The Storyteller

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2461, 27 March 1909, Page 10 (Supplement)

The Storyteller

(By William Maeleod Raine.)

THE RECOIL.

CHAPTER I. j Around the bend and into 'the draw where lay the - Chisholm plac| rode a horseman. He dismounted ! at) the eororal, tied his pony, and sauntered to the liouise with jingling: spur. H(s roving eye fell on the figuie of a young wo- : man who was watering pansies in front of the- porch, and lie. .immediately deflected toward her. An observer would have found something in this homestead that differentiated it from many of the other pioneer ranches of the Tincup Valley. The house was of rough hewn logs- and its furnishings were of the cheapest, but everything had been touched with the transforming fingers that wonderfully make home out of the least promising material. . It was easy to look at the swhet'shm girl busy with her watering aijfl know who was responsible for the air|of restful comfort that abided here. So wild roses on the mountains back of tifjg meadow where she lived could ha» been • purer, fresher, -more , unsophMicatcd than slTeT7Tlielvam,^tj-'««teffniount-ed her cheeks at the least provocation, fled abashed at the slightest boldness of admiring gaze. She had kept house for her father in this distant ontskirt of civilisation ever since, at the,a ge of ten, she had lost her mother,; and of the great pulsing nation beyohd the purple hills she knew nothing but hearsay. This was her narrow j world, but she had inherited the subijle gift of refinement, the instinct for, good taste that often dwells inexplicably in the lowliest surroundings. In some crude fashion the j young mail striding toward her understood this. It was quite impossible hot to appreciate measurably her fineness, her grace, the perfection with wliibh the simple print frock fitted her soft’.young lines. They were as much an emanation of her personality as her obvious, girlish good looks. And with /ill his churlish nature he resented the quality in her that set her in a class apart ' from him, resented it and resolved dully to make her some day pay for her superiority. It was the vindictive perception of the difference between them that made his cavalier greeting more familiar than their relations warranted'. “Mtfrnin’, Jess'! How are things a-comin’ ?” . v ; Jessie Chisholm looked up, startled, biting, her lower lip in a childish trick of embarrassment that still clung to her. She had not known of his presence, and then, too, nobody called her “Jess” hut her-father. “We’re bothwell, thank you. Farther is at the barn, I think.” 1 ~~jtfe laughed, enjoying her confusion with his possessive eyes. “That’s all right. Let him stay there. I don’t kmnwas I’m looking for the old man this morning.” This time her flush was of wholesome anger, but- she. remembered that it was an officer of the forest reserve whose goodwill was so necessary to them. “Won’t you sit down on the aorch, ' Mr Fowler?” 1% • v “I reckon not. I’ll help you with the flowers. And my name ain’t 1 ‘Mr Fowler’ to you. It’s Jed.” “I’ve just finished. If you will sit down there I’ll go and get' father,” she said hurriedly.

His big body barred the way. “There’s no hurry. It’s your father’s daughter I drapped in to see this mo’nV : ing,” he drawled. “You needn’t al- ;./ ways be in such a rush to go and hunt lip the old man when I happen in. I ..don’t bite —not young ladies, at least.” . . “I wish you wouldn’t call my father .... . ‘the old man,” Mr Fowler,” she flamed. - “And I wish yon wouldn’t call me . : ‘Mr Fowler.’ .My name’s Jed. Goes i’•'Well with Jess, don’t you think?’ jr-W-v '“.Will you please let me- pass?”

'HU' I’ve got through telling you what I. want to sav.” j •-/■“M-/They nie'asiVred eyes a long moment, Tor. ndespito her shyness the spirit in that slender body was compact of strength and courage. “Very well, Mr Fowler. There are Seats - on the porch.” She slipped swiftly past him and ran ‘ Up the steps. There ’was nothing, for him to do but follow sulkily and take the second chair.

In his neat, serviceable green uniform P - the forester looked the soldier, one set '-in authority, and there was that in his shallow, handsome face and, cocksure mariner -that proclaimed every jot of official power that was in him. M ..Jed Fowler had always been a" fail- ' . ure. There is-something in the life of the frontier that sifts men, and this V had failed, to /‘stand-the acid,” to /■£~make good,” '.as the. Western .phrases . put it.-' ( :While others-’had ’been, wrestling’a living from their/’raw' land and laying, the,'foundations;'of ■•future for- / - tune, he had' drifted from one thing, to . L another, , seeking the. Short; , cut to ! . : wealth that'climinutes; hard work. He l had not found, it, and-his grudge at' 1 ; • his'neighbors’ ‘/luck” Jmd grown acute, i -. . for he.Jiad seen them fight their way to- ; wardprpsperity, -while he; grew out at elbows ih'Mdlenebs. He had-jumped at the appointment of forest ranged of the ■ * . new reserve, even with the meagre sal- - ' ary attached, "for the place offered the I • opportunity for much easy graft and

