6 7 SERIAL 112 1/2 ST ° RY [LANGFOKD] of the . THREE = BARS 3) I L J KATE AND VIRGIL D. BOYLES I rJxlit by A. IMei'ltirK &. Co., 11W7.J CHAPTKU I. The Island With a Mystery. He said positively to Battle Ax, his scraggy buckskin cow pony, that they would ride to the summit of this one bluff, and that it should be the last. Rut be had «aid the same thing many ti/aes since striking the barren hill re giosi flanking both sides of the river. Hump after hump had been surmount cl since the sound of the first prom ise 'nafi tickled the ears of the tired tnxmcho, humps as alike as the two ft amps of a Bactrian camel, the monot onous continuity of which might very vrel! have confused the mind of one less at home on these ranges than George Williston. Even he, riding a Ulinti trail since sun-up, sitting his saddle with a heavy indifference born of heat and fatigue, began to think it might be that they were describing a circle and the sun was playing them strange tricks. Still, he urged his pony tr* one more effort; just so much farther and they would retrace their st«ps, giving up for this day at least tite locating of a small bunch of cat tle, branded a lazy S, missing these three days. ' Had not untoward circumstances twiervened, he might still have gone hl£&fily on; for, laying aside the gam bling fever fhjit was on him, he could rJS. afford to lose the ten or twelve w,-s som* where wandering the wide range or huddled into some safe place, be re to abide the time when a daring YTistUv might conveniently play at ■witchcraft with the brand or other wise dispose of them with profit to Mmself and with credit to his craft. Moreover, what might possibly never have been missed from the vast herds off Langford, his neighbor of the plains country, was of most, serious import to Williston. "Devil take you, Battle Ax, but you're slow," muttered Williston. "I'd sire a good deal to sit down this mln rjfc* to some of my little girl's flap- Jacks and coffee. But nothing for us, Cftcy-bones, till midnight—or morning, VAore likely. Do walk up as if you had some little standing in the world of tx»w ponies. You haven't, of a surety, ivat you might make an effort. All things are possible to him who tries, you know, which is a tremendous iie, of course. But perhaps it doesn't ap ply to poor devils like us who are 'has beens.' Here we are. Ah!" There were no more hills. Almost directly at. his feet was one of those precipitous cut-aways that character ise the border bluffs of the Missouri river. A few more steps, in the dark, nnd horse and rider would hava plung ed over a sheer wall of nearly 200 feet. As it was, Williston gave a gasp c\T involuntary horror which almost simultaneously gave place to one of wonder and astonishment. He had struck the river at a point absolutely ROW to him. It was the time of low water, and the river, in most of its phases muddy and sullen-looking, jcWsamed silver and gold with the glit ter of the setting sun, making a royal highway to the dwelling-place of Phoebus. A little to the north of this sparkling highroad lay what would bave been an island in high water, thickly wooded with willows and cot tonwoods. Now a long stretch of sand rmehed between bluff and island. Dismounting, with the quick thought thai, yonder island might hold the se cret of his lost cattle, he crept as ctose to the edge as he dared. The cut was sheer and tawny, entirely de void of shrubbery by means of which one might hazard a descent. T*he sand d began immediately at the foot of the yellow wall. Even though one managed to gain the bottom, one would hardly dare risk the deceitful s&mts, ever shifting, fair and treach erous. Battled, he was on the point of remounting to retrace his steps when he dropped his foot from the stirrup awtassed. Was the day of miracles not yet passed? ft was the sun, or course. Twelve hoars of sun in the eyes could play strange t.rick3 and might even cause a danciisvc black speck to assume the aensblance of a man on horseback, pk-king his way easily, though may hap a bit warily, across the waste of sand. He seemed to have sprung from the very bowels of the bluff. Whence rtae? rod beyond and above 'Jse ghostly figure frowned the tawny, •wicked cut-away. Path for neither 3u*rse nor man appeared so far as eye ijonlri .reach. It must be the sun. But was not the sun. .Motionless, intent, a figure cast in toimze as the sun went down, the lean rsraschroan gazed steadfastly down ui»t the minature man and horse along so far below. Not un rtil the object of his fixed gaze had '*« KB swallowed by the trees and un tfcr&rush did his muscles relax. This /nan had ridden as if unafraid. "What man has done, man can do," ran swiftly through Williaton's brain, and with no idea of abandoning his search until ho had