La Junta tribune., 1898-12-31

and thumb. he threw himself down up
on his bunk.
flour ai'er hour passed. and tho
steady stentorian breathing OF his COM
panions told him that they all slept.
Presently he raised himself gently to
sitting posture, and in doing so he
| made the wooden bunk creak. He
| listened for some seconds. No-the
men were undisturbed. Gradually he
reached the floor holding his breath
| lest the slightest noise on his part
should awaken one of his companions.
Then he felt his way in his stockinged
| feet softly to the door, which was Sc
cured by common wooden latch. He
managed to open the door without
sound, and. when outside. he let the
latch fall slowly into Ats place with the
| string attached to it from without.
He paused and listened. but they all
slept on.
The moon was nearly at the quarter,
| and the shadows from the Ranges lay
broad and dark upon the lower ground
beneath. Beyond the cry OF night
hawk or owl, the whir OF a bat, or the
| croaking OF frogs in the stagnant pools
near the creek there was not sound
| to be heard.
Luke walked along In the direction
of Baynes' hut, which. lying in the
shadow of the hill. would have been
difficult for one not knowing the local
ity to discover; but Robert Luke knew
his way well.
In a few minutes he stood outside
| the door. There was no sign OF life to
be seen within. He tried the handle,
| and found that the door was locked.
| Then he crept round to the window.
| which was unglazed and had coarse
calico nailed across in lieu of glass.
After peering about for some minutes.
| he detected speck OF light shining
| dimly through an inner curtain.
| Probably there was moth hole in the
blanket which had been hung inside to
prevent the light from being seen from
without The keyhole and every chink
seemed stopped securely.
| How easily he might slit the calico
across with his knife and effect an
entrance! But then. suppose his sur
misses were to prove wrong, what ex-
| cuse could he make for thus disturb
| ing the woman in the middle OF the
night?
Luke's heart beat fast. 1t seemed to
| him as II he were on the very brink
| OF making some discovery. and yet
was to be baked.
| He stood still and thought while.
| Then 1t occurred to him that he might
knock. pretend he was Ill, and ask for
brandy. The men on the station had
| none, he knew. Yes. there could be no
harm in that
He knocked on the panels OF the
door. but no answer came. He knocked
| again. and spoke.
| Mrs. Baynes. would you kindly give
me drop of brandy II you have such
thing. l am sorry to trouble you at
this time of night, but I am not very
WELL l am Luke-Bob Luke"
Still not word came in reply. He
called out again more loudly
Mrs. Baynes-d'ye hear, Mrs. Bay
nes?"
| Growing bolder, he determined to try
the strength of the door.
Placing his shoulder against 1t, he
turned the handle and leaned upon 1t
| with his whole weight.
| Suddenly the door gave way, and he
was precipitated into the room. Re-
covering himself, it was yet several
seconds before he could distinguish
any objects around him-the sudden
transition from the darkness without
to the glare Of lamp had dazzled his
eyes. When he recovered from the
first confusing effects of the light. he
saw sight that sent him staggering
back against the wall. and for = 40
ment deprived him OF the power of
speech. He was bewlldered. and could
not find breath to say the words which
were upon his lips.
| A sound of horses hoofs approGch-
ing the hut made him suddenly look
round, and then he knew no more. A
fearful crash upon his skull deprived
him of his senses, and he fell heavily
| to the floor.
(To be Continued.)