the change to tyrannise over those who had had the effrontery to become more successful than he. It offered something more —a lever by which he might hope to move old Jim Chisholm’s daughter to favor his cult. The ranchman had worked for years'on a ditch to carry water to irrig, te his, place. When it was nearly finished tlie hills back _of the valley and a considerable part of the, meadow had been included in a new forest reserve. "Chisholm’s ditch headed in it a::d ran for several miles through the district set aside by the Government- for forest purposes. There, were many ways by which Fowler could harass tlie homesteader, but this ditch offered an excellent chance just now, since it lay in his power to condemn it and bring to nothing all the work that had--been put on it. This wauld te--blew, since.-without water the upland me-Tdow was quite useless. And Jed Fowler meant to play this possibility for all it yvas worth with Jessie Cliisho'm. Under his half-shuttered, smouldering eyes he watched lazily the. resentful bloom' beat- into her cheeks. He knew that his bold, insolent scrutiny troubled her maidenly modesty, and it flattered h:r; sense, of power that it did. He was quite willing to be a disturbing -rsmeiib in the course of her -jui'et life, if not in one way then in another. “You don’t act as if you was glad to death to see me when I come, M'-ss Jessie. Now I wonder why.” “Am I not —civil?” she breathed, her eyes-on.the distant figure of her father as it moved about the corral among the cattle.

“Civil! 1 don’t want your civility,” he growled roughly. “I told you once before that I want to marry you.”

“And I answered that I couldn’t.” “Why can’t you?”. - ■ She forced herself to meet his eyes fairly. “I don’t —care for you.” “And you do care for that cow-thief Dick Brooks?”

“You have no right to say that,” she cried, her eyes sparkling with anger. “And you wouldn’t dare say it to him.”

“Wouldn’t I?” He laughed scornfury. “If it ain’t thieving to drive vour cattle on the Government graz-ing-land without paying for a permit I’d like to know what it is.” “I don’t care to discuss that question with you. If you have nothing further to say I’ll go in.” “But I have. I’ve got a heap to say that you’ll find interesting.” She had risen to slim straightness and now. he, too, got up and looked down at her, his malevolent face close to hers.

“I. have been a friend to your father. When his cattlo drifted on the reserve I ain’t reported them. It’s been ‘Help yourself’ with all the timber lie’s needed, ain’t it? But I’m telling you this straight and don’t you forget it-: The day you turn me down is the day you ruin old Jim Chisholm. I can put him out of business for fair, and I’m the wlvtc-haired lad that’ll do it.” “You wouldn’t he so cruel.”

“Cruel nothjpg. It’s business. That’s all. I help my friends and I even up with mv enemies.”

“You know my father is too good to injure anybody. He is not your enemy.” 1 “That ain’t the point. This is between us —you and me, understand.” “No, I don’t understand how any man can bo so small, so mean.” “You don’t, eh?”

He had her hemmed in at the corner of the piazza hidden from view of the corrall by the morning-glories, and before she could divine his purpose he put bis arm around her, drew her to him, and kissed her on the lips. “Perhaps you can understand that, my beauty,” he jeered. “Tell Dick Brooks and he’ll understand it.”

She pushed him away and fled flaming into the house, throwing the door to behind her as if she could shut out the hateful memory of what she had just endured. The ranger strolled out to the corral, smiling with malignant revenge. He had paid her in part. Ho would pay the old man now. Putting liis arms on the top rail of the fence, he leaned on it and watched Chisholm trying to rope a calf. The rancher had lost an arm at Shiloh, and it was only after several casts that he succeeded in making a good throw. “I came to see you about that ditch of yours, Chisholm. I’ve made up my mind that you’ll have to clean out and burn the dead and down timber for fifty feet, each side of it.”