probed the mys tery, he mounted and rode northward, closely examining the edge of the precipice as he went along for any evidence of a possible descent. Pres ently he came upon a cross ravine, de void of shrubbery, too steep for a hor. but presenting possibilities for a man. With unerring instinct he fol lowed the cross-cut westward. Soon a scattering of scrub oaks began to appear, and sumach already streaked with crimson. A little farther and the trees began to show spiral wreaths of woodbine and wild grape. Yet a little farther, and doubtless there would be outlet for horse as well as man. But Williston was growing impa tient. Besides, the thought came to him that he had best not risk his buckskin to the unknown dangers of an untried trail. What if he should go lame? Accordingly he was left behind in a slight depression where he would be pretty well hidden, and Wil liston scrambled down the steep in cline alone. When foothold or hand hold was lacking, he simply let him self go and slid, grasping the first root or branch that presented itself in his dare-devil course. Arrived at the bottom, he found his clothes torn and his hands bleeding; but that was nothing. With grim de termination he made his way through the ravine and struck across the sand trail with a sure realization of his danger, but without the least abate ment of his resolution. The sand was firm under his feet. The water had receded a sufficient length of time be fore to make the thought of quick sands an idle fear. No puff of cloudy smoke leaped from a rifle barrel. If, as he more than half suspected, the island was a rendezvous for cattle thieves, a place surely admirably fit ted by nature for such unlawful oper ations, the rustlers were either over confident of the inaccessibility of their retreat and kept no lookout, or they were insolently indifferent to expos ure. The former premise was the more likely. A light breeze, born of the afterglow, came scurrying down the river bed. Here and there, where the sand was finest and driest, it rose in little whirlwinds. No sound broke the stillness of the summer evening. What was that? Coyotes barking over yonder across the river? That Turned and Faced Squarely the Spot Which Held the Watching Man. alien sound! A man's laugh, a curse, a heart-breaking of pain. Willis ton parted ever so slightly the thick foliage of underbrush that separated him from the all to familiar sounds and peered within. In the midst of a small clearing— man-made, for several stumps were scattered here and there —two men were engaged in unroping and releas ing a red steer, similar in all essential respects to a bunch of three or four huddled together a little to one side. They were all choice, well-fed animals, but there were thousands of just such beasts herding on the free ranges. He owned red steers like those, but was there a man in the cattle country who did not? They were impossible of identification without the aid of their brand, and it happened that they were so bunched as to completely baffle Williston in his eager efforts to decipher the stamp that would dis close their ownership. That they were the illegitimate prey of cattle rust lers, he never for one moment doubt ed. The situation was conclusive. A bed of glowing embers constantly re plenished and kept at white heat served to lighten up the weird scene growing dusky under the surrounding cottonwoods. Wllliston thought he recognized in one of the men—the one who seemed to be directing the procedure of this little affair, whose wide and dirty hat rim was so tantalizingly drawn over his eyes—the solitary rider whose un expected appearance had so startled him a short time before. Both he and his companion were dressed after the rough, nondescript manner of cattle men, both were gay, laughing and talkative, and seemingly as oblivious to possible danger as if engaged in the most innocent and legitimate business. A little to the left and standing alone was an odd creature of most striking appearance—a large, spotted steer with long, peculiar-looking horns. It was quite impossible to mistake such a possession if it had once been yours. Its right side was turned full toward Williston and in the center of the hip stood out distinctly the cleanly cau terized three perpendicular lines that, were the identifying mark of the Three Bars ranch, one of those same big, opulent, self-centered outfits whose CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 1908. astonishingly multiplying sign was be coming such a veritable and prophetic writing on the wail for YVilliston and his kind. Who, then, had dared to before him &n animal so branded? The bold ness of the transgression and the inso lent indifference to the enormity of at- tendant consequences held him for the