The Cattle-Baron's Daughter

eat stove diffused a stuffy heat. The two men had made the round of the small homesteads that were springing up, with difficulty, for the snow was too loose a

ushed his plate aside,

" he said. "You see, it's a long while until harvest comes round, and a good many unexpected things seem to hap

ner or later, while the fact that the cattle-men and the Sheriff have left us alone of late shows tha

the other men have a good many more than we have. By the way, shou

amilies-had settled on the land in his neighbourhood, and as every hand and voice might be wanted, levies had been made on the

, and there are two or three of the Englishmen who have very little left to eat at the hollow. You h

idge drew back his chair. "Hallo!

embled a faint tap. "Yes," he said quietly. "I may ha

, which rolled away before them white and silent under the moonlight. Then, Breckenridge flung the door to, and crossed over to the rac

hope you're wrong. Where did y

an hour, though it was significant that every now and then one of them would turn his head as though listening, an

ng. It will be the man with dollars, and I don

pened and Muller came in. He

his horse in der stable

sharply. "He woul

take. Why is he not here? I, who ride by d

o. Then the former said, "I'm half afraid we'll have to do without th

ging on his fur coat, made for the stable, took

ton quietly. "We d

ll out the men of the little community which had grown up not far away. It was some time later when he and those who followed him came up with his comrade and Muller. The moon still hung in the wester

sharply, "there w

ant. "Only one

me that night he felt a shiver run through him. He fell behind,

an was riding a good deal h

king, that their search would be rewarded there in the blackness beneath the trees. The pace grew faster. Men glanced at their neighbours now and then as well as ahead, and Breckenridge felt the silence grow oppressive as the bluff rose higher. T

aid. "We're going to find one o

h the snow was scanty and in places swept away, Grant and a big Michigan bushman rode straight on. Breckenridge, who was young, felt the tension grow almost unendurable. At last, when

light the lantern. Qu

hone in between the birches, and something dusky and rigid lay athwart it in the snow. One man was lighting a lantern, and though his hands were mittened he see

ss, "that's Quilter. It's not going to be much use

with the help of another man, he gently moved the rigid form. Then, opening the

ldn't have been more than

d it can't have more than an hour's start of us, any wa

r him somehow, Muller," he said. "Boys, the man who shot him has left nothing, and the instruc

HEAD, FROM WHICH THE FUR

e have to pull down Cedar Range or Clavering's place before we

understood. Unlike the Americans of the cities, these men were not addicted to improving the occasion, and only a slight hardening of their grim faces suggested what they fe

they rode out into the snow again. It sounded more ominous to Breckenridge than any clamorous shout. Then, bridles were shaken and heels went home as somebody found the trail, and the line tailed out farther and farther as blood and weight began

any of the cattle-boys we

out went up from the head of the stra

aid. "We'll find him in the t

ed cutting off the fugitive from the bridge. It was long before the first dim birches rose up against the sky, and the white wilderness was very still and the frost intense when they floundered into the gloom of the bluff at the hour that man's vitality sinks to its lowest. Every

ddenly a faint cry came out of the silence followed by a beat of hoofs that grew louder every second, until it seemed to swe

h which he had waited outside English covers when the quarry was a fox. He could feel his heart thumping furiously, an

ain as he felt the spring of the beast under him and the bitter draught upon his cheek. His horse had rested, and the fugitive's was spent. Where he was going he scarcely noticed,

the slope grew steeper still, the ground beneath the dusty snow and fallen leaves was granite hard; but he was scarcely a le

ing of the hoofs, a crash, and Breckenridge was alone, struggling with his horse. They reeled, smashing through withered bushes and striking slender trees, but at last he gained the mastery, and swung himself down from the saddle. Already several mounted men were clustered about something, while just

rst," he said. "Light that lantern, Jake, and then the r

crumpled packet, and Grant, tearing

hat writing

e it to a man who held it up in the blinking light of the lantern. "Now," he said, "

passed it across. "I guess there's no use in

er man. "Two of you look over his s

the roll of bills to a comrade, who, after tu

even if we hadn't followed up his trail. Tho

om each of the two committees. We'll be waiting for them at Boston's when they get

hand. "Usual 44 Winchester. One of them gone," he said. "He wou

the muzzle, and then held it up by the lantern where

ing, but we'll bring th

p," he said. "You'll have a fair trial, but if you have any defence to

de away into the darkness which, now the

ney of the railroad. Twelve men, whose bronzed faces showed very intent and grave under the light of the big lamp, sat round the long ba

heard the testimony. Hav

ouldn't be much use. Hadn't you better g

and returned within a minute. "The thing's quit

ng any mercy, but if you have anything to urge we'll listen now. It's your

ing to talk," he said. "I guess I can se

e prisoner away. Then, he looked at the others

," he said. "It

g for us-the cattle-men have bought it up; but this work must be stopped. Well, I guess you like what lies before us a

rant raised his hand and a man brought in the prisoner. He look

t tell me," he said

ridge that his voice came from far away. "At the

impulse, hastened out of the room, leaving Grant and Breckenridge alone. The former sa

ou couldn't have done a

"Still, I could have wished th

o recall it, but the details of that scene would return to him-the square frame houses under the driving snow-cloud, the white waste they rose from, the grim, silent horsemen with the rifles across their

eyes away. A sound that might have been a groan or murmur broke from the crowd and the momentary silence that followed it was rent by the c

to the telegraph-pole: "For murder and robbery. Take warning