The old soldier’s face whitened under the tan. “I can’t do that, Jed. It runs for nearly .five miles through, the reserve. It would cost me two thousand dollars to clear it up for a hundred . feet. Besides, what good would that be? Ice-cold water can’t set your forest afire.” “I don’t care anything about that. I’m telling you what you goKto do.” • “But it’s outrageous. I haven’t got the monej 7 to do it.' You might as well tell me to pull up stakes and get out.” “It wouldn’t break my heart if you did,” , growled the forester sullenly “But you won’t run water through that ditch till you get my O.K. that it’s cleared up satisfactorily, I’ll promise you that. Anothor thing—you’re rurt-

dug'’ about forty cattle that; drift on the reserve. You’ll have to take out a vormit.” “You know I can’t do that. The ranchers in this district have agreed not to take out permits , till the Supremo Court has passed on the Fred high case,” answered Chisholm quietly, but with a sinking heart.' “Your agreement don’t- interest me a particle, Chisholm,” drawled the forester insolently. “Just because a bunclr of you fellows agree to violate the law —” “But you don’t know whether , it’s the law or not till the Supreme Court passes on it.” “I ain’t worrying any about the Supreme Court. The Forestry Department has made a ruling and, I guess you’ll abide by it. You ain’t bigger than the United States Government, mv friend.” “But we claim it is an unjust ruling, contrary to law. Cattlemen, have always used the open range. If yejur department doesn’t want our. cattle <fii the. reserve, let it fence Blme as r dtifeT*owne fair. ’ ’ “I ain’t arguin’ with you, old man. Fin laying down the law'. Get your rattle off the reserve or there’ll be trouble.” “I couldn’t get them off with a -regiment of soldiers at this season. You know that.” “That’s your business. I’m attendin’ to mine when I warn you.” Fowler turned on his heel and swaggered to his pony.' “I’ll give you three days to get ’em off,” he called b ’ck as he gathered his reins and rode aw iv.

Chisholm leaned faintly against tlie fence. He had a weak heart and this had been a great shock to him. For eight years he had been building here for his little girl’s future, and at one stroke this upstart had deprived him of the legitimate fruits of his toil. Without water to irrigate, his ranch was useless. Fowler’s unjust demand he knew to be a declaration of- war, and the experience of his neighbors showed him plainly that he could not stand up against the forest-ranger if the latter were determined to oust him. He might appeal, but his appeal would fall on deaf ears, already prejudiced against him because he had signed with his friends an agreement not to pay the leasing-fee till the courts had given a final decision. The cards were stacked against him. In the bitterness of his heart he groaned aloud, then slowly made his heavy w:»y to the house.

Fowler rode jubilantly down the valley. He would show Jess Chisholm whether she could throw biin down when she pleased. He would show all these ranchmen that they had to stand in with him if they were going to make money. There would be fat picking in this job if he worked it right. He had been too easy with them. They needed the thumb-screws tightened before they would understand. Now there was Dick Brooks. He ground liis teeth in a sudden flush of rage, and even before it had ebbed turned a corner and came face to face with the man whom he was cursing.

Tho stockman’s silent, grey eye photographed his impotent fury with an amused comprehension that was almost contempt. Neither tall nor large, every line, of Dick Brooks’s lean, clean build promised easy power. He. wore the soft- broad-brimmed hat, the polkadot bandanna loosely knotted round his throat, the grey shirt and faded overalls, the wrist gauntlets characteristic of his class. He needed no insignia of rank to point him a leader of men. It was written in his hearing, in the competent vigilance of eye and strength of tight-clamped jaw. He was passing with a curt nod when the ranger stopped him. “I heard you’re expecting to drive a bunch of beef-steers to the railroad tomorrow, Mr Brooks.” “Your hearing is correct, sir.” “Well, I want to tell you that yoif can’t drive through the .reserve without getting a permit.” “That’s your guess, is it? Now you listen to mine, Mr Banger. A country road runs past my place to the railroad. It’s been there twenty years, and it’s the only way I can get my cattle to the market: -I’m going to drive my steers along that road tomorrow forenoon, reserve or no reserve.”

“I’ll have to arrest you if you pass through the reserve.” “You bring a court-warrant with you then or don’t you come,” advised Brooks grimly. . “The Use Book says —’ ’ “Yes, I know your ‘abuse book’ says when I must go to bed, and when I must get up, and whether I should have flapjacks or bacon for breakfast. But you see the Use Book ain’t my Bible.” “Well it had better be. You don’t own.the earth. I’ll learn you who rules the roost here,” Fowler hurst out in a fury. Tile stockman met his defiance impassively, his. grey, steely eyes ' resting steadily on the ranger. When ho spoke it was with studied gentleness. “But you see I do own the earth—that part of it you’re standing on, anyhow. This is a private road, Mr Ranger, as you happen to know. And while it’s on our minds I’ll advise you to get off it. J limp 1” The last word rang out crisp and stern.