moment breathless, llis attention was once more called to the movements of the men. The steers with which they had been working was led away still moaning with surprise and pain, and another brought forward from the reserve bunch. The branded hip, it' it was a brand, was turned away from Williston. The bewildered ani mal was cleverly roped and thrown to the ground. The man who was plain ly directing the affair, he of the droop ing hat and lazy shoulders, stepped to the fire. Williston held his breath with the intensity of his interest. The man stooped and took an iron from the fire. It was the endgate rod of a wagon and it was red-hot. In the act of straightening himself from his stooping position, the glowing iron stick in his right hand, he flung from his head with an easy swing the flop ping hat that interfered with the nicety of sight requisite in the work he was about to do, and faced squarely that quiet, innocent looking spot which held the watching man in its brush; and in the moment in which Williston drew hastily back, the fear of discov ery beating a tattoo of cold chills down his spine, recognition of the man came to him in a clarifying burst of com prehension. But the man evidently saw nothing and suspected nothing. His casual glance was probably only a manifesta tion of his habitual attitude of being never off his guard. He approached the prostrate steer with indifference to any meaning that might be attached to ihe soft snapping of twigs caused by Williston's involuntary drawing back into the denser shadows. "Y' don't suppose now, do you, that any blamed, interferin' off'cer is a-loafin' round where he oughtn't to be?" said the second man with a laugh. Williston, much relieved, again peered cautiously through the brush. He was confident a brand was about to be worked over. He must see— what there was to see. "Easy now, boss," said the second man with an officious warning. He was a big, beefy fellow with a heavy, hardened face. Williston sounded the depths of his memory but failed to place him among his acquaintances in the cow country. "Gamble on me." returned the lead er, with ready good nature, "I'll make it as clean as a boiled shirt. I take it you don't know my reputation, pard. well, you'll learn. You're all right, only a trifle green, that's all." With a firm, quick hand, he began running the searing iron over the right hip of the animal. When he had finished and the -steer, released, stag gered to its feet, Williston saw the brand clearly. It was J. R. If it had been worked over another brand, it certainly was a clear job. He could see no indications of any old markings whatsoever. "Too clean to be worked over a lazy S," thought Williston, "but not over three bars." "There were six reds," said the chief, surveying the remaining bunch with a critical eye. "One must have wandered off while I was gone. Get out there in the brush and round him up, Alec, while I tackle this long horned gentleman." Williston turned noiselessly away from the scene which so suddenly threatened danger. Both men were fully armed and would brook no eaves dropping. Once more he crossed the sand in safety and found his horse where he had left him, up the ravine. He vaulted into the saddle and gal loped away into the quiet night. (TO BR CONTINUED.) MODERN DEMAND FOR SILENCE. German Newspapers Protest It Is Be ing Carried to Extremes. "How the times change!" says a writer in the Frankfurter Zeitung. "In the days of our fathers no description of a homelike, cosy room was com plete without a reference to the tick ing clock. It was this gentle sound which emphasized the quiet of the place. People had no nerves in those days. To-day the thought of a ma chine ticking off the seconds and strik ing the hours is a source of worry and distress. Time is going, but they do not wish to be reminded of it continu ally; no clock is better than the tick ing machine. And now to meet the re quirements of the nervous people, a factory at Schramburg is making a noiseless clock." In an article on the same subject another paper says: "The anti-noise craze has made disa greeable and unendurable some of the noises which once were music to us, and soon we will find a way to silence the birds and to muffle the sound of the rustling leaves." The Cutting Retort. "You don't have to brag of success," declared the big woman when she had listened to the little woman's ac count of bow well she was doing with her work; "it shows for Itself." "And you don't have to tell outright of the decline of success once you have been successful," remarked the little wom an. who had listen;*' 1 . 