The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-03-03
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tives aad the cavalcade, sided right
and left, rs though toavoid his eyes, for
into each face. most OF them hangdog
visages, he gaaed sharply, as though in
search of some one, yet never faltered
in his stride Back from her barred
window shrank the young girl as the
tall soldier came within dozen PAGES
To one side or another, smoke inhaling
and striving to look unconcerned, edged
the swarthy constituents of the group,
and with never word to one of them,
straight through their midst and the
doorway beyond, went Blake, catching
the three peppers, 1.-The wife of my
brother" aud the brace of palpable cut
Threats at their loopholes. So uneNpeot-
ed was the move that it had not even
occurred to one of the creatures at the
door to mutter word of warning So
engrossed were the three in their scru-
tiny that Biakes entrance was unbeard
True, he had discarded boots and
spurs, and his feet were incased in soft
Apache moccasins The floor, too. was
earthen, but he made no effort at
stealth, and in the gloom and shadow
of the low rooted room it was for mo-
ment difficult to distinguish the human
figures against the opposite wall 1t
was his ear that first gave warning, for
low, yet distinct, he heard the words:
eff he'd taken any horse but that
roam, or knew less about riding, we'd
"a caught him 20 miles out, and he'd
never "a caught Nevlns. Dash dash the
whole dashed blue bellied outfit and be
dash dash dashed to their quadruple
dashed soulsr' and the concentrated
spite and hatred of the speaker Kissed
in every syllable
/" 'Tain't question of what we could
not do What can we do? He's got the
money, and plenty of it, cached some
where about the old camp, and $500 of
it's mine That's what want. don't
care On what they do with him SO
long as they don't send him to prison.
where we can't nail him. That's what
that bloody court will do. though. and
know it. -
How d'you know, /" fiercely demand
ed the other, Mess you've been in the
army, which you swear you haven't?
Where'd you desert from? Come. own
up now, " and, turning for an instant
from his peephole. the speaker became
suddenly aware Of the silent form of
Lieutenant Blake.
'None of your dashed business!'' be-
gan the other. when harsh "Shut upl'
brought him around in amaze. and he,
too, confronted the dark figure standing
like signpost between them and the
violet light beyond the open doorway.
Instinctively the hands of both men
sought their pistol butts. but Blake
made never a move. The woman, look
ing around for the cause of the sudden
silence, caught sight of the statuesque
intruder and, with low cry, threw
her shawl over her head and, bending
almost double. with outstretched. crop
ing hands, scurried to where the mis-
sion made blanket hung at the doorway
OF the bedroom and darted through the
aperture like rabbit to its form, the
folds Of the heavy wool falling behind
her
And still the tall lieutenant neither
spoke nor moved. His revolver hung at
his right hip, his hunting knife slept
in its sheath, but his hands sat jauntily
on his thighs The stern, set look of
his clear cut face had given place to
something like grin of amusement
First at one, then at the other, of the
two bewildered worthless he gazed,
looking each deliberately from head to
foot as they lowered there, both irreso-
lutte and disconnected. one of them visi-
bly, trembling.
There was doorway leading into the
room in which was set the table for
stage passengers Of the better class, Off
GERS and the few ladies who had ven-
tured to follow their lords into faraway
Arizona or the gente fine, which in
Nluded amazons whose money could pay
their way pretty much anywhere and
was made pretty much anyhow. But
that room was empty, and the one be-
You'd it, the bar, had only one or two
occupants, too far away to see what was
going on
There were a doorway and a swinging
oS1oSA VI NiAtS Cd!lNao Juet pcy OJu tuo
loophole Ii ely occupied by "the wife
of my brot ar." doorway that gave
on the corral. and to each of these each
silent tough had given quick, furtive
glance, but not a step was taken How
long the strain of the situation might
have lasted there is no saying. 1t was
broken by the sudden lifting of that
dirty canvas screen, as sudden and per-
ceptible start on the part of each of
the confronted men and the quick en-
trance of the engineer. For another
second or two no word was spoken.
Loring's eyes were evidently unable at
the instant to penetrate the gloom.
Then he recognized Blake, then gradu.
ally the two men at the wall, and then
at last Blake spoke.
"There are your followers, Loring."
A moments careful scrutiny then a
nod of assent was Loring's answer.
"Now, then, You two," said Blake