Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1891-10-22

hitch his horse at the base Of the hill
and take his way up the incline to the
mysterious dwelling.
If he saw anything to arouse his ap-
prehensions, he could beat a retreat
He had nearly reached the foot-hill in
noticed a shed long enough TO belong to
cavalry barracks, and several bits of
shaded wall and earth-works sugges-
tive OF masked batteries
The underpinning OF the house was
very high and contained a great number
Of small windows. bearing strange re-
semblance to loopholes
In a word, tho nearer the traveller
came to the edifce the more suspicious
did It appear to him
At length he drew rein
Should he advance or retreat?
Ere he had decided the question a
woman appeared at one OF the front
windows and beckOned him to come
nearer.
The next instant she emerged from
the house, taking her way briskly
toward the brow of the fOOt-hill, from
which she again signaled him to resume
progress.
If she had been young and pretty he
might have refused, for fear OF some
plot; but she was old enough to be his
mother and as plain as a pickstaff.
Then, too, she was visibly in trouble,
her every look and gesture displaying
anxiety and excitement
Besides, what was TO be feared from a
lone woman?
Nodding assent to her appeals, he
FASTENED to ride nearer the long success
ion OF terraces she was in the act of de-
scending.
Il trust you will pardon me, sir, she
said, as she came TO a halt at the foot Of
the last fight of steps just as the horse
man reached them. Il see you are a
stranger in these parts and hope you
win befriend me.
A quick, searching glance told the
traveller that he had nothing TO fear
from being civil
II am perfectly at your service, mad
am, he assured her.
you We're not coming here to see Mr..
Morrow9S she continued.
Certainly not, 4" was the reply. 1Until
this moment l was not aware OF his ex-
istence, or even of the existence of this
dwelling. New, is It not?"
~Just finished, sir"
@And the owner is Mr. Morrow"
The woman assented-
@Tve never heard of him before, said
nothing to do with him. My name is Char
ley Baker. I am mining expert, and
have been sent TO the Musselshell by the
owner of the famous gold mine, Perry
Wynans-"
The woman interrupted him with
violent start
~Pve heard of you" she said, lowering
her voice instinctively. Didn't you
have terrible fight yesterday with sam
Gaddler?"
81 didis
THE fellow who is superintendent for
old Jerry Skidder, and who is in love
with his daughter, Daisy27
~The very same"
sand you were nearly killled?"
Al can't deny it "
@And would have been done up alto
gether If Colonel Harvey Whipsaw, of
Rattlesnake Ranch, had not come TO
your rescue?"
@You are quite right, madam"
GOOD! Now let me give You a little
information in return for your conf
dences. Mr.. Morrow is no Morrow at
all, but is simply sam Gaddler. He has
built this palace with the money he has
stolen from old Skidder. and has also
secured about ten thousand acres of
land around us.
Charley Baker uttered his delight.
formation thus reaching him seemed a
direct play into his hands Perhaps he
could yet get square with his enemy.
@And where is Gaddler nOw?" he
asked
"He has gone to intercept Perry Wy
mans and a young girl who is travelling
with him-a Miss Ellie Tower. who is to
marry Wynans, and who is joint owner
with him of the Musselshell mines.
They were due at Custer about one
o'clock this morning"
@To intercept them, did you say?"
@Yes, SIR" assured the women "Old
Jerry Skidder and his daughter were on
the same train with WYnans, and they
telegraphed to Gaddler from time 10
time all the facts of the situation.
Charley Baker looked startled.
~And you think Gaddler will get hold
of Mr. Wynans?" he asked.
"Oh, the thing was accomplished with
in few minutes after the arrival of the
train at Custer.
The hearer seemed lost in horror.
@All Gaddler had to do pursued the
woman, @was to disguise himself and
appear at the station as a hack-driver,
offering his services to the young couple,
which were accepted. The moment
they were seated in his carriage he
drove them TO a secret and solitary
waiting, and the rest was easy"
$50 that they are now prisoners?"
Exactly"
~But how do you know this?"
GMr. Gaddler sent one of HIS men
ahead to ten me, so that I would have
everything in readiness l am Mr..
Gaddler's housekeeper. My name is
Mrs. COtter.
@Ah; then he is coming here with his
prisOners?" querled Baker.
Mrs. Cotter nodded
"And what time will he arrived"
about o'clock"
Baker looked at his watch with an air
of suppressed jub.lance
at is half-past ; nOw,D he said, $50
that your employer will soon be here.
You are not alone, l suppOse?"
~NO. sir. There are eight or ten men
at the stable; the most of them asleep,
but two or three are playing cards"
@But you are not the only woman on
the premises?"
~For the present, yes, although there
was cook until this morning and a
couple OF ehambermaIds until yester-
day"
@Why did they leave?"
@Oh, the loneliness of the place, and
the wild ways of Calder and his men!"
Baker was more than interested He
was positively fascinated with the idea
which had occurred to him OF placing
himself between GaddleT and his in
tended victims.
~And 1 should have gone with the
girls, too, If they had been frank enough
to give me the chance added Mrs