“I don’t have to.” “Not if you’d rather be kicked off.” Their gazes fastened! • The eye is a

barometer of courage, a prince of 'deadly weapons. It was the forester’s hat lost the battle. “I ain’t here looking for trouble,” lie growled. Brooks laughed without geniality. “I guess you’re always looking for it but you liato to find it.” “I ain’t through with you yet,” tlie forester called back over his shoulder as he rode away.

“Glad you mentioned it. I’ll keep my hen-house locked nights,” retorted tho other contemptuously. The stockman rode on to the Chisholm place, where he found all in confusion. • The old Civil War veteran had had an attack of heart failure and lrs daughter met Brooks at tho door with a very white face.

“I’m so glad to see you, Dick,” slio broke down. “I thought—that he wasn’t going to get fiver it. It- was terrible.” /

“But he’s better now?” said the young man gently. - rating quietly.” “Do you know what caused it?” “It was that man Fowler.”

And she told him the whole stofy, except the. particulars of what had oc curred on the porch. Those he heard later from her father.

It appeared that Chisholm had come home, found her in tears, and discovered the insult that had been offered his one ewe lamb. This, added to what had gono before, had proved too much for him.

Brooks stayed all day, heartening them with the sunshine of his cheerful talk, that came from a heart full of love and sympathy. He left about dusk, Ijy which time Chisholm was much better. But neither father nor daughter knew that after lie liad saddled his pony lie took a horsewhip from the old buggy in the bam and carried it away with him to the ranger’s camp. CHAPTER 11.

“Well, what’s the trouble now?” testily asked the Supervisor of the Holy Peak Battlement Reserve. “It seems to me you ranchmen spend all your time fighting this department. The young man on the opposite side of the desk accepted the challenge quietly. - , “All we ask is a square deal, i came to see you on behalf of a man who isn’t getting, one. One of your rangers is throwing the hooks into one of the finest men I ever met, old Jim Chisholm down on the Tincup, just because his girl won’t have anything to do with the scalawag. Is that right? ’ “Who are you? Do you live down that way, sir?” “My name’s Brooks —Dick Brooks. Yes, I live about three miles below tho old man.” The Supervisor’s face hardened. “Are you the Brooks who organised all this opposition to the Forest Service, the one who brutally assaulted one of my rangers the day befora yesterday? “I’m the man you mean, but I don't put it just that way. The coycote insulted a young lady and I horsewhipped him. He got only what was coming to him.” “I don’t care to talk to you at all, sir.” “You mean you won’t listen to any side but the one Fowler dishes up to you ?” asked Brooks. “You’ll have -a chance to explain your murderous attack in court. I don’t care to liear any apologies.” “I haven’t any to offer. What I want to talk about is Jim Chisholm s ditch.”

“He is unfortunate in his advocate. He breaks the law himself, and he sends a lawbreaker to plead for him. “Old Jim Chisholm never broke a law in his life. He went out and lost an arm for his country when the call came. Everybody, knows he is one of the whitest men in this State.” \ “He breaks the law when he lets his cattle range on the reserve without paying for a permit. Let him comply with the regulations and I’ll listen to him. Till then he has no rights on the reserve. I endorse Fowler’s position. “No rights on the reserve. That’s funny. Chisholm’s been out in the western country thirty years trying to build it up. He made his pile and then had hard luck' and went broke. Now he’s made another start and he s up against it. The small, cattleman fcfrs troubles aplenty—short summer, long winters, deep snow, bad roads, heavy railroads-rates, and the packer’s, trust. But he settles here and trusts to the open range to' make ends meet. He knows there’s 1 always been an open range on tlio frontier. It’s one of the rights that go with pioneer settlement. Then along comes your department, and says it wants to help the home-buildei. So it soaks a tax on him for every cow and calf he’s got. At every turn of the road he runs up against the blamed regulations it makes. That’s certainly a right funny way of helping him.” “It’s the law,” snapped the Supervisor. “Let Chisholm take out his permit and he’ll get along all right.” “It’s ain’t the law till the Supreme Court of the United States says so. This aint Russia, It’s America, and every little homesteader', has as much right as your big department with its thousands of employees. Jim Chisholm can’t take out a permit because he’s a man and not a yellow dog. He’s agreed., to stand payt pat with the rest of u ? • and he will, even though you how' him to death.” " . ' “We’re not hounding him.” “I understand you are be _ him arrested, on a criminal ol{ s cmv3 cause, without liis knowledge drifted on your reserve.’^'

“Wo are going to make an example of his case. Yes, sir!” “Pass the old man up, Mr Hance. Ho’s got a weak heart and is mighty near all in. Have your department jump on me instead.” “I don’t think we care for any advice about how to run our affairs, not from our enemies-at least.”

