The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1902-11-21
CHAPTER v.
Two villains.

| Stone House the Lord of The Desert
sits at his accustomed place, slipping
from goblet Of old Scotch whiskey.
OF late years he has done but little
besides drink from the flowing bowl.
One day he deadens all sense of feel
ing, to rise the following with keen
er appetite and conscience more
stinging. On this night his eyelids
! are heavier than usual, his eyes look
more CLASSY and the grimaces are
deeper in his face.
No wonder. If Dan FoIlett, the
Canadian Frenchman, has followed his
instructions and old Egan, the Indian
chief, has kept his eyes open and
been prompt in action, another crime
has been added to his life. He stares
into the vacant darkness and this, SO
still and gloomy on the desert, re-
minds him of a distant cave In the
rimrocks, and the picture there causes
| a shudder to come over the great frame
of Martin Lyle, the Lord of The
Desert.
The welcome bark of the dogs, an
nounces the arrival of one who is not
stranger. In his eagerness, the Lord
of The Desert rises and PAGES the
| floor, now and then stopping at the
arm chair and taking sip from the
goblet. Presently lank form enters
the door. His dark heavy eyebrows,
and the natural scowl upon his face,
his careless ambling walk, depict the
character Of the man at glance. But
nothing ever tells the inmost thoughts
of Dan Follett. Whether after victory
or defeat, or during anger or In hap
py mood, the oily black eyes Of this
| man never change. 1t is only when
| he speaks or acts that his mood is
known.
Upon entering the house, and after
greeting its Lord, he soon unburdens
himself.
Il saw from the smoke above the
distant rimrocks the evening before" :"
said Follett, "that old Egan was ready
for action, but In spite of my efforts
the clash came in a way that several
lives of our men were lost. I tried to
have the surprise so complete that the
girl and animals should be taken away
without the loss Of life, but our boys
were on their feet instantly and fought
bravely, and 1t was certainly a mir
acle that any of them escaped after
they engaged such Odds" Then he
detailed the circumstances of the fight
as the reader knows them.
do you think there is any chance
Of those four dare-devils rescuing the
girl?" inquired Lyle.
"None in the world" replied the
Frenchman. "They will either lose
their lives by their foolhardiness or
come in in few days starved out, as
saw to the fact myself that they took
but few provisions with them"
How did the girl take her captiv-
ity?" inquired the Lord Of The Desert.
IT only saw her for moment by
flash the campfire after she was
secured, and she wore bold look of
firmness and defiance, as If she feared
not even the devils into whose hands
she had fallen"
''She's a Lyle!" muttered the Lord
of The Desert.
"This is a costly affair, Martin" in.
sinuated Follett.
. Eyes, know" replied the man of
wealth, "but old Egan wanted ami
mails for his men and would not do
the other work, you know, without the
horses as he said his men would not
be satisfied with taking the girl
alone"
ttvNh 4r.,o,+,, 6.. hool xrb;ob ON
to deliver at Gray Butte and the for
ty head they got the other night,
said Follett, "are a pretty heavy tax,
besides the men we have lost. Better
if you had let the girl come on and
made away with her as l did with her
father"
'That would never have DONE" re-
piled Lyle. "The notoriety of her Wis
it here would have led to an investiga-
tion, but now that the Indians have
done the work 1t is natural turn of
affairs in this country and the Ameri-
can's-'Uncle Sam, reward
Egan and his warriors by giving
them reservation and feeding
and educating them. The Eng
lish would reward the whole gang
by hanging them. But enough of this.
Tomorrow arrange to deliver the
twenty-five cayuses to the old brute,
but before you do it require positive
proof that he's performed his part of
the contract, he has to kill her, you
.know!"
"And the deed to the Spring Creek
Valley" replied Follett, don't forget
that. While Egan must he rewarded
for his damnable deeds, must be paid
for my bloody ones!" and he gave the
Lord Of The Desert piercing look
that made that man Of nerve shrink
like coward,
At this time Follett's companions
came in from attending to the horses
and the three repaired to the dining
room, while the owner o. the Stone
House sat down and drank and
thought, and drank and thought.