The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1902-09-19
By II. s. cANFlELD

By II. s.
Asthsr Of "a MAID OF TffR WEST" ,"RERoY,
!, Copyrighted. 1901, BY D
CHAPTER TX.
Mr.. John Britton Weston, Citizen-at-
8 Large.
: The captive was conscious but did
not speak. He looked from one to an
other in the gloom as he lay upon the
ground, which was soaked under him.
The left side Of his shirt and canvas
Jacket showed dark with blood, the
bullet having torn its way through the
shoulder.
''Now you've got this rascal" asked
Maude, little impatiently, what are
you going to do with him?"
Harding did not answer, but spoke
to four of his men, directing them to
make litter and attach it to two Of
, the horses.
What are you going to do with
him?" Maude repeated.
+" The Captain wheeled to face him, his
right hand raised half threateningly.
> "Do?" he said angrily. why, put
him up at ten paces, wounded and
bound, for you to murder over again.
: What else should do with him?"
Maude said nothing, further, but re-
mounted and sat motionless, with his
English cavalry seat staring out over
the river. During the colloquy the
= prisoner, still upon his back, had
Hh{ffoH tic 11n11o6 OF r o
Englishman steadily. He still looked
at him for while when the two lit
ter-horses were put at the head Of the
column with a trooper on foot leading
them. Then he shifted: his regard to
Harding, but only for moment. The
motion was rough, but no moan came
from him. Before mile had been
traversed Inconsistencies came to him
mercifully. The troop, riding at a
walk, reached the ranche-house just at
sunrise.
Naturally enough the ranche-house
was plunged into turmoil by the, ar
rival Of the troops with wounded
prisoner-a bandit, smuggler, cat
tle-iifter, possibly a brigand, de-
lightfully romantic, mysterious GRIM
inal from the neighboring. republic.
The maid-servants gathered about, 'ex-
citedly peering and whispering as the
captive was lifted from the litter and
borne, still unconscious, into a room
prepared for him under Glynn's short
directions. The Mexican cow-hands
looked on alphabetically. They. were
we'll used to seeing men injured in one
way or another, 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 and 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 remain to fight and, pos
sibly, be kil1ed-an unlearned, but SEN
sible man was CARA For the first
morning in many mornings the lady Of
the rancho was aroused from torpor.
She glided about in becoming wrap
per, not helping any one and much in
the way, but genuinely busy. Lois,
aroused by the hustle, had dressed has
tily and, having been told the cause
of the stir in q few words by Allyn,
at once volunteered her services.
II once thought to be a professional
NURSE" she said simply, -*and un-
derstand good deal about the treat
ment Of hurts. My place, Of course.
will be in the sickroom."
But" interjected the Hon. Clay
brough, "the chaps a rufian, don't
you know"
"It doesn't make any difference" she
responded shortly. He's wounded
rufian, isn't he, and past doing harm?"
She turned to assume direction 81
the maids who were carrying hot
water, soap, towels bandages. iini-
ments and so forth into the prisoners
room. Meanwhile conference was in
progress between Robert Harding and
the ranchman.
you can't, take him with you."' the
latter was saying. "The fellow would
die II subjected to litter-haul from
here to Fort Clark in this 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 penitentiary.
should say that he's English or
American, and we can't let him die
like dog. Probably he is the lieuten-
ant Of the Vavara forces, Of whom we
have heard rumors. They say that the
smuggler owes much Of his success to
his skill and daring. A[ "
Undoubtedly" the Captain replied
nonchalantly. He's the same man.
I'll leave him here willingly, more BY.
token that I can't carry him and have
no relish for riding the twenty miles
to the fort at q walk. I'll see II I can
get Thompson, the post surgeon. to
come out this afternoon. guess he's
IT. Owing to q, brandy. bath taken. !, he,
said, to relieve rheumatism, he put q
bandage on the wrong leg the other
\ day. but that doesn't often happen.
z Good sfailnu, nThn ,,,snr n and M hatfSr