University of South Carolina Libraries
The Barnwell People-Sentinel, Barnwell, S. C n October 25,1934 OUTLAWS oS EDEN By Peter B. Kyne “WHEN KNIGHTHOOD WAS IN FLOUR” IS •y CHET GRANT CHAPTER XII i —15— The board of supervisors granted the petition unanimously and amidst cheers and rejoicings. Babson’s. you the money to pay the taxes. How soon can you marry me?” 'in about three minutes', if we had a license and a preacher handy.” He glanced up at the sun. “Justice, apeech, la rebuttal to Gagau’a, arov^ i lon * de,a y ei1 - maketh the heart 8ick ” 1 he orated. “Likewise marriage—after' you’ve made up your mind. You skip -hTto-ttTe' house. cttmb Into your Sunday dress, throw a few things in your old straw suitcase and meet to be the masterpiece of his career. He read to the meeting the law under JeBXcK’TKe district proposed to operate —read it right out of the Code of Civil Procedure, too—and pooh-pooed the idea of a slick metropolitan lawyer trying to frighten honest and Intelli gent men with crazy bugaboos of un constitutional law that was and for some years had been embodied in the code. “If this law was unconstitu tional,” he yelled. “U’s unconstitu- tjonality would have l)een discovered before the bill was even submitted to the legislature: and If it hadn’t been of commerce of the projected outlay of a great deal of money In Eden Val ley. Nate Tichenor and his wife had merged their ranches, the old Bar H headquarters were to be razed and the old Circle K log ranch-house was over to Uufrc Tenney and discovered then the legiststtiFe, a mff^ jority of whom are practicing attor neys, would have discovered it; and even If the legislature had, unbeliev ably, failed to discover it, the supreme court, whose duty it is to pass upon the constitutionality of our state laws, would long since have discovered it. Pooh-pooh and a couple of what-nots for the mighty Mr. Hagan! We are not to be frightened by men of straw.” - The project moved forward without delay. Sixty days from the date of the approval of the petition by the board of supervisors the Forlorn Val- 4ey Irrigation district had come Into legal existence, by a very substantial majority of the residents in the area to be irrigated. Silas Bahson, tired, but happy and 1 triumphant, was its president, Henry Itookby, who owned ten acres in the district, was the secre tary, and the Bank of Valley Center was the depositary of the funds of the district Within two weeks after the district bad come Into official being, the state water commission obligingly allocated to It the flood waters of Eden Valley creek. A bond Issue was got out with in a week; within two weeks the state board certification committee bad certified the bonds as legal Invest ment for trust companies and savings banks and, by unanimous vote. Silas Babson was given the Job of dispos ing of them to the highest bidder. A ~New York house wired In a bid of clnetj'-one, and affer devoting a month to the task Bahson decided this offer was one point higher than he could se cure locally, so the district closed on the offer and, with the receipt of the money, proceeded at once to spend It. Although Bahson took measures to apprize himself of the return of Nate Tichenor to Eden Valley, his scouts brought him no news of the.latter's ar rival, although as a matter of fact Tichenor had returned some four months after his departure. He came In over the mountains to the south in a four-passenger cabin plane and landed in the meadow Just below the Kershaw ranch-house. I^rry was In his arms before he was half way up to the hohse. •Well, I'm all cleaned up In the East,” he told her. “How far have jou progressed in the settlement of jour father's estate?” ♦ “All ready to close as soon as I can find the money to pay the state and . federal estate taxes. They aren’t rQtto much as I had feared th«*y Tne cattle, of course, were the low price existing on me here In ten minutes. We’ve Just about got time to get over the moun tains and into Ueno before dark. In California we have to announce pur intention to get married and then wait for three days. In case we decide to change our mind. My mind Is made up, so we’ll take our trade to Nevada and avoid annoying delays.” “You’re a man after my own heart.” Lorrv cried Joyously, and came Into his arms. He held her close, his fin ger under her chin, tip-tilting her sweet face toward him, the while he ap praised her hungrily, comparing her with the girls of her age In the world he had known before the homing in stinct had brought him back to Eden Valley. He thanked Hod she wasn't soft, that she had high courage. Initia tive, and the power of instantaneous decision In an emergency; that hers was the old, fierce, unquHtnoning loy- alty that was his own heritage. A man could rely on her