jesse black jim munson in waiting at the train for louise looks at a herd of cattle being shipped by bill thrown and there detects old mag well known onery steer belonging to his employer of the three bars ranch munson and louise start for kemah crowds assemble in justice james R mcallaster McAll lster a court for the preliminary hearing jesse black springs the first of many great surprises halving examination through jake sanderson a member of the outlaw gang he biad learned that the steer mag had been re covered and thus saw the uselessness 0 fighting against being bound over county attorney gordon accompanies louise dale on her return to wind city while stands in the light in his door at night a shot Is fired at mm the house Is attacked and a battle ensues between and his daughter on one bide and the outlaws on the other the house Is set on fire As an outlaw raises ats rifle to shoot WUll ston a shot from an un known source pierces hla arms and the rifle falls to the ground aid has come to but he and his daughter are captured and born aw ay by the outlaws jim munson late at night heard the shots discovered the attack on a house hurried to the three bars ranch and sum langbord Lang tord and his brave men to the rescue it was langbord Lang tord who fired the shot which saved s life langbord Lang tord rescues mary from her captor langbord Lang tord takes mary to the home of mrs white tier arm has been broken by a shot she grows delirious and receives medical attention CHAPTER XII continued after a gallant and dauntless search which lasted through the best days of september langbord Lang tord was forced to let cold ason have its away he had thought honestly that the ruffians would not dare commit murder know ing that they were being pursued but now he was forced to the opinion that they had dared the worst after all for though it would be hard to blue all trace of a dead man infinitely greater would be the difficulty in cov erang the trail of a living one one who must eat and drink who had a mouth to be silenced and strength to be restrained it came gradually to him the belief that was dead but it came surely with it came the joer of the specter that would not let him forget that be should have foreseen what would surely happen with it came also a great tenderness for mary and a re doubled vigilance to keep his unruly tongue from blurting out things that would hurt her who was looking to him in the serene confidence la bis good friendship for brotherly counsel and comfort in tho first dark days of his new belief he spoke to gordon and the young lawyer had written a second letter to the gal reporter in ie she came at once to kemah and from thence to the white homestead in the boss s own private this time the boss did the driving himself bringing consternation to the heart of one jim munson cow punch er who view ed the advent of her and her mouse colored hair with serious trepidation and alarm what be had dreaded had come to pass but a step now to the three bars A fus gy woman would be the means of again losing man his eden it was monstrous he sulked systematically louise slipped into tho sad alto at the whites easily sweetly adaptable adapt ably mary rallied under her gentle minis trat lons there was would ever be a haunting pathos in the dark eyes but she arose from her bed grateful for any kindness shown her strong la her determination not be a trouble to any one by giving way to weak and unavailing tears mary because of her abounding health healed of her wound rapidly langbord Lang tord took advantage of the girls absorption in each others company to aldo often and at length on quests of his own creation with october louise must join judge dale for the autumn term of court he haunted the hills he was not looking now for a living man he wis w is seeking a cleverly concealed grave he flouted the opinion held by many that the body had been thrown antl tho mis fluri and would wash ashore some later day many and many a mile bo low he held firmly to hla fixed idea that impenetrable mystery clouding abo ultimate close of s earth ly career was the sought aim of his murderers anal they would risk no river s giving up its bead to their undoing it had been ascertained beyond reasonable that could not have left the country in any of the anual modes his description was at all the stations along the line er with the theory that he would be leaving under compulsion meanwhile gordon had buckled down for the big fight he was sadly handicapped with the whole prop of his testimony struck from under him by s disappearance how ever those who knew him best the number was not large looked for things to happen in those days they the few the courageous minority through ajl the ups and downs with the balance in favor of the downs most of the time of the hardest fought battle of his life the end of which left him gray at the temples maintained a deep and abiding faith in athla quiet unassuming young man who had squared his shoulders to this new paralyzing blow and refused to be knocked out who walked with them and talked with them but kept his own counsel abided his time and in the meantime worked one day langbord Lang tord was closeted with him tor a long two hours in his dingy one roomed office on the ground floor the building was a plain wooden at fair with its square front rising above the roof jn the rear was a lean to where gordon slept and had his few hours of privacy it won t do paul gordon said in conclusion 1 I have thought it all out we have absolutely nothing to go upon nothing at least but our own convictions and a bandaged arm and they wont hang a man with jesses diabolical influence we 11 fight it out on the sole question of mag paul after that well who