Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-09-12
CHAPTER TX.
MR.. JOHN BRITTON WESTON. CIT
ZEN-AT-LARGE

| al of the troops with a wounded pris-
| oner-a bandit, smuggler, cattle
litter, possibly brigand, delightfully."-
romantic, mysterious criminal from
| the neighboring republic The maid
| servants gathered about, excitedly
| peering and whispering as the captive
was lifted from the litter and borne,
still unconscious, into room prepared
! for him under Glynn's short directions.
| The Mexican cow-hands looked on apa-
thetically. They were we'll used to see
/ ing men injured in one way or an
other, and conspicuously among them
was the dark, quiet face Of Juan Cara,
| the decoy. This fellow had slipped
| into the cactus the moment the alarm
| had been sounded at the ford aad made
his way directly to the rancho where
! he awaited the return of the soldiers.
He argued that he had done his work
and it was no part of his duty to re-
main to fight and possibly, be killed
an unlearned, but sensible man was
! Cara. For the first morning in many
mornings the lady of the rancho was
aroused from torpor, She glided about
| in a becoming wrapper, not helping
any one and much in the way, but gen
/ timely busy. Lois aroused by the
/ hustle, had dressed hastily and, hay
! ing been told the cause of the stir in
few words by Allyn, at once volun-
| teered her services.
II once thought to be professional
nurse" she said simply, and ! I'M
! derstand good deal about the treat
ment of hurts, My place, OF course,
will be in the sick room
But" interjected the Hon. Clay
brough the chap s rulllan, don't you
! know"
1T doesn't make any difference" she
responded shortly. Hes n wounded
rufTiau isn't he, and past doing harm ?"
She turned to assume direction Of
the maids who were carrying hot wa
ter. soap, towels, bandages. liniments
and so forth into the prisoners room.
Meanwhile conference was in prog
ress between Robert Harding and the
ranchman.
"Ym can't take him with You" the
latter was saving. The fellow would
die ii subjected to a litter-haul from
here to Fort Clark in the sun Leave
him with me- I'll be responsible for
him and when he gets well we'll try
him and put him in the penitcntiary,
| should say that he's English or
American, and we can't let him die
! like a dog. Probably he is the leu
tenant OF the Vavara forces. of whom
we have heard rumors They say that
the smnggler owes much OF success to
! his skill and daring"
Undoubtedly" the Captain replied
! nonchalantly. Hes the same man.
| III leave him here willingly. more by
token that | can't carry him and have
! no relish for riding the twenty miles
| to the fort at walk. I'll see il |
can't get Thompson. the post surgeon
| to come out this afternoon. ! guess
! he's fit Owing to brandy bath taxi
| en-, he said, TO relieve rheumatism. he
| put a bandage on the wrong leg the
| other day. but that doesn't happen Of
! ten. Good fellow. Thompson. and no
! better surgeon anywhere. Express
| nv adieus to your wife and Miss Eng
| lish. Don't trust this prisoner chap
| when he gets able to move about and
! above all don't take any parole from
| him. A parole wGnld be only so much
/ air. Goodbye.
The kindly officer swung his short
! person into the saddle. gave the com
! mand and the troop moved northeast
! ward ut trot
Entering the sick room with Mrs
! Glynn. Lois saw stretched upon low
| single bed long form, swathed TO the
/ shoulders in a night robe and covered
with a sheet to the chin. II had been
/ already unclotbed by some Of the Mex
J leans and the red-stained garments had
/ been removed Consciousness was re-
/ turning as the result Of liberal dose
/ Of brandy forced between tbe pale lips.
from which now and then faint moan
came She saw a man. young and tall.
with huge shoulders, a great barred
neck and long muscular arms and deep
| chest-evidcntly powerful and active
man He was young with a handsome
refined face Of Greek outline. II was
pale now and the antique look Of II was
1 helped by a mas Of short clustering
golden curls which hung over the brow.
I This face was at once daring. strong.
/ masculine and poetic-a remarkable
face The firmly hunk jaw and level
brows denoted viii power and the
I clenching of the strong even white
teeth. showing slightly between the
parted lips. proved that all Of his re-
serve force was battling to repress any
outward indication Of pain. He look
ed stolcal so lying. and once when his
eyes opened the girl saw that they
were large, steady, clear and Of gray
so dark that they were almost black
she stoope1 at once with a pair oil
scissors in her right hand and, without
speaking, ripped his shirt apart for q
space OF twelve inches, laying bare the
round hole made by the bullet. In
spection showed her that IL had gone
through without check, making a clear
orifce. She at once bathed the wound
lightly and deftly in water which had
been sterilized by boiling and slightly
carbolized with acid. Bandages. ster-
ilized In the same way. were applied
and fastened with professional rapid
ty. The left arm was placed over thu
chest and 30 bound. Cool cloths were
placed on the hot forehead for fsyal