The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-02-20
IN THE QUICKsANDS.

ne story properly De210S at MD
night on the San Luis Obispo coast.
California. twenty years ago. when the
September moonlight shone down up-
on Stonerss cattle ranch. near the Pa
cific ocean, in the rugged Santa Lucia
mountains.
Stoner had been Texas ranger. and
could hold his own extremely well in
that rough frontier community. He
had carried off pretty Spanish wife
from the chihuahua region Years be-
fore, had brought her to the rocky
California coast, and had purchased
q settlers claim and an old adobe
house built by a Spanish hidalgo half
q century ago.
Here he farmed, raised cattle on the
unused government lands. and kept a
sort Of rude hotel, for several mount
ain trails Joined at that point the broad
highway which led from the county
seat twenty miles south. to the north
ern settlements IN the ;sinefies. He
had five daughters, too-the youngest.
Theresa. known rs Tessa. a girl of II.
That added to the attraction and al
most every night the dark-eyed, half
Spanish girls sang and danced. and old
Stoner managed to hear all the news
that was a1oat. and somehow most of
the loose coin of the region ultimately
found its way into his pockets. He
was a deep one. that same Ephraim
Stoner, quiet. sly and patient, secret
in his methods and deadly in his blow.
Stoner's wife and his four eldest
daughters were uneducated and in
complete subsection to his win. But
Tessa had more brains and energy
than all the others put together. and
quite as much beauty, and so the old
Texan ranger took a certain pride in
her, and had even allowed her to at
tend a district school for two years.
This midnight when, as / have said,
the story begins, a person of prying
disposition might have discovered sew
eral interesting performances in prog
ress around the Stoner abode. On the
nortlc side of the house Tessa was lean
ing from her window -conversing in
low tones with a blonde, fair-haired
and sturdy young man on horseback.
Tom, you do not know my father.
He is not the careless, warm-hearted
man you may suppose. [ mustadmire
his ability. but that is all. l warn
you, Tom, there never was a more
dangerous man. He may be where he
hears every word you say, though if he
is he will not speak to you or me
dDOuL Ddb Ii htCn 9Ou CSAi CN
for me he would be your enemy. He
has other plans for me. He wants me
to marry for money"
Tom Warren had once been the
school teacher in the mountain dis
trict. miles away, where Tessa hac
been one of his pupils. Thrown upor
his own resources from his childhood
he had developed a strong, earnest
character. and was already so popular
IN the county that he had just beer
elected sheriff. although the younges
man on the ticket.
While Tessa and her lover were
talking a scene of far different nature
was being enacted on the south side o.
the old adobe, which overlooked deeI
ravine and a camp of five or six mer
in field below. For several year
these men had spent their summer
there, ostensibly hunting. fishing anC
exploring the country with their dog
and guns. Every one knew them, ant
most persons liked them. Tessa diC
not.
Stoner, though it was midnight, sa
in the moonlight on an old rawhid
chair. outside the door. smoking hi!
pipe and meditating-a tough, sinewy
qrizzled night-owl of man.
THAT internal knuckie-head at tn
camp ought to have reported befor
now he thought to himself as h
smoked.
A man came out of the brush ant
spoke deferentially:
'tCapt'n. good eyenin'."
You're late"
'.Dick was shot,
s'WeH?"
Just as the driver throwed off tn
box. Shot by a passenger in the neel
and shoulder
He mustn't stay here to get us intt
trouble. Take boat and carry hin
to the point, and leave him in tht
cave there
Yes. capt'n-n
How much aboard?''
About $1,000 for the Josephin,
miners ~
Send it over the cliff before morn
ing and I'll divide it up soon. Bu
you be extra careful; that new sherit
Is smart one.n
.'All right, capt'n,n and the mai
went back to the camp.
A moment later, just as Stoner wa
going into the house, there was a loE
thud of a horses hoofs, and Tom War
ren, the young sheriff. rode down tn
traa, around the corner of the oil
adobe building. into the country raa'