Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1890-11-08
THE QUICKSANDS or TORO.
BIZ cHARLEs HowARp sHINN.

STN2 he story properly begins at
SEIAg midnight, on the San Luis,
WV Obispo coast, California,
e07ss'7VS twenty years ago, when the
September moonlight shone down
upon Stoner's cattle ranch, near the
Pacific Ocean, in the rugged Santa
Lucia Mountains.
Stoner had been Texan Ranger,
and could hold his own extremely
well in that rough frontier commun:-
ty. He had carried off q pretty
Spanish wife from the chihuahua re-
gion years before; had brought her
to the rocky Californian coast, and
had purchased settlers claim and
an old adobe house built by Span
ish hidalgo half century ago.
Here he farmed, raised cattle on
the unused Government lands, and
kept sort of rude hotel; for several
mountain trails joined at that point
the broad highway which led from
the county seat, twenty miles south,
to the northern settlements in the
pineries. He had five daughters, too,
the youngest, Theresa, known as
Tessa, girl of seventeen. That ad-
ded ito the attraction, and almost
every night the dark-eyed, half Span
ish girls sang and danced, and old
Stoner managed to hear all the news
that was afoat, and somehow, most
of the loose coin of the region ulti.
mately found its way into his pock-
cts. He was deep one, that same
Ephraim Stoner, quiet, sly patient,
secret in his methods, deadly in his
blow.
iStoner's wife and his four elder
daughters were uneducated and in
complete subsection to his will. But
Tessa had more brains and energy
than all the Others put together, and
quite as much beauty, so that the
old Texan Ranger took certain
pride in her, and had even allowed
her to attend distant school for two
years.
tom, you do not know my faith
er. He is not the careless, warm
hearted man you suppose. / must
admire his ability, but that is all. I
warn you, Tom, there never was a
more dangerous man. He may be
where he hears every word you say,
but if he is, he will not speak to you
or me about it. But if he knew you
cared for me he would be your enc.
my. He has other plans for me. He
wants me to marry for money"
Tom Warren had once been a
school teacher in the mountain dis
trict. miles away, where Tessa had
been one of his pupils. Thrown up
on his own resources from his child
hood, had developed strong, earn
est character, and was already SO
popular in the county that he had
just been elected sheriff, although the
youngest man on the ticket.
While Tessa and her lover were
talking, scene of a far different ma
ture was being enacted on the south
side Of the old adobe, which over.
looked deep ravine, and camp of
five or six men in field below. For
several years these men had spent
there summers there, ostensibly hunt
ing, fishing and exploring the coun-
try with their dogs and guns. Ev-
eryone knew them, and most persons
liked them. Tessa did not.
Stoner, though it was midnight
sat in the moonlight on an old raw
hide chair, outside the door, smok-
ing his pipe and meditating-a tough,
sinewy, grizzled night-owl of man.
"That chuckle-hesd at the camp
ought to have reported before now"
he thought to himself as he smoked.
A man came out of the brush and
spoke deferentiallyl
"Capt'n, good evenin'."
"You're late"
"Dick was shot"
"Well?n
Gust as the driver throwed off the
box. Shot by passenger in the
neck and shoulder"
HE mustn't stay here to get us
into trouble. Take boat and carry
him TO the Point, and leave in the
cave there"
CO, Sopt ii.
GLOW much was aboard?n
"About two thousand dollars for
the Josephine miners"
Send it over the cliff before morn
ing, and I'll divide it up soon. But
you be extra careful; that new sher-
if is smart one.''
"All right, capt'n," and the man
went back to the camp.
A moment later, just as Stoner
was going into the house, there was
the slow thud of horses hoofs, and
Tom Warren, the young sheriff, rode
down the trail, around the corner of
the old abode husl1inr into The rao;r,