always (he told him self), know always exactly where she stood. She was Incapable of fibs, evasions, or the tears that camouflage little feminine deceits. Her code was a masculine one. but of a quality rare enough In this decadent generation— the code of a gallant gentleman, plus that of the very finest of her own sex. Yes, she had character, courage, hu mor. self-reliance, capabilities of ex treme self sacrifice, tenderness, help lessness—an angel with a touch of the devil in her. . . . Well, better a touch of the devil than a trace’ of the cat. “Dear little outlaw. I love you so,” he murmured, and kissed her a dozen times. "Make It snappy. Time and visibility wait for no pilot.” Half an hour later, as they roared upward In great spirals to gain alti tude before crossing the mountains, they looked down on Eden Valley; to that tragic creek winding tta silvery thrnn»h the green meadows, to nearly* so m vjteld be. 1 Appraised at V the little black dots that were Lorry's cattle and the little white dota that were the home-made headstonea, chis eled from native granite and marking the graves of all the Hensleya and Kershaws that had gone before. “I wonder what they’re thinking of -<-up yonder?” the girl shouted In his ear. He pretended he did not understand her. “I’ve been so busy I couldn’t get started on that new house I planned.” he shouted back, “hut we'll tackle It the minute we get hack.” So she knew he had, at last, left his dead and his old hitter memories be hind him; and there, above Eden Val ley, os her little hard, calloused, capa ble hand closed over his, she dropped hers also; she shed happy tears in the knowledge tfiat never again would hard work, penury and loneliness be her portion. The sun was setting on Eden now, but when, for them. It should rise again on Eden, the serpent would be gone. ]n June of 1927 the news spread through Forlorn Valley of the return of Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Tichenor to Eden Valley. Shortly thereafter huge trucks laden with lumber and build ing materials came through Valley Cen ter from Hold Bun, bound for the old Circle K ranch. Immediately Cren shaw, the manager of the Valley Cen ter lumber yard, motored up to the Circle K to see Nate Tichenor and ask for a share of this new business. He had been 'received courteously and told that no orders for lumber or build ing material could be given him be cause Silas Bahson waa one of, his heaviest stockholders. ' When Crenshaw returned to Valley Center he Informed the local chamber his, family, after the Tichenors had eneetefr w the Circle K a couBlfy home that was to cost not less than a hundred thousand dollars. There were stables and kennels to be erected also, grounds to be laid out and flowers planted. The lunatic Tichenor was even going to build a nine-hole golf course and a ihuge swimming pool. Crenshaw thought that the payroll for labor necessitated In these operations should go to' Valley Center, so the vice president of the chamber of commerce called upon Tichenor to suggest It “Forlorn Valley In general and Val- ey~CeBTgr~tirpartlcular wishes to-tor*- get the past and be friendly with you, Mr. Tichenor," he stated. “Aa proof of that feeling I call your attention to the fact that we gave you the use of the freshet waters of Eden Valley creek this spring when we found we couldn't use them ourselves, owing to the necessity for concreting our di version canal. We didn’t have to do that but we desired to make a friend- Ij geature.” — “My dear man, I ordered those flood gates opened myself and I had. men guarding them with rifles so that no body would close them until our lands had had their annual soaking. That’s the sort of friendly gesture I made to Forlorn Valley. I was on my honey moon at the time and didn't want to bother with the law. so I just went back to the old Eden Valley custom. It worked. And I’ll engage no labor from Valley Center qr Forlorn Valley. I do not like anybody In that sec tion of the county. And here’s another message you can take back with you; within two years I’ll own every acre of Forlorn Valley that is Included in the irrigation district; I’ll fence It and run cattle over It. At least the wells will supply drinking water for my cattle. And when the farmers in the district have been dispossessed there will be no further necessity for the thriving town of Valley Center, so it and Ita chamt>er of commerce will dis appear; Valley Center will then be a ghost towli. Inhabited oy gltosTaT commenced about the middle of Jan uary. This was the season of overflow In Eden Valley creek, the season of Hod’s gift of free Irrigation to the Circle K and the Bar H. and Note Tlchenof; watching .the WHtfcr’8 rise, knew that In another twenty-four hours- the fresher WdQtff twon,-wr