“All I’m asking is that you choose any other man on the. river except Chisholm. He ain’t in any condition to stand excitement.”

“He should have thought of that before he' broke the law,” answered Hance coldly as he turned away. CHAPTER HI.

One evening, a week later, at the little bridge just above the Chisholm place, Jed Fowler saw a slender figure waiting in the dusk. Through the exquisite luminous glow that preceded darkness she seemed to swim toward him ivith the sliy sylvan grace of a wood nymph. “It is you, Hick, isn’t it? Oh, 1 thought you Avould never come,” she cried softly. - “You’ve got another guest coming,” snarled the furious ranger. He pushed past her Avithout stopping, but over his shoulder he called back vindicth r ely: “If you happen right up to the house you’ll find interesting ncAVs I reckon.’ Shaken by a great dread, she called to him to stop.. Her fear Avas wholly for her father.

Fowler’s refusal came back'to her iu a jeering laugh as he set spurs to his horse. She fled after, caught in a tide of terror that swept through her in cold waves, so torn >->y anxiety that she gave no heed to the sound of a second galloping pony crossing the bridge. It was but a short distance to the house. Her father was still sitting quietly at the table where he had been reading, his finger at the place on the open book at which he had been interrupted. Exuding malevolent triumph, the ranger was drawing a paper from his pocket. Swiftly the girl crossed the room and stood behind her father, one arm round his shoulder, her steady eye upon the man who was revenging himself upon them for liis faiLure. Thus Hick Brooks found them when he came through the fan-shaped shaft of light that streamed from the open doorT The old soldier was gently

stroking his daughter’s hand to reassure her. He sat erect and fearless, with the empty sleeve pinned to his coat, heart-failure forgotten, the one-time fighting fire of battle in his grey eyes. He was a criminal, according to the paper his enemy had just finished reading, but Dick Brooks had-never seen

him look more a man. “I should like to read that warrant,” he said.evenly. Fowler tossed it across to him with an insolent laugh. “It’s all there—every word of it. “I reckon I’ll have to trouble you to saddle your hawss and ride to town with me. He produced a pair of handcuffs and began to unlock them ostentatiously. They were merely for dramatic effect, but the ranger meant his victims to miss not a jot of humiliation he could inflict.

“You Avouldn’t —” Jessie stopped, her voice choakmg with indignation. “Wouldn’t I? You’ll see.” Fowler turned to her father, a note of truculence in his coarse voice. “We’ll be moving, old man, and I Avarn you not to attempt to escape, or I’ll drill a hole in your’.’ “One moment, Mr. TVjvJer, before you begin the fireworks. At the sound of the gent- drawl from the door Jessie’s surchargeAheart know an instant of joyous ro was there. Everything would be rin lit now. , The ranger whirled, hand mi revolver. His heart was bla®k with hatred, but there was some quality in 100 6 smiling aplomb that held his anger m

“Did you come here to interfere with the execution of the law? ’ he ciic . “If you’ll postpone that gun-pi a j I’ll tell you why I came,” the stockman retorted with easy contempt, been to Denver, Mr. howler, since the last time we met—been down to the land convention there. It was a rig interesting meeting. Five or six senators were there, and so was the head of your department. I happened o know one of the senators and through IZ I met the others. We pow-wcwed about some ditch case, and then we tnt over and had a talk with. your chief. He’s' a mighty pleasant gentle man and he’s seen the light-’’ “You can’t bluff me Fowler be gan in a scream, but the words stuck dry in his throat. For Brooks had taken a quick step forward and drawn something from his breathed again. The wca~ pon the stockman produced .was one no more dangerous than an unseat letter. “Supervisor Hance of the Ho y Battlement Preserve is ordered to proceed I further with'the, Chisholm case, as it has been referred directly to Washington for eom.derat.on_ Pen ine an investigator, Ranger Bowler suspended from the service ■Beneath was the signature of the head of the Department. - The ranger’s face was a study m Jw rage and chagrin. His weapon -had recoiled upon himself. He had dug a Pit and faded into it. With a curse L flung himself out of the room 1 In the first ecstatic flush of re ease her arms about her father’s ■ps*. He touched her hair witty.

fingers that Avere beginning to tremble now that the clanger Avas past. Through misty eyes she saw him, so nearly lost to her, so completely restored. Over bis shoulder her'gaze fell upon Dick Brooks, watching their happiness quietly from the other side of the zoom. She stretched her free hand to him with. an impulse that Avas more than gratitude. .