Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-06-06
THE QUICkSAND GAVE UP THE
PREY.

Stoner had been a Texas ranger
and could hold his own extremely well
in that rough frontier country. He had
carried off a pretty Spanish wife from
the Chihuahua region years before and
brought her to the rocky Californian
coast and had purchased a settlers
claim and an old abode house built
half century ago.
Here lie farmed, raised cattle on the
unused government lands and kept a
sort of rude hotel, for several noun
tain trails Joined at that point the
county seat, twenty miles south. to the
northern settlements in the pineries
He had five daughters, too. the young
est, Theresa, known as Tessa. a Girl
OF seventeen. That added to the at
traction, and almost every night the
dark eyed, half Spanish girls sang and
danced, and old Stoner managed to
hear all the news that was afioat, and
somehow most of the loose coin of
the region ultimately found it's Wav
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.
Stonefs 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 district school for two wears.
This midnight, when, as I have said.
the story begins, a person Of a prying
disposition might have discovered sew
eral interesting performances in pro-
gress around the Stoner adobe. On
the north side of the house quite in
the shadow, Tessa was leaning from
her window, conversing in low tones
with 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 suppose. | must admire his
ability, but that is all. | warn YOU.
Iom, there never was a more danger
Gus 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 il he knew that you cared 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 district.
miles away. where Tessa had been one
&
Yeloped strong, earnest character,
of his pupils. Thrown upon his own re-
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 talk
ing scene Of a far different ma ture
of the adobe, which overlooked a deep
rayine and a camp of five or six men
in the field below. For several years
these men had spent their summers
there, ostensibly fishing, hunting, and
exploring the country, with their dogs
and guns. Every one knew them and
most persons liked them. Tessa did
not
Stoner though it was midnight, sat
in the moonlight on an old rawhide
chair, outside the door, smoking his
pipe and meditating-a tough sinewy,
grizzled night owl of man.
A man came out of the brush and
spoke deferentially:
"Capt'n, good evenin'!'
you're Late
"Dick was shot,
"WeH?'
'Just as the driver throwed off the
bag. Shot by a passenger in the neck
and shoulder
HE mustn't stay here to get us into
trouble. Take a boat and carry him
to the point and leave him in the
cave there
Eyes, capt'n.''
How much was abGard?''
about $4,000 for the Josephine min
ers''
''Send it over the cliff before morn
ing, and I'll divide it up soon, but you
be extra careful. The new sheriff is