Ranching for Sylvia

plowing and pulled up his horse beside him. He was on the whole a handsome fellow, well mounted and smartly dressed,

king too good," the

was badly put in, and we've

Jake Gillet had the trouble with. Beat him down o

was that he asked a good deal

ked at Geor

e gently than you did. As a newcomer, you don't want to kic

here the hint he

this paper for you to

estimonial to the excellent manner in which the Sachem Hotel was conducted by its owner, Oliver Beamish. George had o

ampaign-want to shut the hotels," his visito

Mr. Beamish. I can't form an opinion

r them? Do you like

ressed by the man. His tone was too dictatoria

said, "it woul

ou won'

N

moment or two, rega

use my hotel as a stopping-place counts with the authorities," he told him. "I've got quite

n his manner, and Ge

hasn't much weight

ss you're wrong; but as there's

plar bluff. It was fiercely hot on the prairie, but the wood was dim and cool, and George followed Edgar through it in search of saskatoons. The red berries were plentiful, and they had gone farther than they intended

hat's in it

. "One of the cure-everything tonics, according to the l

had made the track had endeavored to leave as little mark as possible. Then he glanced out between the poplar trunks across the sunlit prairie. There was not a house on it; scarcely a clump of timbe

ick-me-up, it might be better

ed George, "i

oked tho

in great demand in this locality. I have, however, heard the liquor laws denounce

We'll get on again, if yo

evening; and both were glad to comply with it. When they arrived, the girl led them into a ro

," she said, when she presented them. "Mr. Hardie, who

t in figure but was marked b

"I'm merely his assistant. I suppose yo

wered meekly; "I

me one. How long is it si

, seeing Flora's smile and the twinkle in h

is, if you don't object to strong gre

e moderation in eve

htfully, "that moderation is now and

er eyes on him with

ou a s

en to conviction, especially if you intend to

ay; and we want as many as we can get. But we'll proc

it but rather thin figure, which suggested that he was accustomed to physical exertion. As he could not afford a ho

of the good they do is undone in the pool room and the saloons," he sai

ect to a saloon," Mrs.

iled good

sing evil. There's no doubt about the

ame here to work. Now the Sachem bar's full of slouchers every night, and quite a few of them don't do anything worth speaking of in the daytime, except make trouble for decent folks. If the boys try to

son, "is by no means

gathering place for doubtful characters," Hardie went on. "What's worse, I've reasons for supposing

pause, during which Edgar glanced meaningl

retty long odds. Why do you think

led, but he showed

ss that some of our people are indifferent: reluctant, or perhaps half afraid, to interfere. T

t sure of winni

; in fact, we have nearly everything against us. I've been urged to w

e Butte pretty hot. But you feel you have a cha

es

he house-but, if it's needful, I can do without. I'm not going into this thing to help you in preaching to whisky-tanks and toughs-it's the law I'm

Hardie, with ke

ned to

f your support

or two while Flora watche

t's-I can do without. After what you hav

Hardie as

ad la

me; said unpleasant things about my appearance and my English clot

n amused reproof, and

ut your h

If you have brought any memoria

ad your determination," Mrs.

entured

pressure put upo

the farmer. "I'll ju

with the purity of all your allies'

into the cle

and considering what I'm up against, I can't refuse any supp

r mention a little discovery West an

sion grew eager

broke out. "If we can fix the thing on Beamish-I haven't

cide how it's to be do

ral suggestions,

he sloo. One of them ought to be a farmer; but we'll see about that. Guess your part is to

tly. "But be warned-if the men can't close the Sache

ecide who is to watch t

e matter, I'll go, for o

rry more weight with the court. The opposition couldn't make you out a partizan. But you want to recognize what you're

s count for much with Mr. Lan

o reply, but

our mind at rest on that. You don't se

the fellows come for the liquor, when you'll follow them to the reservation, without their seeing you. Then you'll ride up and make sure you would know them again. They should get there soon after daylight, as they won't strike the bluff unti

Then he had been impressed in Hardie's favor; the man was in earnest, ready to court popular hostility, but he was nevertheless genial and free from dogmatic narrow-mindedness. Behind all this, there was in George a detestation of vicious idleness and indulgence, and a