he and Itube Tenney and half a dozen armed men opened the floodgates, in defiance of the ditch-tender’s protest and the flood roared on down Eden Valley. The ditch-tender Immediately mounted his horse and r °d e down to Valley Center to report this act of vandalism -to SUM-Bahson, who motored Into Hold Bun and, as president of the For lorn Valley Irrigation district, peti tioned the judge of the county superior court for an order restraining Nathan Tichenor, et ah, from interfering with the orderly diversion of the flood wa- ters of Eden Valley creek to the canaT of the Forlorn Valley Irrigation dis trict. To Babson’a vast amazement ths Judge declined to Issue the restrain ing order. “I hold, Bahson,” he In formed the latter, “that the law under which the state water commission has been empowered to allocate to non- riparian owners the flood or waste wa- iers of riparian owners, la. uncoustltu- The Iron Horse screeched to a halt before Mabel Porter’s houae. Georgia Blake Inhaled deeply. Ex haling, he bellowed. “Hey, Mabel 1” A hot shimmering silence. V “Hey. Mabel i" No answer. Georgie leaped to foe gronnd and walked up the driveway. Mabel Porter Maybelle to you—was a pic ture of cool loveliness reclining in the hammock. “Hello, Geofgie,” she drawled. “Hello, yourself,” Georgie retort ed, dropping on, the grass. “Say. why didn’t you answer me; you deef, or somepln’?’’ the tough lad, taking hold of the arm around Mabel’s waist, “you look aimply divine tonight” Suprlsed, Butch let go. “Say, what is this?” he growled. “Manners." Georgie squeaked. “I’m a gentleman knight Butch." “What the ... ,?”—Butch scowled and clenched his fists. ‘Tt’s a charming evening." Georgie smirked, “but It’s a trifle warm. 7 wonder. Butch, If yon would object if I took off my coat?” He drew off his blue serge and Mabel noticed for the first time that be was impec cably dressed. What I really came for. Butch," Mabel closed her eyes anZT seemed I Georgie continued, handing MaM to RORer an exquisite pain.- “The his coat, “was to ask yoiff-father’s word is ’deaf,’ Georgie.” There was permission to sock vou one on the no comment so she opened her eyes jaw, but since he isn’t here I’ll sock to find Georgie regarding her with you anyway." His list lashed out Interest - l smack against, Butch’s hard Jaw. “Say. Mabel, you look the nuts Butch staggered and then lowered In that rig." he enthused. “But It’s | his head and rh«r.r»d «i»h too bad you got them freckles on your nose. It klnda. spoils the whole j effect.’’ Mabel glared. “Georgie Blake, your manners are absolutely vile!” “Guess my manners are Just as| good as yours." ^Hojlerlng In frbnt of the house,’ Mabel continued.' "Wearingr ybur old clothes; no garters on your socks. Talking slang. Why can’t you be like Ferdinand Hoyt? He . . . why here he comes now,” she fin ished with delight as a blue road ster rolled up the driveway. Ferdy Hoyt, son of Elston's wealthy citizen and banker, nodded briefly, “Hello, Blake,” and then dear,” holding her hands, "you look divine." “Thank you," Mabel twittered, making room for him to sit beside her. Ferdy tugged at the sharp creases In his flannels. He looked his head and charged with flailing fists. Georgie side-stepped and whanged his fist down behind Butch’s ear Just as Ferdy was low ering himself Into a convenient bar rel Butch stayed down. Georgie raised his hand on high nnd with n limp wrist offsred tt to Mabel. “My dear Maybelle, may I 'mm yn to—r~ “You ahut-up!" Mabel snapped, walking to the Iron Horae. “Thanks!” Georgie sighed with relief. He backed the Iron Horae around nnd then shot by the barral in which Ferdy stood bedraggled, smeared fsom head to foot with some white substance. “Why, that was Ferdy !• Mabel as> claimed. —— “Uh-buh," Georgia grinned. “He was posing." “Posing?” Mabel puzzled. Toff what?” “When Knighthood was in Flottr," Georgie chuckled. “Say, looses thte Impossibly cool In his shirt, blue tie I co,,ar for me. will you. I’m aaffo- and blazer. . “It’s a charming day," he ob served. "Isn’t It,” Mabel agreed. “Like heck," Georgie growled “It's lousy.” He began to peel hit polo shirt off hia brown torso. Ma bel’s nose tilted. “Are you warm, Ferdy?" she In quired. “A little,” he admitted. “Would you object, Maybelle, if I took off my coat?" “Oh, please do,” she urged, Ignor ing Genrgle’s snort “What I really came for,” Ferdy explained, “was to ask your father’s permission to take you to catin’." 