Fred Fearnot's New Ranch

tle thief and he knew what it meant, for th

d off was not being turned around, went to the assis

heavy revolver. He saw more stars than he probably eve

of them," and as quick as possible they bound the two unconsc

that the confederates, if there were any, wou

s advancing toward them, and one of them came

s the

olver and sending him tumbling over in the grass. The other f

erry, "or you'

knees and thus escape any bullet that might be flied at him, but Terry was on

apons and, with the ball of twine he had with him, bound him hard and fast, his hands behind him and his ankles tog

passed through he and Fre

ves, which they were enabled to do, dark though

nsciousness except the fourth man, who, wa

your man. What in thunder d

n cut through the wire fence, took them through it, stood them up against a tree, for ther

fore their faces to see if they could recogn

least–and Fred took Terry aside and whispered to him that there must be other men mixed up in it; so they concluded to build a fire some ten feet off from them and then go back inside

rned readily, and in some places blazed up some ten feet or more high. Some of the co

watch their movements. One of them went up and tal

d their loyalty, but

d Terry, and several times used th

eir signals they came toward th

nd them one o

ou tie up th

re in the grass with a broken head, but all the same we ti

cowboys followed the sound of his voice and soon found him, he having rec

m denied that they ha

t the wire, denied that he was driving the cattle and,

e able to prove your innocence in cou

s and asked them why they had left

r, and we thought that it would be safe to let it alone and to-morrow re

d told them that they were expected to be vigilant in the dis

down here and sleep

h while you sleep

e your way back to the barn and hitch up a team, bring down a coil of wire and

why not tell them to

want with a

will act as sheriff, if you don't wish to have anything to do wit

instead of capturing them, we didn't shoot them and

cowboys, though, thought that they were in earnest and they would see a lynching, so when the dawn of day began to appear in

, begged that Mr. Fearnot would come u

dn't punish him and would release him, he would

let a cattle thief go loose, aft

r promises, and never did men beg f

nd rope, and while he was gone a farmer ca

were tied to the tree, and he heard them talking as well as notice

oming into the woods, there learned

s way to town, notified every farmer and ranchman whom he passed that Fearnot and

ning them over to the sheriff. All the prisoners, being Mexicans, whom the farmers throughout that section hated like poison, stood in great danger of being hanged at once by the angry ranchmen; but Fred refused

ind a good electrician to come out and electrify the wires in this fence, so when they attempt to cut this fence again some of them will get knocke

the prisoners from the farmer and strung them up in some timber along the roadside; so when the farmer reached Crabtree h

n that sort of thing. Now, I want you to come with me to the sheriff and several responsible citizens and tell that sto

ial, accompanied by several citizens, as well as some

e city electrical lighting, so he couldn't go down to the ranch and electrify the wires around the entir

ian in some other city and get him to come down to the ranch and st

allel with the railroad track, reaching ho

nd some four or five cowboys who had just arrived, having

w, who measured six feet

re cowboys. We are all trained ranchmen and cowboys, and understand the business from A to Z. Just set us t

party. Their faces showed plainly that they

ly can't employ another man until we first investigate his former life. We don't want any man in our employ who drinks whisky. Neither Mr. Olc

isky moderately whenever I felt like it ever since I was of age, so if you

eyes and face that the man

he was as good a ranchman as could be found anywhere in the State; but Fred shook his head and remarked that he would tak

ductor's cab, on the rear end of a freight train, a

time, and they could see from his dress an

a halloo, which attracted Fred's attention, and then he beckoned to him. Fred at once started for

work for him up in Colorado, and he is

yards of the store, he recogniz

the newcomer ret

he store, the two s

d brought you way down

to take my old place with you

ve it. You are just the kin

another handshaking took pla

to be highly pleased

at Evelyn was down

and get down on my knees to her, for if there

ter informed him that here were two othe

Crabtree that four cattle thieves had been

nothing to do with tha

of them. Their faces showed plainly their disgust, and not to say dissatisfaction, and the big six-foot fellow went up to Fred and again appl

ou claim, and I hope that you are: but really I want to

needn't pay me a cent until after you l

without pay; so just leave your address here a

and that, too, after refusing to employ any of

y. He has been in my employ before,

teningly and the party went inside th

, where the ladies were, and Evelyn, as soon

ere's To

ood, bowing and smiling, as if high

re; I want to shake hands with you, for you were of gr

, and she extende

he resented their social positions. But she did remark to them, in his hearing, that he was one of her

em for over a month, that the old force had been pretty well scattered, and that the old r

n last he saw the Wicklow