9rst to the big woman's talk; "it sflow.4 fa tin tiis.cer ness with which you complain of ex isting circumstances." His Present State. "What state does the young fellow belong to who wants to marry old Hillyuns' daughter?" "Judging from his appearance when I saw him come out of the old man's office I should say a state of collaptM." HORTICULTURE CLEANING POTATOES QUICKLY. Home-Made Contrivance Which Will Also Sort the Tubers. The sketch shows my home-made potato cleaner and sorter which I have used at Falrview farm for a number of years, writes a correspon dent of Farm and Home. It consists of a number of hoops to which are fastened half-inch slats so as to make holes 1% inches square. Two heavy pieces. A, are placed inside the cylin l Home-Made Potato Sorter. der to hold the axle, B, which extends entirely through the machine and is turned by a crank, E. The frame made is four inches lower at the open ing end of the cylinder so that the potatoes will run through freely. At the crank end is a hopper, F, Into which the potatoes are poured. The cylinder is 2% feet long and three feet in diameter. It will not brulsa the potatoes and the dirt and smaH ones run through on the floor or crate and the marketable ones run out at the open end of the cylinder into an other crate. With one man to turn the crank and another to fill the hopper, 700 to 800 bushels can be sorted in a day. DEMAND FOR CHERRY STOCK. Chance for Some Enterprising Amer ican Horticulturist to Grow Trees. W. F. Heikes of Iluntsville, Ala., states there are imported into the United States from France annually 10,000,000 to 15,000,000 cherry stocks. Fairly trustworthy figures show that from this number of stocks the output of merchantable trees at two years old, of all sizes, is not more than one third of the number of stocks planted, and of these not more than one-third will grade five-eighths and up. The first difficulty encountered in cherry growing is in getting a stand. So much depends on the condition of the plants on their arrival from France. There are various causes of injury from the time the plants leave the grower in France to the time of their arrival at destination. There is more or less danger from freezing or heat ing on the way. Sometimes the plants are dug too early, and suffer from be ing heeled in, or they are dug when the ground is too wet and packed in boxes before they are separated froa the mud and properly dried. In this condition they start to grow in the boxes, and however carefully they may be handled, there is sure to be a heavy loss iu planting. In some in stances the plants are grown on land unsuited for their growth, when they suffer in health, quality and appear ance. Such plants are abnormally branched, and usually present a blackish appearance of the roots. There is room for some enterprising horticulturist here who will collect Mazzard cherry seeds and grow some of the seedlings required by nursery men for budding and grafting pur poses. NURSERY TREES. Proven That They Do Not Exhaust the Land of Its Fertility. All experience proves that a crop of nursery trees does not exhaust the land of its fertility, says T. R. Peyton, Cooper county, Missouri. In fact, it is generally considered that land from which trees have been moved is in the very best condition for a crop of wheat or potatoes. The best nursery lands are those which contain a basis of clay, and these are the ones which soonest suf fer under unwise treatment. The land is kept under high culture, and is, therefore, deeply pulverized. There is practically no herbage on the soil to protect it during the winter. The soil, deeply broken and robbed of its humus, runs together and ce ments itself, and it then requires "rest" in clover or other herbage crop to bring it back to its rightful condi tion. This resting period allows nature to replace the fiber in the soil and to make it once more so porous and mel low that plants can find a congenial root-hold in it. Planting Temporary Trees. , We note that a horticultural writer advises to plant temporary trees be tween the trees meant to be perma nent, for shade purposes. It is a bad plan. The owner does not have the nerve to dig out the trees meant to be temporary uf soon as he should, and in the meantime these trees are taking light and plant food from the other trees. The matter of light is a very great one, far greater than most people suspect. Any shutting off of the light from a growing tree results In the malformation of its outlines. The beautifully shaped trees we some times see grow with an abundance of Ught ou all sides of tiiem. REV.TROUTMAM SENDS BEST WISHES FOR PERUNA Rev. George A. E. Troutman, Mt. • > Washington, Mo., Writer Catarrh and La Grippe. " irall ■Washington, Mo., writes: "My wife V i| ' -• V [ I , "For several years I have been troubled {'' i| 1 with a peculiar spasmodic affection of the throat. It would seize me suddenly 1 -Wand for a few minutes I would be nn '•*<& able to speak audibly, and my breath ■ mAMm! ) : \ would be greatly interfered with. I ' rWiSPY rmm m ' would be obliged to gasp for breath. 