6- IfcClur* Newspaper Smdlcat*. WNU Service Zoo Polar Bears Refuse to Take Bath ia Cold Weather It will come as a surprise to man/ people to iearn that the zoo polar bears detest the cold. During the win ter months they are probably the dirtiest animals In Ixmdon. Nothing will induce them to take a bath wbea the temperature falls below 80 grees; and if the water heart a cost of ice, they gingerly make a circuit of their tanka with their backs towards it, trying the ice with theif enormous hind feet In winter all tha The vice president of the chamber of commerce was Irritated but he was also amused. “Is there no way In which we can esca|»e this horrible fate that awaits us?” he pleaded Id mock distress. “Yea, there is." Tichenor replied seriously. “Get rid of that buzzard, Bahson, and start doing your own thinking. Show an Inclination to tie fair and I’ll meet you two-thirds of the way toward an amicable adjustment of this water war. Continue to permit Bahson and hia paid newspaper to print lies about us and ridicule ua, and I'll smash you. And after I've smashed you 111 buy up the pieces and own the district I tell you, when 1 get thflhugh with the state of Cali fornia that state will be out of the business of giving away water It does not own and that document Bahson got from the state water commission will be perfectly worthless." His visitor gazed upon Tichenor hu morously. “What a long tail our cat’s got,” he murmured. “Oh, I’m only a common little bob cat now," Tichenor replied easily. “Walt until I develop Into a tiger— and then watch my tall swish!” CHAPTER XIII The Forlorn Valley Irrigation dis trict proceeded at once to the task of concreting ita huge diversion canal The Job waa completed by November first Almost from the beginning the diversion canal ran half full and Lake Bahson commenced to take form. The snowfall was unusually heavy that jear also, but spring came early and ths run-off due to ths melting snow ao<>S^>20COC<>COCOCOCCOC^CCCCOCCOCOCCOOOCOCCOOCOCCOCOOCCi Traveling Goal-Herding Dog Always Welcomed by -Ranchmen of Rio Grande *D»ar Little Outlaw, I Love You So,” Hs Murmured, and Kissed Her a Dozen Times. the day of father’d death—and beef Is up to nine and a half In the ranch now and should be twelve cents within a year, I’m told by my cattle brokers. And tbe federal tax appraiser decided the land has been greatly depressed In value by reason of tbe diveriion of the water to Forlorn Valley.” “That’s a favor Babson didn’t, realize he was going to do you." Is ererythlng * on tbe ranch running smoothly? Noth ing coming np that Rube Tenney can’t attend to?” She nodded. “As soon aa beef goes to ten cents I’ll sell five thousand fat ateers, pay the taxea and dose the «state.“ “Don’t Hold then over till ^>ring and get eleven cents—maybe. I’ll loan The overlord of the goat ranches of the Big Bend region of the upper Rio Grande border la a wandering dog which first made his appearance here abouts several years ago. Where the dog came from is a mystery. The first time be was seen In tbe remote section was when he showed up one morning at the goat corral on a ranch near La Jltaa crossing of the river, notes a Ter lingua, Texas, correspondent in the New York Times. The dog took charge of the flock when tbe animals were turned out of the corral and all day long be herded them like a veteran. He was so effi cient In tha work that the Mexican herder left the flock entirely In tbe dog's charge. After staying at the Bernandes ranch for a few weeks, Pancho, as the dog wis called, disap peared and appeared next at another goat ranch 15 ariles down the Rio Grands. Pancho again took cargo of the flock of goat* and soon flame to be what waa apparently a ftxtare ia each day's herding routine. Tiring of this particular job, the dog made his way to another ranch where he assumed full leadership to taking care of the goats. <*- The wandering of Pancho has con tinued year after year until he la now known to ranchmen up and down the river for a hundred miles. He la al ways accorded a warm welcome when he arrives at a ranch, and his faithful herding of the flocks Is so well recog nized that the goats always are placed Ip his full care. Pancho ia an adept in protecting the kida and even full- grown goats from attacks by wolves and Mexican panthers. He has to his credit many victorious encounters with these predatory peats. Useful Teecher It is ssld of Glsdstone, ths famous English statesman, that he taught his fellowmtn sad woman how to live, and whan hs could no longer do this ht wps taachlng them how to die* “If You Do You’ll Go to tho Ron," Baboon Warnod. I tlonal and that, hence. Forlorn Valley has no legal right to the flood waters of Eden Valley creek." "Why hasn't our Supreme court de clared the law unconstitutional?” “Because nobody has carried a wa ter fight up to the Supreme court.” A week had gone by since Nate Tichenor and his men had opened the flood-gates up in the Handle and as yet Bahson had not been able to se cure legal relief. Upon his return to Gold Run, therefore, he called upon tbe sheriff of the county and requested that