The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1899-11-07
CHAPTER vI.-CContinued.)

After some further conversation the
man Luke ceased to take any further
notice Of the young man, beyond an
occasional glance, as II he were trying
to remember where he had seen his
face before. Baynes very shortly after
wards got up and went off home to his
hut.
AS one of the men had informed
Luke, Mr.. Hall happened to be short OF
hands just then, and upon applying to
him the next morning he got taken on.
Things went on for some time very
much as usual. There were cattle
brandings, breaking in Of horses, and
Sunday kangaroo-hunts, INDUCING in a
drunken bout at Sullivan's, the Bush
Inn" a few miles off. the latter diver
sion being much to Mr.. Halls incon-
venience and disgust.
Sullivan's lightning rum was not
only guaranteed to make men drunk,
but it had the peculiar effect, after a
few days steady drinking, of sending
eAANhA ln6 nAaNs lie MoO NV ~ ~
wondered at, as Mr.. Hall frequently
told his men on the station, for the
chief components were spirits of wine,
brown sugar and tobacco.
A noticeable alteration had taken
place in Tom Baynes' demeanor since
the arrival of Robert Luke upon the
station. He seemed to have ~relapsed
into his old moody manner, which he
had apparently got rid of as he had be-
come used to the place.
He was now never in the mems hut
longer than was absolutely necessary
for the performance of his duties, and
he shut himself up more than ever
sS'ay from them all.
How precious fond of that missus of
his he must be-" said Luke one night.
Its queer no ones ever had a sight
of her. Hasn't no one for certain ever
seen her?"
Not as I knows on" returned one
of his mates. What does it matter to
you if you see her or not? She's an
invalid, that's what she is. And he's
a good mate, and provides good grub
all round"
III try and get a look at her, and
chance the ducks.'" retorted Bob
Luke. What right has she to go and
shut herself up? 1t puzzles my brains
where l have seen that chap Baynes
before"
After this Luke was constantly pry-
ing about in the endeavor to get a
peep into Baynes' hut. One night he
succeeded in creeping close up to it
without disturbing the inmates. There
was, however, no possible means of
peeping in, so Luke lay down in the
shadow behind the chimney and list
ened. He could not catch a single
word. If the inmates of the hut were
talking they must have been doing so
in very low tones. By-and-by. how
ever, the door opened, and in the
stream of light that came from with
IN, Luke beheld a woman walk out
INTO the open air. A shawl partly con-
cealed her features as she went down
the little garden path to the gate.
Ihen she stopped for some ten min
utes with her back towards the watch
er, looking out into the night.
4 shall see her better when she is
coming back" thought Luke.
But at that moment the lamp inside
the hut was ~extinguished, and be
could see nothing more than the sbad-
owy form of the woman as she turned
round and re-entered the dwelling
Robert Luke felt baffled. and his on
became keener han aver
When ne reached the hut in which he
slept he found it empty. The men
were still haggling over their greasy
cards at euchre in the kitchen.
Sitting down by the plank table
upon which stood the slush lamn-o
tin pannikin full of sheep's fat WITH
a rag for a wick-Luke pulled ont an
ola pocketbook, and drew from II a
worn and dirty paper. Unfolding II bo
e the heading, Zone Tbousand
Pounds Reward" The rest of tho
printed matter, which he read through
carefully, contained the description Of
Edward Bartlett and Anne Dodson
We'll, 1t amt them at any rate" he
grumbled, as he replaced the nanar IN
Its cover. Man with fair comnlex-
ION, gray eyes, shortish-' That won,t
Baynes has dark eyes-is ouito
middling height. Hair might dive. bnt
eyes-no, it amt him. Besides sou.
them both in court when Bili NO.
have it," he cried. s~prIne,no
20 his feet and bringing his fist don,n
with a crash upon the table. That's
where / saw the face like his. II NO.
Anne Dodson's! Surprising he Is !
brother of Anne Dodson's. and has ber
here in hiding?"
CHAPTER VII.
"Baynes," said Mr.. Hall one morn