knows something else may turn up there may be developments meanwhile just wait there will be justice for iet CHAPTER XIII mrs higgans rallies to her colors the kemah county court convened on a tuesday the second week in december the judge coming with his court reporter to velpen on monday found the river still open december had crept softly to its appointed place in the march of months with a gentle heralding of warm southwest winds weather breeder said mrs alg gins of the bon ami with a mournful shake of her head you mark my you are the best man in all the world words and remember I 1 said it its a sorry day for the cows when the alv er s running in december she was serving the judicial party herself and capably too she dearly loved the time the courts met on alth er side of the river it brought many interesting people to the don ami al though not often the judge his corn ing for supper was a most unusual honor and it was due to louise who had playfully insisted he bad hum ored her much against his will it must be confessed for he had a deeply worn habit of making straight tor the hotel from the station and there re until hank brukbacher Bru ebacher alv eryman who never permitted anything to interfere with or any one to usurp his prerogative of driving his honor to and from kemah when court was in session whistled with shame less familiarity the following morning to make his honor cognizant of the fact that he hank was ready but he had come to the bon ami because louise wished it and he reflected whimsically on the astonishment amounting almost to horror on the face of his good landlord at the vel pen house when it became an assured tact that he was not and had not been in the dining room you are right mrs as dented the judge gravely to her er predictions and the supper you have prepared for ua Is worthy the hand that serves it kings and potentates ten tates could ask no better louise dear child I 1 am fond of you ana I 1 hope you will never go back east thank you uncle hammond said louise who knew that an amusing thought was through this declaration la of affection I 1 am borry to give you a heartache but I 1 am going back to gods country some day nevertheless maybo so maybe not sud s ud the judge mrs my good worn an how Is our friend the canker worm coming on these days canker worm repeated mrs alg gins your honor just what I 1 say canker worm isn t he the worm gnawing in discon tent at the very core of the fair fruit I 1 i of established order and peace la cow country I 1 I 1 dont understand your hon or faltered the woman in great trepidation would his honor consider her a hopeless but what was tho man talking about louise looked up a flush of color staining her cheeks maybe firebrand would suit you better mad fune my young friend the firebrand fire brand resumed the judge rising thit Is good firebrand fire brand he not inciting the populace to open rebellion false and schism Is it not because of him that roots are burned over the very heads ot th helpless homesteader for shame uncle hammond exclaimed louise still flushed and with a mutinous little sparkle in her eyes you are poking fun at me you haven t any right to you know but your way I 1 dont care bit mrs higgans doean doesn t understand dont you mrs asked the judge 0 o I 1 dont snapped mra alg gins and she but she thought she did only it you mean mr richard gordon tell you now there aln t no one in this here god forsaken country who can hold a tallow candle to him enst put thai in your pipe and smoke it will you she piled up dishes viciously sha did not wait tor her guests to depart before she began demolishing tha table it was a tremendous breach oc etiquette but she care ta hav an ideal shattered Is ever a heart breaking thing but my dear mrs ex postulated the judge you t said that lady shortly 1 I dont care she went on if the president himself or an archangel from heaven came down here and plastered dick gordon with bad smell in names from the crown of bis toe to the tip of his head I 1 d tell cm to their very faces that they know what they was a about and more they d better go back lo 10 where they belong and not come round in other people a business when they dont understand ono single mite about it we dont want cm putten their fingers in our pie when they don t know a thing about us or our ways my say she closed with appalling significance ance flattering herself that noone could dream but that she was dealing in the most offhand generalities she was far too politic to antagonize tag onize and withal too good a woman not to strike for a friend she congratulated herself she had beani true to all her gods and she had been louise smiled in complete sympathy challenging the judge meanwhile with laughing ees but the judge he was still much of a boy in spite of bis grave calling and mature years just threw back his blonde head ana shouted in rapturous glee ha laughed till the very belling rang in loud response laughed till the tears shone in his big blue eyes mrs jilg gans looked on in undisguised amazement hands on hips dear me suz she sputtered Is the man gone clean daffy wont ou shake hands with me mrs he asked gravely L ask your pardon tor my levity and H assure ou there isn t a man in the whole world I 1 esteem more or hold greater faith in thin dick gordon or love so much I 1 thank you for your championship of him I 1 would that ha had more friends like you louise are you ready their ft alk to the hotel was a silent one later as she was leaving him to go to her own room louise laid he head caressingly on her uncles slomie uncle hammond sha said you are incorrigible but vou are the best man in all the world the ver best he asked ly the very best she repeated finely to be continued |