official to take half a dozen of bll deputies and guard the employees ot the Forlorn Valley Irrigation district against attack by Nathan Tichenor et al. when the former closed the flood gates In defiance of Tlchenor’a dlo turn. In the interest of peace th sheriff consented and the following day the gates were closed without Ini terference from Nate Tichenor and htl men. Indeed, not one of them ap peared to protest the closing of the gates. Tbe next morning Nate Tichenor dropped in at the Bank of Valley Cen ter and said to Babsoo: “I merely dropped in to tell you, Bab- son, that while you were scurrying around a whole week seeking an In junction against my wife and me you couldn’t get, our lands bad a grand soaking from that week’s overflow. We would have liked another week of it. but when you brought tbe sheriff and bis deputies around I concluded it was the part of wisdom to be satis fied with the water we bad already received. But as summer advances I warn you we’ll have to have our legal share of that water and If we do not get It I’m going to put a couple of hundred pounds of dynamite under that concrete diversion dam of yours and blow It out” "If you do you’ll go to the pen," Babson warned. “Only my kind forbearance has kept you out of 1L Do not forget Pitt River Charley. You do not know whbre be Is but I do. 1 may bring him back to testify against you.” “You couldn’t convict me." "Perhaps not, but I can shake public coufideuce In you, you smug hypocrite. You realize, of course, that when the Forlorn Valley Irrigation dlatrtct waa formed and a deed of trust on gll of the lands embraced In the district waa given, with a San Francisco trust com pany aa trustee, to secure the bond issue the district floated, all of tha first mortgages and deeds of trust on lands within the district given to jour bank to secure prior loans have now become second liens against thorn lands. You realize, do you, that If the Forlorn Valley Drlgatlon district should go bust the foreclosure of the deed of trust given by tha district will automatically wipe out tha second liens held by your bank?” to an coimxuxD. tills evening. It’s over the tracks elephants are oiled from head to foot, at the l.uckj lifers bakery. I we are told^jQiough an elephant can thought It would be a lark to go. acclimatised to an English winter. you know.” Georgie scratched his riba. “That’s B tough place, Ferdy.“ Ferdy smiled. “I am capable of taking care of Miss Porter,” he re plied grandly. The Lucky Loafers bakery dance was tough and it was rough, and after a single dance Ferdinand de cided to take Mabel elsewhere. They were approaching his roadster when a voice inquired, “What’s your hur ry. little one?” It was a hard voice. Ferdy looked Into a hard face. A big hand held Mabel by the wrist “Not So fast girlie,” Butch Miller said. “Bow’d you like to shake a leg with me?” “Do you know who I am?” Ferdy demanded. “Sure,” the tough guy grinned. “What of It?” “Well, let the young lady go at once,” Ferdy ordered. “Like this?” Butch yanked Mabel Into the circle of bis arms. “Now you see here . , r Ferdy began when a high-pitched falsetto Interrupted him. Mabel recognised It as Georgie’s before be came up to them out of the shadows. “My dear Butch,” Georgie greeted Its tough, non-resillent skin quickly cracks In cold weather, dirt and In sects finding their way Into tha tls- sures and causing endless discomfort. ▲ few buckets of oil obviate this, and until the lubricant soaks In, give the animal the appearance of a glgantie bronse statue. Salvador Still Cberiahea Ita Iron-Grated Windows J3an Salvador, capital of El Salvo- dor, a till cherishes Its Iron-grated windows and the memories of a re- mantle past In grandma's day, the young blades of the village gave the girls the up- and-dofon In the evening pasee around the plaza If a caballere saw an Interesting little number, he fol lowed her home, sod proved hia de votion by pacing back and forth be fore the bars for hoars at a time This practice was known aa “play ing the bear.” Now all that la changed. Thero’U atlll bars on them that: grills In Baa Salvador, but they don’t mean any thing. The senorltas no longer be lieve In bears; they know It’s Jmd another of granny’s bedtime stories. NOW! GENUINE BUYER ASPIRIN AT MASTKAUY REDICED NICBI fiig Price Cut on Bayer Aspirin POCKET TINS OM2 NOW IH SALE tTKWLIW rates xt m NOW—P«y Less and Get Real BAYER Aspirin! So as to put the reliability and quick action of Genuine Bayer Asprin within tha reach of everyone, tha toifas voa pay has beta drastically euL Cut aokar that aobadyaead ISe Nam Far 19 25c Nom Far 24 tha Mint tias «l 12 ryw Tablets ham Tha Aad tha .big,, tablet bottles have I Ml When You Buy These a foOy to ordertoflcvaafewi hy tha r*. ALWAYS SAY - ^ iife# •••-