The Eagle's Heart

said to his boss herder, "Drive the herd over the trail, keeping as close to the boundary

p drifting across the line he set forth to turn the

vously, expecting a charge of cattlemen. Delmar l

iously over the hill. "See here!" they called to Mose, "y

o talk to him. And, say! you'd better chan

ey rode to the older herder, who laughed at them. "Settle with the 'old ma

r range or you won't have any to

s if blowing away thistle down. "Run aw

top of the hill, and there, turning, fired twice at the herder, wou

wn over his hawklike eyes. "That's all right," he

On the way he overtook Williams, riding along alone. Williams d

ake!" he called, with his hands quivering above his

th sinister formality, "your me

s, Mr. Delmar; I

een dollars a month. I'm the responsible party-I'm the man to kill. I want to say right here that I hold you accountable, and if your men maim one of my herders or op

l; he topped the divide without stopping. Delmar smile

ampling sound. Could it be a herd of buffalo? His blood thrilled with the hope of it. His sheep were forgotten as the roar increased and wild yells came faintly to his ears. As he jerked his revolver from its holder, around the end o

woolly flesh. Mose shuddered with horror and pity-a moment later and the drove, led by a powerful and vicious brown mare, drove like a wedge straight into the helpless herd, and, leaping, plunging, kicking, stumbling, the powerful and swift little bronchos cr

ur all the native and alien oaths he had ever heard in a long and eventful career among profane persons. When Mose recovered his horse and rode up to him, Jose was still swearing. He was walking among the wounded sheep, shootin

ng most piteous cries, touched him so deeply that he wept. He had no inclination to swear until afterward, when the ful

e saddled his horse, and, buckling his revolvers about him s

's deliberate action. Prevision of a bloody fray filled the boy's mind, but he could not retrea

e was traversed at steady gallop till the powerful little ponies streamed wit

; "these hounds won't shoot; they're going to evad

e opposite side, and quite a group of men waited Delmar's approach, and every man was armed. Each face wore a look of constraint, thoug

asked Delmar as he

thing I can do for

t a drove of horses belonging partly to you and partly to Hartley, of The Horsesh

it. Too bad! but you understand how it is. Herds get g

dn't try to

" inquired Conrad, tur

d, grinning ape

to head the herd off, and we didn't se

ove the horses right down the vall

our heart out," shouted the cowboy,

oung cockalorum. It ain't useful to s

m, shut up." Turning to M

eek, just sout

o' strayed over the line, Mr. Delmar. As they was on our side of the range I

ease, and I shall be with my sheep night and day, and the next man that crosses my sheep will leave his bones in the grass with the dead sheep, and likely a horse or two besides." He stepped

?" called one

nd his eyes took

r mouth. Throw up your hands!" The man's hands went up. "Why,

y on him, Delmar; he's a crazy f

the guns from your men." Mose drew his revolver. "My boy here is handy too. I don

e d--d

ice was terrible to hear. Mose's heart stopped beatin

id: "Give 'em up, boys. He's a desp

on the part of two, the cowboys dropped their

eapons up. Delmar thrust the revolvers into h

e yon rock," said Delmar, "and when we me

drove them into the fairest feeding-places beside the clearest streams. He spared no pains to irritate the cattlemen, and Mose, who alone of al

gly that it was commented upon by the more hardened men. He was the greater troubled because a letter from Jack came during this stormy time, wherein occurred this paragraph: "Mary came back to the autumn te

he prison, that pale, grave girl with the glorious eyes. He saw her, too, as Jack saw her, her gravity turned into sadness, her pallor into the paleness of grief and ill health. He admitted now that no reason existed

ell as he could hope for, as he re-read it next d

me or write to me. I didn't know your mother was sick. I thought you ought to have written to me, but, of course, I understand now. I hope

in a while, or a deer down on the bottoms, but I haven't seen a bear or a buffalo yet. I want to go to the mountains now. This country is too tame for me. They say you can see the

it. I'll go down again in two weeks. Since Jack wrote I want to see yo

respe

LD EX

, they don't know my real name out h

on the low flat of the Big Sandy, and was composed of log huts (beginning already to rot at the corners) and unpainted shanties of pine, gray as granite, under wind and sun. There were two "hotels," where for "two bits" one could secure a

ut a bunch of cowboys had just ridden in for "a good time," and to reach the post offic

der; let's have some fun w

alone; he's

r be. I'm goin' to string h

he storekeeper, hoping the belligerent gang would ride away. They had no such intention, but went into a saloon next door to drink, keeping watch for Mose. One of them, a slim, consumptive-chested man, grew drunk first. He was entirely harmless when sob

art in it than the blare of a tin horn. His eyes wandered from face

ed with him, and they rolled in the dust like dirty bear cubs. They were helpless so far as physical

horse the crowd saw him, and

e's a sheep walk

er, surrounded Mose, who stood at bay not far from hi

to do with you." He knew that this crowd would hav

to lick you," replie

" The ring opened and he reeled through and up to Mose, who was standing ominously

rowd to humor the drunken fool. "Yo

will,

ll," yelled the

Mose a tug. "Come 'ere

d Mose, his heart s

lter, and when the bloody mist cleared away from his brain, Mose found himself in his saddle, his swift pony galloping hard up the street, with pistols cracking behind him. His blood was still hot with the murderous rage which had blinded

se had also been hit, led him to ride on. He made a detour on the plain, and entered a ravine which concealed him from the town, and there alighted to feel of his horse's limbs, f

k to the river trail and the horse galloped steadily homeward. As he rode the boy grew very sad and discouraged. He had again given away to the spirit of murder. Again

lso, with a certain tenderness, remembering how he had stood by him in his trial. "Who will stand by me now?" he asked himself, and the thought of the Pratts helped him. Delmar, he felt sure, would defend him, but he knew the customs of the cattle country too w

his horse was covered with foam. Delmar was sitt

boy, wha

't you be uneasy about that; but this whole row is mine. They haven't any grudge against you, but you're a sheep herder for me, and that is bad business just now. If you've killed a man they'll come a-rippin' up here about daylight with a warrant. You can't get justice in th

u want to take with you," he said a few minutes later as they were saddling the two bronchos. "You can't afford to stay he

ng for me or Mose here, say you don't know where we went, but that you expect us back about noon

the sheep," began Mose as they s

I got you into this scrape

States who thinks you're out here making a man of yourself, and I like you too well to see you done up by these dirty cow-country lawyers. I'm

rch the Cannon Ball settlement. I'll ride around that way and detain 'em awhile and make 'em think you're hiding out, while you make tracks for upper country. You keep this river trail. Don't ride too

and after you go about one day bear sharp to the left, begin to inquire for Bob Reynolds on the Arickaree-everybody knows Bob. Just

desert you this way, Mr. Delmar," he said; "it

ve it," rep

to have a lo

arted wrong on the Cannon Ball. Bob will put you right. The cattlemen will rule there for

lmar's hand and said: "Good-by, Mr.

ll right-

sat on his horse and watched the boy till he was diminished to a minute spot on the dim swells of the plain. Then he