Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-04-18

/ CHAPTER III
/ DARk CRLRR
/ The face at the window was not . pleas
ant one. Fingal had seen and recognized il
~ that Of the strange man, Don Benito.
One instant only it remained 1t the window,
then disappeared in the crowd.
Captain Starlight stood staring like one
bereft Of sense.
.Gons," answered FineaL aWho Wa
1's sHs. sko.,a!il azaSo., IL OOs
eff you do not, your actions belle your
words, !" declared Hneal. grimly.-" 70 mo
he seemed like a mailman"
HE q MADAM escaped lunatic ~
breathed the Captain. gladly catching At
. loophole Of escape. {" He ought to be
/ secured at once"
| "You will offer . reward for his cant,
| ure-"
/ Captain Starbrighty however, now that he
was out from under the magnetism of
Louis Fingaps presence. hasteped to
separate himself from that Individual, In
| wardly vowing, however, to learn more of
crush him. 5ia3A-!f3 "5 -frs.sf .s-s ~" :
Before Fingsl could finish his sentence
the Captain had passed swiftly from the
room, and was around the corner like Q
| fash. ;, ofs s,sasso .st 80 q vei!s.s j;
"You can't escape me that way, you viii
lain" muttered the youth, who seemed
deeply Interested In the movem ents Of
Captain Starhright ia5rem i'rso' : 2-"i
Quickly Fingal passed ont to watch the
movements of the Captain, he glanced
keerly up and down the crnss street down
which Starbright had. turned, hut that in
diyidual was nowhere TO be seen. lry IL, n
.Confound it'll, mutteyed, tho young
hunter, che seems to have given me the slip.
Citation Starbright is like an eel, when you
put your finger on him he isn't there I
imagine I had him completely Under the IN
cigar was not as heavily charged as
imagined. was foolish 70 permit him to
escape. T. should, in justice to ali con
eerned, have placed him under arrest
And yet such move might block tho
game entirely, and prevent the ends Of
justice. ,oe pro- won't, gTnf ftffF4i s..i.
has startled the Captain, and that certainly
means something. I miRht be able to guess
the truth had the queer old fellow com
pleted the story heswas once telling. He
seemed sane enough then; he 10 at times,
and but for an interruption llshould have
known all. However, danger menaces Don
Benito and must avert it II possible"
In the meantime the Captain turned
down the nearest alley, crossed block, and
thence passed down . marrow streetto the
stable. where. he bad sheltered his horses.
He seemed 10 think that it would be time
lost in searching for Don Benito II the city,
since be- ordered his. animals ct once and
was enriding swiftly ousofsthe city.
5 He vas not long incsossiAg tie tn mile
Stfetch TO Lone Hollow. He passed into
the hous<, - his own room, Without isturb-
ing the inmates, seeming regardless Of the
fact that Mrs. Penroy had once ordered him
to dapart from Lone Hollow and never to
return. As he paced the floor he muttered:
The elements OF danger thicken. The
man left for dead ia California still lives,
although I believe him to be insane. What
of thata He saved Lura Joyce from my
hand last night -Thefe,s method In his
madness. He seems to recognize me, and
while he lives the danger is doubled. He
must not live. have gone too far to turn
destined TIBET Success or fAilpte1 a boldc
heart and strong hand will make 1t the
sfermer. .Ipossess both, if do not permit
my 'nerves'to be unstrung at the outset.
"Mrs. Penroy threatens, too. Confound
the sex. will never trust . woman again,
never They are all treacherous. That will,
The loss OF that precious paper has doomed
me to much trouble -.ttI-lJ -fH i
He turned to q small cupboard and drew
forth flask. He placed this to his lips
twice ere he spoke again. e'Ah! that is the
pure stuff,,' he finally CALCULATED I" That
gives nae strength, and nerves me to the
work in hand.' .,...-..t. co.. ..-...
Thrusting the flask in an inner pocket he
passed from the room and the house. He
did not 20 toward the road, but walked
around the mansion and disappeared in the
woods at the foot of the hollow.
An old man stood on the verge of Hang
mans Gulch in the twilight, tall and
slender, with long beard and hair Of silver.
He presented a patriarchal appearance as
he stood leaning lightly on stah Of native
wood, and gazed with eagle eye over the
scene. hos> .sgitg s..si ad
1.-THE Doge has sent for me. There is to
be some reconciliation, muttered the old
man. ~ am glad Of that Isaw him at
the tavern and he seemed gentle as lamb
it is we'll II the gentle maid was only
here might send mes sage by her." .ri,s
/ He paused. The sound of a step attracted
his notice. He turned, lifted his staff, but
was too late to avoid the blow that fell with
the swiftness of lightning. In . silent
heap the old man Of the gulch lay at the
roots of tree "A stout club in the hands
of one of the twins had done the work.
Strong arms lifted the silent form and
bore it into the thick woods ~ I'D 81
: A third person followed the twins as they
entered the shadows of the wood. ST can not
trust the tascals, p muttered Captain Star
bright, as he glided swiftly after the twin
assassins.
The two men, with their helpless burden,
paused at last beside q small pool some
rods in extent, the waters of which were
shadpwed by = thick growth OF cedars. The
ground was swampy about the little lake,
and q solemn stiffness seemed q part Of the
situation. ~ y ST. -'tA
As the twins deposited their burden ON
the ground pear the edge of the water, the
third person passed quickly forward and
stood before them. -
9Th, Cap'n, you herea"
ST am" answered Captain Starbri9ht,
grimly. "I want no deception this time"
deception. Maybe you think
4. "Kdoesp,t matter. Let the past go" IN
terrppted the Captain. - |
Then hebent and examined the clothing
Of the Murdered old man. !
/. An ejaculation of disappointment fell
from his lips. He thought perhaps to hnd
valuable papersS and in this hew4s sorely~
disappointed. II might be that he thought
the missing VIII was pn tho person Of the
dead II was NOT. however. and hence the
discontinue Of the wicked schemer.
One Of the twins was working at some
thing near while tina Captain Wss making
this examination He uoW- cAunO .4oyRord.v