1; If Jt catarrhal affection which probably ex- l'f'( 112 ilnS 1 cited the spasm. It interfered with my £ I (1/' IVI I uS®** vocation as a preacher, attacking me "" ■ "C 1 I 'i»M ' "I had heard so much about Peruna rlu • ' iF »>,/ ! as a catarrh remedy that I determined " kl-*v.v/FlAji/y I 2 to trv it. After taking two bottles, my I l'< ajßP' arffSfir tro " b,e has disappeared. I.Jeel sure •"I\C>«L?}s7 t |! \N^jffi\ Perunalias greatly benefitted me." if -\A>Rev. P. E. Swanstrom, Swedish Bar>- jl Mcis tist Pastor, Box 228, Grantsburg, Wis., iji. I—f1 —f writes that from the use of Peruna he Hrx ' s perfectly well, entirely cured of V; F- j£> chronic diarrhea and catarrh. I was cured of a bad case of catarrh when nothing else that 1 tried had any effect. My wife was cured from a severe case of la grippe, and we feel that the least we can do is to gratefully acknowledge the merit of Peruna. "My wife joins me in sending best wishes for your success." Throat Trouble. Rev. H. W. Tate, 920 Lincoln Avenue, Walnut Hills, Cincinnati, Ohio, writes: Ask Your Druggist for Free Peruna Almanac for 1908. w3 Curb or Splint* MM SIO&JVS W If penetrates and relieves pain very V| quickly-needs very little rubbing •ana aoes not leave a scar or blemish. An antiseptic remedy for thrush* fistula and any abscess. PRICE 25*.50£ & *).00 SloarfsTreatise on Horses, Cottle, Hogs ond Poultry" Sen! 1 Free S roH /VEIRa OF THE FAMILY. B v I 8 MEN. BOYS, WOMEN. MISSES AND •cn W. L. Oouplaa ma ham and sella V, >'i* / Mtt*. a mcn'ms2.BO, s3.ooandSS.BOehOß* lJ«|\ - /JWfcg < than any other manufacturer In Jhe world, hoc sumo they hold their F<ut nhapo, tit bottar, wmar longer, ana xSP, r /°, r »£» aro of preater Iralue than any other vhoca fnthe world to-day* _ ~ W. I. Douglas $4 and $5 Gilt Edge Shoes Cannot Be Equalled At Any Price or- < AITIOV. W I, nooclaa name ftn<l price Is stamped on bottom. Yak* I*© 6boea maL "ftra A HICKS' ifMCAPUDINE ACHES '*-* ■ iiffffflmfttrr'i A"*' Nervousness jn'Unil » Trial bottle 10c »idru( oiort» FERTILE FLORIDA First vegetables In market. Best prices. From fIOO to SIOOO per acre realized Oranges. pineapples, tropica' fruits Winter domes. tln« Hi mate, no malaria, schools, churches For informal ion address FLORIDA KAST COAST LAND IHCI'AKTMKNT. 8t Augustine Fla . or NORTUWKSTtthN AGENCY. 130 Adam* Street Cbicauo 111 MktM HAIR R B ALSAM Clesniee and beautifie* th« hair. Kgfl Promote# ft luxuriant growth. Never Fails to Restore Gray Hair to Hi Youthful Color. Your hide tanned^m 111DKS make fine. warm robe*. We are the oldest house doing this kind of work Aro responsible, and know bow Write for prices THE WORTHING 4 ALGER CO..Hillsdale. Mich. [LIVE STOCK AND fl CPTRfITViDEC MISCELLANEOUS ELC V I If (J I V ITCd In great variety for n*i* at the lo»nit prices by ( * H. kH.IOI.U\KWBP4I'KHrO.-J8» Ad.m. Hi., < l.lo K o Sk "PPiIXO w «t«nn F. foU««n. P«itnnt Attor. • fi B Plw I■% ?«*• Washington. l> O Advice ■ ■ 1* I frao lerum low. tliuhu»t r»f. nrriAMPr CTHRPU easiest to work with and ULMARUL OlHntn ttM clie» ciuibei olcnk Peruna in Tablet Form. For two years Dr. Hartman and his assistants have incessantly labored to create Peruna in tablet form, and their strenuouslaborshave just been crowned with success. People who object to liquid medicines can now securo Peruna Tablets, which represent the medicinal ingredients of Peruua. Each tablet is equivalent to one average dose of Peruna. Irpicdl Farm Scene. Showing Stock Raiting ta WESTERN CANADA Some of r.ht choicest land® for grain growing, stock raising and mixed farming in the new dis tricts of Saskatchewan and Alberta have re cently been Opened loi bettlement under the Revised Homestead Regulations Entry may now be made by proxy (on certain conditions), bv Hit father, mother, son, daugh ter. brother or sister ,of an intending home hteader Thousands of homesteads of 100 acres each are thus now easily available in these meat prain growinn, stock raisiuy aud mixed tanning sections. There you win And healthful climate, goov neighbors, churches for fa mily worship, schools lor your children, t?ood laws, splendid crops, aud railroads convenient to market. Entry fee in oa«*h rase is ?10.00. For pamph let." Last Best West." particulars as to rates, routes, best time togo and where to locate* apply to H. M. WILLIAMS. Law Building, Toledo, Ohio* mm Hf w'II AN AK ESIS tnstant BFffi M H fe wTm reIief.»'<)hTtIVKI.YCUIIKSJ. LgBJHB Kfl 39 WL i> a t or by mail. IE 9a E?® Sum pit? Kit BE. Addr«*». M 1 IL.iL. "ANAKE SIS 90 ■ ■HI ■OH Xw Trlbuu* UlUg.. NKW l»<>a»
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers